Helps that we get a week and a half off to celebrate this:
Songkran is days away but you can already feel the build up of energy in the air as Thais prepare to take to the streets for the water gun wars. For those staying in Thailand, see our Songkran 2013 Survival Tips below. Feel free to share, especially with those new to the Thai New Year festivities.
NANCY CHANDLER'S SONGKRAN SURVIVAL TIPS
Shop for your Water Gun Today.
Don’t wait until the water wars begin as prices skyrocket during the water festival. Pop by any supermarket, department store or mega mall to source at least two or three water guns per person in your posse. (Water guns break easily and having more than one also allows you to continue playing without having to refill every five minutes.) Look for guns with sling straps attached so you can carry more than one at a time. Test them in the shop if you can. (We once had fun testing several in a toy shop, sending several of the staff back to their counters to grab their own guns and fight back!) If you wait to buy during the festival, check packaging before handing over your cash. (Crafty entrepreneurs have been known to collect broken guns lying on the streets, repackage them in the original packaging and then re-sell them!)
Stock up with Other Songkran Essentials Beforehand Too.
Ziploc bags could have been invented in Thailand during Songkran. You’ll want plenty to store your mobile phone, camera and any other personal items in during this week, assuming you do plan on leaving your home. Larger plastic bags are useful for carrying a towel and one or two changes of clothing should you plan to visit anywhere where air conditioning inside might be a problem if you’ve arrived dripping wet. Large garbage bags may be needed if you’re having a house party (see below). A visit to the ATM and supermarket for food and drink before Songkran is also advised. If changing money, do so before the holidays as banks will be closed throughout the country.
Songkran may Start as soon as Friday!
Although Songkran does not officially start until April 13, venture out onto the streets anytime from early Friday afternoon and you may risk being set upon by posses of Thais with their buckets full, hoses aimed and squirt guns loaded! Office staff will leave early to celebrate together on the steps of their buildings. Shopkeepers will close up shop and set up staff parties on their doorsteps. Condominium building security may well also be armed by Friday. Another tip: Head home from work early. Traffic will be horrendous from 3pm on as many head to the airport or home, others taking to the streets with friends and families ready to start playing. Note: This is a great time to get to know your neighbours, even if you don't speak Thai.
Don’t Want to Get Wet?
Good luck. For those wary of water, when ambushed by a posse of water gun toting Thais, you can try waiing and politely offering your hands for them to pour water over, or offer your cheeks for a little powder, but there will always be that one who won't be able to restrain himself. Best you just stay home if you can’t see the fun in it all. In which case, make sure you have food delivery service telephone numbers on hand (see the directory to your copy of Nancy Chandler’s Map of Bangkok)! Just remember that forcing a food delivery guy out onto the streets on a motorcycle this week isn't the kindest thing to do, so tip well.
Eager to Get Out and Play?
Dress to get wet. And covered in white powder (which may well still be coming out your ears for weeks). Secure all valuables in ziploc bags, unless heading to the heart of the water wars (Silom Soi 4, Khao San Road or Chiang Mai’s Moat Area), in which case leave all valuables at home. Pickpockets are not only rife in such areas but extremely talented. Do not use tuk tuks or motorcycles to get around. Use the skytrain and taxis instead. Note that by the end of the festival, being in a taxi does not necessarily protect you from the posses unless you have dutifully locked all doors (we’ve been in one where the driver stopped to let people open the door the dump a bucket on us, all in great fun of course).
Songkran Etiquette and Safety Tips
Please avoid shooting water at moving motorcycle and tuk tuk drivers or their passengers. If someone asks you not to get them wet, please respect their wishes. Do not aim water guns at anyone’s eyes. Do not use ice water or powdered water in your water gun. Do not dump buckets or water balloons from high above the street. Take care when walking or running on slippery floors. Do not drink and drive. Do not let your friends drink and drive. Remember that, even if you have not been drinking before driving, other drivers may have.
Having a House Party?
Do not expect your house to remain a dry zone. Bag it instead. Use huge garbage bags to cover the sofa cushions, the TV, and the microwave, and move everything else into to a locked room. If you have pets, you’ll want to lock them away in a private room with food and water too. Having a few water bins outside near a hose for reloading will prevent most guests from running through your house to use the bathroom taps, but know you’ll end up with wet footsteps through the house anyway.
Heading to Khao San?
Khao San has traditionally been water war central for foreigners and Thais. Should you choose to check out the mayhem, study Nancy Chandler’s Map of Bangkok and/or Nancy Chandler’s Map of Khao San & Old Bangkok so you know your whereabouts (the latter especially useful for those using taxis as you will be dropped off several blocks away from Khao San). Use the map to identify two meeting points at either end of the street or down a nearby side street and set a time to meet up should anyone in your posse get lost. In recent years, the action on Khao San itself has been a bit tamer – police barring anyone with an extra large water gun or powdered water from entry, with cultural shows staged throughout the festival – but be forewarned, the streets around it remain serious battlegrounds. And the pickpockets are real pros - again, do not take valuables. Eighty mobile phones had been reported stolen during a 4 hour period when I last had to report to the local police here for a stolen ID card during Songkran. Separating your cash on your person is also a good idea. Note: For 2013, they are trying to ban alcohol in Khao San and other official 'water war zones'. We do believe that if you want a drink and they really are enforcing this new policy,all you will need to do is pop into a side street bar.
Other Water War Zones in Bangkok
Silom Soi 4 is always a full on party, with revelers ambushing new arrivals from left, right and center, but join a bar and you’ve got an automatic posse! Similar water wars will be waged within any red light area. Less mad, will be CentralWorld’s Songkran Festival with dry and wet festivities including concerts (usually running daily 10am-10pm). Other malls are planning more subdued events, hoping to attract those not really into all the water play. Several clubs are also planning special events (see our website's map updates pages, Facebook, the newspapers or BK Magazine for details). You will still have to navigate the streets to get to them though.
Enjoy!
Your Friends at Nancy Chandler Graphics
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