I’d heard fellow travel bloggers talk about how much they loved the Thai New Year, known better as Songkran, so much that I scheduled by Asia leg of the trip around it.
Following a marathon day of travel through Darwin, Singapore, Bangkok and Chiang Mai, we arrived at the end of the first day. It lasts five days and can be found throughout the country, but the massive water gifts representing cleansing of sins are said to be the best in Chiang Mai.
I knew we were in for it when we saw the Super Soakers littering the path to our room at the guesthouse. We didn’t buy water guns ourselves, which we soon found out made us easy targets. Within a few steps of going to look for lunch, we were drenched.
At first, it was a welcome relief from the heat and humidity of the summer. Children with small squirt guns, teenagers with buckets of moat water, adults with cups of ice water all looking for the chance to shower you. I laughed and went on my way.
But as the days went on, it wasn’t as fun anymore. I tried to be positive about it, since the meaning of the festival is really very beautiful, but all I could think was, Really? Squirting water in my eyes? Sometimes it was the westerners who were looking for a chance to get away with bad behavior, like kindergarten run amok.
Men squirted water guns straight at my chest, which was awkward. The crowds were everywhere and even when the sun went down, when an unofficial cease fire took place, there would be someone trying to splash me when I was dry and walking to dinner. I started to resent everyone lurking around the moat, ready to fire again.
The festival certainly has a dark side that I never knew about prior, as it involves all day drinking binges for many, as tourists flock to cities to celebrate and the locals get days off of work. It was reported that this year over 200 people were killed and over 2,000 injured in Thailand during the festivities. Fights break out among revelers and I could see why. Getting water thrown in your face for five days certainly takes its toll on your sanity.
So while Songkran is an important holiday in Thai culture, I wouldn’t go back for the festival again. But if you’re looking for a place to feel young again, soaking fellow revelers and walking around sopping wet, you may just be cut out for Songkran.
Apologies for the blurry and hazy photos, which were taken through a fogged up GoPro and my iPhone in a plastic bag.
Caroline it’s so nice, and really interesting, to hear about Songkran from a different point of view. All I’ve heard from other travel bloggers it’s that it’s amazing and everyone should experience it at some point and, although I understand the meaning behind the festival, I think it’s nice that you wrote about it honestly and didn’t get talk about how amazing it was.
I’m not sure I’d go, just as I wouldn’t go to a Full Moon Party, it’s just not my thing :)
next year I will definitely go to Thailand and celebrate Songkran, it looks like so much fun :)
I happened to be in Bangkok during Songkran last year by accident, I was NOT a fan. Didn’t help that I was sick, but the lack of ‘mercy’ — it was relentless to the point of malicious — and my general germophobia combined to make me not want to return to see the festival in full.