Pattaya's Songkran decisions

Anything and everything about Thailand
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21458
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Pattaya's Songkran decisions

Post by Gaybutton »

Undaunted wrote: Sat Mar 07, 2020 8:42 am More on Pattaya Songkran
According to those articles, Songkran activities have now been canceled in Phetchabun, Buriram, and Phuket.

Still no word about Bangkok, but I'm expecting a lot of cancellations there too.

A great many businesses normally shut down in Pattaya on the "big day", April 19, so they can go out and celebrate and so none of the water splashing gets inside their locations. I'm guessing this year most will remain open. If the restaurants that usually close stay open this year, at least you won't have to worry about where you can eat on the 19th and probably won't get splashed trying to get there.

I'm also wondering how many of you who usually plan "Songkran Escape" trips have decided not to go anywhere this year.
User avatar
Undaunted
Posts: 2567
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 8:47 am
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 368 times

Re: Pattaya's Songkran decisions

Post by Undaunted »

Gaybutton wrote: Sat Mar 07, 2020 9:34 am I'm also wondering how many of you who usually plan "Songkran Escape" trips have decided not to go anywhere this year.
As Songkran has been canceled in Pattaya there is nothing to escape from, at least in Pattaya.
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21458
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Pattaya's Songkran decisions

Post by Gaybutton »

Water splashing in Pattaya after all?

According to this article, while the city is strongly urging people not to splash water this year. The reality is that it will be an "Up to You."

Apparently the city officials believe there really is no way to stop it if that's what people choose to do. So, the question is what will the people choose to do? I believe if there is any water splashing at all, it will be very subdued. I think most people will comply with the urging and forego the water splashing.

The news was making it appear that the water splashing is verboten this year. I think the city may have made a mistake by publicizing that it is unenforceable. Why would they say that? The only result of saying that, in my opinion, would be more people will be splashing if they realize nothing legal will happen to them.

But what about the Second Road, Beach Road, Jomtien, and the Sunee Plaza Middle Easterners - all these sets of morons? I suppose all we can do is wait and see.

Personally, I have never approved of people being splashed against their will, but this year due to the virus, splashing people can also endanger their health - and everybody is aware of that. Certainly there will be idiots who don't give a damn, but I wouldn't have much of an objection and won't be surprised if the splashers soak some of the wrong people, and then, shall we say, 'aggressive action' results . . .

In any case, this year for the first time in many years, on Pattaya's "Big Day," April 19, I'm planning to either drive through it and remain in my car or just stay home. And 'just stay home' is most likely to be my choice this year.
___________________________________________________________________

‘Official’ Songkran events canceled, but Pattaya’s water wars likely will go on

By Pattaya Mail

March 7, 2020

Pattaya’s government-sponsored Songkran celebrations have been canceled as a precaution against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, but the week-long Thai New Year’s water party will be hard to stop.

Tabloids and online blogs splashed clickbait headlines across the internet March 5 shouting that “Songkran is Canceled!”, but come April 12 Pattaya could be just as wet as usual. Tourists wanting to come to splash and party probably won’t be deterred.

Songkran in Pattaya this year might look similar to what it did in April 2017 when Pattaya did not cancel the April 18 and 19 “wan lai” water-throwing parties in Naklua and Pattaya, but did do all it could to tone down the event – to little success.

Starting in February 2017, officials campaigned to preserve the traditions and cultural heritage of Songkran by encouraging tourists to wear Thai floral clothing, fully cover up, and play gently with water with no powder.

Two blocks north and south on sois 6 and 7-8, no one seemed to get the message, as both Thais and foreigners pounded each other with ice water and high-pressure water guns as they do every year.

Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome said city hall is encouraging hotels and shopping malls to cancel their planned concerts and events and urging the public not to splash water, but in the same breath admitted that a blanket ban would be “unenforceable”.

However, this year’s limitations on Songkran will be even more severe due to the coronavirus scare. The April 19 “wan lai” on Beach Road has flourished in recent years due to city hall support for the water war. Police closed Beach Road and city hall staged a cultural parade early in the morning.

That won’t happen this year, but that doesn’t mean Beach Road won’t be as gridlocked with revelers as before. Official road closures are a relatively recent development. Less than 10 years ago, pickup trucks with Songkran celebrants armed with buckets of water crawled through the throngs of revelers with no one getting run over.

Police in recent years have cracked down hard on water trucks and have vowed to outright ban them this year, but driving still is not recommended in Pattaya on April 19.

On April 18 in Naklua, the city’s official Songkran celebration had been staged at Lan Po Public Park. That, too, will be canceled this year, but North and Naklua Roads likely will be jam-packed with water warriors that day.

Similar government-organized events have been canceled in Bang Saen, where the sand pagoda contest will not take place, and elsewhere in the country, except – so far – in Bangkok on Silom Road. Business leaders in backpacker district Khao San Road are meeting to discuss whether to allow a water party, which they canceled in April 2017.

Those coming to Pattaya for the Songkran religious events – and most foreign tourists don’t – still will have events to attend at temples. But anyone looking for foam parties and concerts at Central Festival Pattaya Beach or nearby hotels will be out of luck.

Likewise, police may turn a keener eye to street vendors hawking water guns, but Tesco-Lotus and Big C are still well-stocked.

Clearly, exaggerated headlines about Songkran being canceled in Pattaya are the last thing hoteliers and hospitality businesses want to see. But anyone who has lived in or visited Pattaya for years will know that the Songkran water party is impossible to stop.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/offici ... -on-290436
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21458
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Pattaya's Songkran decisions

Post by Gaybutton »

Is Songkran banned or cancelled in Pattaya? Well, neither really…

By Adam Judd

March 8, 2020

All week long headlines have been dominated by Songkran being cancelled and comments from many expats who don’t enjoy the event have been popping up on our social media feeds demanding water police and enforcement. Comments from tourists who come every year for the massive week long party have also been popping up asking if the event is really banned or cancelled.

