GB's Annual Pattaya Songkran report

[Gaybutton]

Every year I try to make a daily report about what's happening with the water splashing in Pattaya during Songkran week. Some water splashing is already going on and will escalate daily up to the "Big Day," Wednesday, April 19. All the splashing will end on April 20.

I live on "The Dark Side," the east side of Sukhumvit. Out here, nothing at all is going on yet. I haven't even seen little kids with squirt guns yet.

However, I am getting reports that it's a different story in Jomtien. The drunken farang are already out there soaking people. Most of it is in the Jomtien Complex vicinity. No water splashing is allowed in the complex, but getting there might be a problem for those of you allergic to water. So, be careful around that area. The Thais are usually polite about it, but the drunken, heavily tattooed farang? That's a different story.

There is usually water splashing along Pattaya Beach Road and around the Central Festival area. I haven't been there myself yet, so I don't know if water splashing is happening there yet, but if this year is typical, despite the city trying to done it down this year, my guess is there is probably a lot of splashing already going on in those areas.

Make sure you either are not out and about with anything that water can damage. If you have to carry things such as your wallet, telephone, passport, or whatever, make sure you protect them with a plastic bag or something.

And please - anyone who can report your own observations, please post and let us know.

[Undaunted]

Nothing yet in South Pattaya, am leaving 17 for Hanoi and returning 20....hope to avoid it all. Many Thais go back to their families now and Cambodians do the same as it is their New Year.....Have noticed increase in Arab Scum as they enjoy acting like animals here as they cannot do so in the shit holes where they come from, they target the areas adjacent to Sunee Plaza.

[Oliver]

Is the practice of throwing buckets of water at passing baht buses still prevalent? I was once caught in the face by water and ice cubes while at the back of such a bus on the way back from Jomtien. We were travelling at about 30mph....and it hurt.

[Gaybutton]

Is the practice of throwing buckets of water at passing baht buses still prevalent?

You can count on it. And it will be mostly Arabs and drunken farang doing that - and the use of ice is illegal. The Thais do what they do in fun. But these drunken asshole farang and Arabs - as far as I'm concerned they have no business splashing people at all, at least not like that. Songkran is a Thai holiday. It's not meant to be a holiday to give foreigners an excuse to come to Thailand to spend a week behaving like morons - even though they are morons.

A few years ago one idiot farang put acid in his water shooter and nearly blinded a 12 year old Thai boy. At least he was caught and arrested, but that wasn't much help to the boy he injured. Why anybody would even think of doing something like that, let alone actually doing it, goes far beyond me.

I don't understand people who get their jollies by intentionally making things miserable for others.

If they splash the wrong people and end up getting the shit beat out of them - no objections from me.

[Oliver]

Just to confirm the essential meaning of Songkran; P. is visiting his grandparents this morning to perform his "aquatic" duties.

I haven't returned during this period and so I cannot comment on who the idiots are who throw water and ice at passing busses nowadays....but it happened to me in 2001 and the "idiots" were Thai girls and youngish Thai men.... certainly not teenagers. If foreign tourists are now participating, they had good local teachers. I should add that this took place a week before Songkran; I knew enough not to travel during the festival itself.

By the way, the same year the wife of a Norwegian embassy official was squirted in the face by a small Thai boy at the temple market in Pattaya. She slapped his face and was prosecuted. I recall the incident because a child of about seven, accompanied by Mama and Papa, pointed one of those damn WMD water guns at me and i gave him my best frown of disapproval. Go ahead and try...was my message.
He did and I got wet. My sympathies were with the Norwegian woman.

[Gaybutton]

My sympathies were with the Norwegian woman.

Not mine. Not at all. What was she expecting during Songkran? Unless she was blind, didn't she see virtually everybody splashing water on people?

Even if that happened at a totally different time of year, nobody gets to physically assault a 7 year old child, especially somebody else's child, and more especially when the child meant no harm. I hope she was punished and also ended up in trouble with her embassy.

If she was one of those who despises Songkran, but chooses to stay or must stay where Songkran water splashing activities take place, then stay indoors.

[thewayhelooks]

And it will be mostly Arabs and drunken farang doing that

Don't forget the female bar slags who are just as bad. Did see a small boy at Jomtien today - he was two feet nothing and struggling to hold his gun, which was twice as big he was.

[Gaybutton]

Don't forget the female bar slags who are just as bad.

Very good point. The people who intentionally ruin it for others certainly are not limited to drunken farang and Arabs, although I'd say they comprise the majority of the idiots.

Just once. Just once, that's all I ask - I would love it if someone who doesn't appreciate getting a dousing of ice water from a drunken farang, beats the living shit out of the moron who doused him - and the douser is the one who gets arrested and punished by the police rather than the dousee.

I really enjoy Songkran, but - to put it mildly - I have a serious dislike for people out there acting like idiots. I don't care whether they are farang, Arab, Thai, or come from one of the moons of Saturn. They have no business being out there doing the things they do. That's the kind of behavior that drives so many local farang away from Pattaya during Songkran week when instead it should be a lot of fun for everyone, not just a few dimwits who get their pleasure from spoiling it for others.

[odd]

Not surprisingly the most raucous area of Jomtien was within 50 metres of the Dong tan Police Hut. No doubt the BIB were busy insude playing with their mobiles.

[Gaybutton]

Friday, April 4

Now it's 2:15pm in Pattaya. I haven't been out of the house at all today yet. I didn't need to. A young "gentleman caller" dropped by. He lives on Thepprasit Road. He came by motorbike taxi and arrived dry. He said the only water splashing activity he saw going on was a sporadic few groups of the 4 to 7 year old age group shooting their water pistols that had a range of about 3 feet.

Apparently most of the water splashing activity is happening right where you would expect it - in the Pattaya Beach Road, Second road, and Jomtien areas - where you're most likely to find the drunken farang.

I'll be going out and about later today. If I see any water splashing activity, I'll post what I see.