Thailand during Songkhran festival

JayC5

Hi,

I'm heading to Thailand soon and it's looking like I'll arrive during the Songkran festival. I'm planning on staying at Khao San road for a day or two then going north to Chiang Mai.

What's it like during festival time arouand Khao San? - will I need to keep a rain-cover on my backpack at all times / keep my iPhone and passport in something waterproof etc? Do the water-throwing activities break for the evening/night or is it non-stop?

Is Bangkok generally busy around this period regarding accommodation and domestic flights/trains/buses?

Cheers

gustafo

Khao san is absolutely mental for the a few days around songkran, when you are out and around best to leave everything back at your guest house i wouldn't be bringing iphones out with me weather they are protected or not. water will be thrown all day long it might ease off late at night but expect to still get soaked.

Bangkok will be hectic around tis time very very busy but tis a great buzz well worth it, as you proberly know this is the hottest time of year in thailand so expect serious heat and humidity but your body will adjust to it.

Tipperary animal lover

Jesus it's mental some craic, I wouldn't be carrying anything electronic with you water water everywhere, been in Bangkok patong and Chiangmai for songkran and Chiangmai wins hands down, just buy a water gun and get stuck in everybody in great form, it's a time when a lot of Thais die on the roads as there all on the beer driving around, just use your common sense and y'all be grand.
In Bangkok the water goes all day and night I remember sitting in a s..thole of a bar which was opened onto the street at about 2a.m. And the water throwing was still going.... Oh happy days

Stinicker

I spent some of Songkran 2012 in Pattaya last year :rolleyes:, it was absolutely mental and went on for several days, It was great fun for the first 2 days but after that I got totally sick of it and it became a nuisance. The Thais are much more reserved and it is us westerners who take to it with gusto and make a complete ass of ourselves.

The bars all have big water tanks outside which are topped up by tankers with massive blocks of ice thrown in to ensure it is freezing cold. The BiB (Boys in Brown - Thai Police) were busy confiscating Westerners water canon too.

You will get soaked wet from head to toe and avoiding it will only make youself a prime target for getting splashed! Favorites for splashing included passing songthaewks and the Thai's also rub ceremonial chalk onto everyones faces. They get really drunk and have big street parties and it is good fun on the last day which is the biggest but it is the lead up to it which pisses me off and the fact that they continue splashing after sun-down meaning it is is nigh on impossible to go out for dinner and stay dry!

Ideally for Songkran you'd spend the last day or two there and bring waterproof cases for any cameras or iPhones or they will be destroyed, no part of your body will stay dry! It is fun and enjoy in moderation and if someone dosen't want to be splashed then don't or you could get the crap kicked out of you as happened to a New Zealander I and a few more guys had teamed up with, he splashed some Russian and the Russian guy took it bad and the last I saw of the Kiwi was he had a suspected broken nose. Avoid driving and hundreds gets killed and driving a Motorcycle during Songkran is Russian Roulette as it seems to be fair game to try and knock the motorcycle driver of his/her bike with a much water as you can throw at them!! Totally insane it was as if everyone were children again with Water Guns and behaving like kids!