Well, the truth is the holiday isn’t cancelled and water play isn’t banned. Only official events, minus the religious ones, have been cancelled.

Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Khunpluem spoke to the Pattaya News earlier last week when the announcement went out and stated that all official events were cancelled and the city was “urging” private event organizers and businesses to cancel water play themed events. He also asked individuals to refrain from water play .

However, he and his team also admitted that a blanket ban on water play would be unenforceable and it is up to private organizations if they decide to move forward.

The Pattaya News has spoken with several local bar owners whose bars are in areas that normally benefit heavily from Songkran and all have given the same answer…..the event is six weeks away and they will wait and see what things look like then or what direction they get from the city as things can drastically change on the ground in six weeks.

As of press time, large events at local malls and bar parties were still being advertised and most seem to be in wait and see what things look like in a month mode.

One of the primary reasons the official events were cancelled was because it takes several weeks of planning and investment normally for the city to plan the events and rather than spend weeks planning only for the event to be cancelled the decision was made early.

Religious events in Pattaya, such as merit making, temple visits, displays of Buddhist relics, etc. will still go as usual the mayor told the press.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Culture Ministry, meanwhile, have said that they are also in wait and see mode from a national level and want to make the decision up to local leaders at this time.

A blanket ban or cancellation of Songkran, the country's biggest holiday, would likely cost when all is said and done well over 30 billion baht.

In Pattaya, Songkran has grown yearly and last year according to the Thai Tourism Authority revenue was up fifteen percent year over year. The wild water festival normally draws at least half a million people, domestic and foreign, to the Pattaya area over the week long event.

Local expats, however, have for the most part shown their distaste for the event that although is one of, if not the, biggest revenue earners for the country yearly also essentially turns the city into a giant week long party disrupting normal life. Some actually leave the country to avoid what is called silly season locally.

The bottom line is nobody really knows what to expect at this point for Songkran. The decision maker could indeed be local Thais as comments in Thai on our Thai news have been mostly positive as many Thai Nationals seem very afraid of the virus and afraid the water could indeed spread it. If we see a strong group think style anti water play stance then there may indeed be limited water play come April 12.

After all, Songkran is the Thai new year and it is the biggest annual holiday for the Thai people. Banning the holiday completely, as some suggest in comments, would be like banning Christmas in the West. It is also still the longest holiday of the year for Thai people with most Thais having five days off or more. Hundreds of thousands of Thais are still expected to go home for the holidays. For many Thai people, like Christmas in the West, it is the only time of the year they get to spend with their family, exchange gifts, make merit and, yes, play water.

As for now, we will all wait and see what happens in six weeks.

https://thepattayanews.com/2020/03/08/i ... er-really/
User avatar
Undaunted
Posts: 2567
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 8:47 am
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 368 times

Re: Pattaya's Songkran decisions

Post by Undaunted »

I believe the government should error on the side off caution and consider the drought, the usual road kill and the very uncertain effect water spraying would have on spreading the virus. Furthermore the army should be deployed in major population centers to help enforce a water play ban. There is no reason Thais can’t celebrate the holiday as it was originally meant to be.
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21458
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Pattaya's Songkran decisions

Post by Gaybutton »

Undaunted wrote: Sun Mar 08, 2020 5:04 pm There is no reason Thais can’t celebrate the holiday as it was originally meant to be.
There is one reason - money.

With a major drought, reservoirs nearly dry, and the virus scare, this is one time I agree with trying to stop the water splashing. Maybe with the better part of 6 weeks left the government can convince most people not to splash water this year. If most people refrain, then I suspect other than the usual morons, there will be hardly any splashing at all. It's not much fun to splash if there's hardly anybody out there to splash. And I think those who do splash will at the very least be reprimanded by people who don't like indifferent assholes possibly causing them to catch the corona virus. And for all the people wearing them, it can't be much fun to be splashed and ending up with a soaked face mask either.

Maybe all the activity and event cancellations will cause the splash revelers to find somewhere to go this year other than Pattaya.

It's hard to predict what will take place in light of all of this. We'll just have to wait and see.
User avatar
Undaunted
Posts: 2567
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 8:47 am
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 368 times

Re: Pattaya's Songkran decisions

Post by Undaunted »

Pattaya news March 9:

"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
User avatar
Gaybutton
Posts: 21458
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2010 11:21 am
Location: Thailand
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 1306 times

Re: Pattaya's Songkran decisions

Post by Gaybutton »

Undaunted wrote: Mon Mar 09, 2020 11:33 am Pattaya news March 9:
Don't you love it? Some news sources say the water splashing is banned. Some say it isn't.

Conflicting and confusing information in Thailand. What else is new?
bluemoon

Re: Pattaya's Songkran decisions

Post by bluemoon »

Pattaya's Songran decision if not cancelled would have been utter madness due to all the road works going on
all courtesy of Pattaya's Planning Dept. (now there's an oxymoron if ever I heard one ) those guys couldn't PLAN
a birthday party for a 5 year old .

Where I am on Pratamnak they allowed in the past year a commercial building with all the noise that entails ,
in between residential buildings but not on the opposite side of the soi where the owners of the building have residential
building ...damm Scandanavians !

Planning Dept my a..
User avatar
Undaunted
Posts: 2567
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2016 8:47 am
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 368 times

Re: Pattaya's Songkran decisions

Post by Undaunted »

Not sure how roadwork would have been affected by Songkran, but not having the Chinese pig carriers on the roads have had quite a positive effect.
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
Post Reply