Songkran 2018 - The most saturated, colourful and fun filled weekend EVER!
- lorisolan
- May 13, 2018
- 7 min read
Since I began researching for my backpacking trip to South East Asia back in 2016, before I knew anything about anything, one thing that consistently kept popping up as a 'must-do' was Songkran. All of the blog posts I read were positive and encouraging and pictures of this weekend were nothing short of colourful, vibrant and what looked like a really incredible celebration.
Songkran is the Thai New Year and is a weekend long celebration held all over Thailand in the month of April. It is a holiday that Thais spend having family reunions, visiting temples and cleaning their house. It is also a weekend of water, lots and lots of water. The symbol of the water is meant to wash away all of the misfortunes from the previous year and to make way for a fresh start. I am pretty sure based on the hundreds of thousands of gallons used over the weekend their bad luck is definitely washed away.
I had wanted to experience Songkran in Chiang Mai however due to leaving it until last minute, all of the flights were either sold out or a price that a kidney would be so we settled on good old Bangkok.
Bangkok is just one of those places that from the minute you step off the plane you know you are in Thailand and you know it is going to deliver the ultimate weekend. This was my fourth time to Bangkok and I will never get tired of this eclectic, vibrant, oozing with fun capital. It seemed quieter than usual and this was down to the fact that half of the Bangkok residents left the city and made their way to all different parts of Thailand to be with their family and friends in their hometowns for the celebrations.
Aside from the kindness of the people, the buzzing streets and the oh so flavoursome, fresh Thai food, throw in Songkran on top of that and it is surely a weekend to remember. One of the best things about Songkran apart from all the smiling and laughing that you will see from everyone there, is that it is a festival for all ages. I saw a huge mix of people from couples to groups of friends to families with young children.
Our friend May, from Pattaya came to Bangkok to spend the weekend with us to make sure we go to all of the best spots. We learned that the locals call it 'Playing Songkran' and by this they mean go to one of the key spots, armed with a water gun and just walk the road getting hit and shooting at everyone you encounter. I have never experienced a water fight of such magnitude and in the hot scorching heat it is just what is needed.
Top Tips for Songkran:
1. Arrive early in the morning - there is a certain calm in the morning that you won't find throughout the rest of the day. Alot of the local people are using the morning to go to the temples and give their thanks and offerings. This is the time you should use to get to your hotel and keep your bags dry. If you arrive later in the day, be sure to cover your suitcase/backpack with waterproof gear.
2. Choose your hotel wisely - this is something I learned a bit too late i.e when I got there. When I did my research, I read that Khaosan Road was one of the best places for Songkran so lo and behold I booked a hotel on Khaosan Road. Big mistake. Our hotel Khaosan Road Palace was right in the middle of the action and we spent every journey back and forth getting soaked from head to toe whether we wanted to or not. Doing it again, I would book around outskirts of the busy Songkran places not right in the heart of them.
3. First thing to buy is your water gun - this is an obvious one. Arm yourself as soon as possible, don't worry it won't be a struggle as it seems like the world and it's mother are selling them right across the city. We priced them at different stalls and they were consistent with their price of the guns so it seemed they weren't trying to rip you off too much. A 1500 power gun will set you back about $8-$10. You can upgrade for more or downgrade for less. Remember you need to carry this around for the day so choose your size wisely. Denver went with the 1500 power and he was happy with the tank size and the weight, it also shot quite the distance so good for those sneaky attacks!
4. Dress Code - you will read on many websites that you should dress respectfully and wear long sleeved tops and pants. While you can do this and it is indeed respectful, not many others will be doing the same, unless you are planning to visit the temples then it is a must.
If you are just playing Songkran out on the streets, if you are that wet all day long, the last thing you want to be wearing is long clothing that will stick to you. I tried it and it was not enjoyable!
There are some areas throughout the city such as Siam Paragon where they will not allow you pass the barriers unless you are wearing shorts or a skirt that is almost down to your knee. This was the only place that I encountered a restriction. Just have a sarong packed away for times like these.
5. Don't wear flip flops - if you have ever stepped in a puddle or got your feet wet wearing flip flops (or for the Aussie readers - thongs), you will know how detrimental to your safety they can become. Your foot finds it hard to stay in them and it is just outright uncomfortable. Imagine spending a whole weekend like this. If you don't want to imagine this, then wear a proper sandal. Thank me later!
6. Be careful who you shoot at - it is frowned upon and definitely not cool to aim and shoot your water pistols at monks, babies or the elderly. That being said there is no problem with them shooting at you. I got a bucket of freezing water lobbed at me from an innocent looking 80 something year old on the side of the street, She waved and laughed as she knew there was nothing I could do about it. What an upper hand to have for anyone 65 plus.
7. Tuk tuks are the number 1 target - if you have to get from A to B, think wisely about your choice of transport. We got a Grab a lot of the time if we were going long distances however decided on the tuk tuk alternative if we wanted to get somewhere quickly as there are so many of them roaming the roads. While we were lucky one of the trips and stayed relatively dry the other 3 times not so much. There are people on the side of the road armed with buckets of usually ice cold water waiting to throw them at anyone who dared get a tuk tuk. While it was fun for the most part, there was one particular journey where it was relentless and went on for a constant 300 metres. It was a complete and utter annihilation. So it's just a friendly warning, if you are going somewhere and you would like to stay dry for a small amount of time, then take a Grab or taxi.
Top 3 Places to 'play' Songkran
1. Khaosan Road - this was by far the best area to play Songkran. The buzz is amazing. Music is blasted from one end of the road to the other. There are DJ's set up in plastic tents keeping the atmosphere up and the fun alive. If you want a break along the road then there are plenty of bars to step in to. While most people are considerate that you are having a drink or eating food, they will not shoot at you. It is almost like a safe zone except for those rare few who will shoot no matter what the situation. They are in it to win it so you can't get angry!
One of the best bars on Khaosan Road is Superflow Beach Club. If you want a drink but you want to continue soaking people and vice versa then this is the place to come. You can sit up the front and stay dry but down the back is a makeshift dance area where you can let loose. There are endless barrels full of water that you can take full advantage of for free. As you can see below, I enjoyed myself alot here.
2. Siam Paragon - adjacent to the Siam Paragon mall is another popular stretch of road. This is the area as mentioned above that they are quite strict on what you are wearing. If you are wearing short shorts then just bring a sarong to wrap around you for the walk. There is a stage right in the middle that has various bands and artists playing throughout the day and right beside this stage are hoses on either side of the road soaring overhead and coming down like rain. This part of the city doesn't seem to have many tourists, mainly due to the fact there is no beer allowed.
3. Silom/Patpong - this is definitely a must visit area over the weekend. It is 5km of road that stretches under the BTS skywalk. The streets are lined with stalls of water ammunition, food and plenty of beer. You can walk along the street below and really get involved or you can stay elevated and witness the fun filled faces from up along the skywalk. I have heard that there can be firetrucks at the ready at either end of the road waiting to hose every passer by down however we didn't see any when we were there. Not sure the force of the hose would be something I would enjoy!
Patpong is the original Go-go area of Thailand and is one of the worlds most famous red light districts. Located on two side streets between Silom and Surawongse Roads it has some really great bars around the area so be sure to take in a beer after all the fun - and even better it is a no water allowed zone so it is a welcomed break.
One of the Highlights - Thai Food:
If the above pictures haven't already enticed you to go and experience what will be an unforgettable 48 hours then just look at some of the amazing food that is available. That should do it!
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