Songkran 2559

Post by **GT93** » April 10, 2016, 10:51 am

Happy Songkran to all and sundry. We've had our Songkran festival in the usual Auckland park today. Not much to report. More people. More food stalls. Sanuk mak as usual this year. It was drizzling so the Thai kids couldn't do too much damage with their water guns.

Thai saos' legs seem to be filling out in farangland. Still they're slimmer than farang ladies and there seem to be more Thai girls here each year. It was as usual a great day for looking over Thais. GT still has Thai fever.

I don't know if the NZ police yet target the festival for drunk drivers. I didn't see any police walk through the festival. That suggests it doesn't cause much trouble despite many people including this esteemed poster hitting the booze before 12 pm.

We were hanging out with some lovely dark skinned girls in Thai dresses from Surin - 4 sisters that run my local Thai take away. Even though they live in NZ some of them still have farang sponsors. One, a gorgeous 26 year old, has a 60+ American sending her money every month as she did some rolly polly with him in Thailand about a year ago.

I trust other posters have a good Songkran this year.

Post by **socksy** » April 10, 2016, 10:56 am

0% fatalities no doubt GT. The carnage is looming closer here but the authorities have their priorities right and nobody has to dress indecently.

Post by **socksy** » April 11, 2016, 4:20 pm

I made a huge mistake in attending the 'old' Big C today before midday. Luckily I went on the motorbike as there were cars abandoned everywhere in the car park. Notwithstanding that villagers arriving in their droves in packed pick-ups doing their pre- Songkran shopping, who then proceed to the isles in the shop and walk 3-5 abreast. Total misery. Never again.

Post by **Zidane** » April 11, 2016, 4:36 pm

Never mind,socksy.Get yourself down to UD Town between 12-16 April and join in the fun !

Post by **Khun Paul** » April 11, 2016, 5:26 pm

it never ceases to amaze me at the sheer selfishness of Thais there are villages not 10 km from Udon with little or sometimes NO water yet UD Town is managing almost 4 days of a water park .
While I have been religiously NOT watering my grass, Thais will happily throw vast quantities of water over everyone and wish them a happy new year, while I applaud the symbolism and the Culture of gently dousing your peers hands with scented water and wish them HNY they likewise return the favour this has got to be on of the most hypocritical events staged in Udon to date, farmers are complaining about drought YET a town is throwing water away with gay abandon. Completely senseless in my book. I will not venture into town at all unless I absolutely have to.

Post by **macca46** » April 11, 2016, 5:31 pm

Most Thai's do not have trams and trains when it comes to something like this never read a paper or watch TV 'Up to me' mentality.

Post by **newtovillagelife** » April 12, 2016, 7:33 am

Regarding wasting of water, remember in Thailand.....Where ignorance is Bliss, it is folly to be Wise...

Post by **macca46** » April 12, 2016, 5:58 pm

Have just read yesterdays road stats.Monday 11.04.2016

52 dead

431 injured

387 road accidents

What a crazy way to start holidays any where in the world when will the Thai's learn about road rules and forget about the "up to me" mentality a horrendous start.

Post by **newtovillagelife** » April 12, 2016, 6:53 pm

Regarding road accidents and deaths, remember in Thailand......Where ignorance is Bliss, it is folly to be Wise. So I just go with the flow...

Post by **Zidane** » April 12, 2016, 8:32 pm

I was in and around Nong Prajak around 6pm this evening and they have erected two stages either side of the aerobics area at the far end of the lake.
I would guess one stage will be for music and the other for "Miss Songkran" which will be held just after 6pm tomorrow night.I only know about this as the daughter-in-laws mum is taking part in the over 40's category.
But,up to now,there are only a handful of stalls and no sign of any pipes being laid to pump out water from the lake as in previous years.
So maybe it will be toned down a bit this year or maybe too hot for the workmen to lay the pipes during the daytime?
Could be diy with your own water tanker......all will be revealed around noon tomorrow.

Post by **Drunk Monkey** » April 13, 2016, 12:18 am

Zidane wrote:So maybe it will be toned down a bit this year or maybe too hot for the workmen to lay the pipes during the daytime?
Could be diy with your own water tanker......all will be revealed around noon tomorrow.

Was in town this afternoon all seemed quiet on the Western front could this year be lower key i thought ????
But ALAS ...
Dont have to wait till noon ....... just back from a quick trip into town and stages ,tents disco lights erected all over the place .. usual hotspots Adunyadhet rd , PomPisai rd , Prajak , Phorsri and Sampanit already stared the festivities and also UD town kicked off tonight with a Songkhran countdown , earliest i saw water being thrown was 2pm Tuesday afternoon Isaan bar opposite UD and more gyrating tarts near Central around the old 99 plus 1 bar ... water shortage my arse

DM all jobs done and thats it for 3 days ..have fun im outta here !!.

Post by **Brian Davis** » April 13, 2016, 6:15 am

macca46 wrote:Have just read yesterdays road stats.Monday 11.04.2016.......

I read somewhere that the Songkran stats of accidents etc. are a lot lower than a normal day's figures! Correct or not?

Post by **Svein66** » April 13, 2016, 8:03 am

macca46 wrote:Have just read yesterdays road stats.Monday 11.04.2016

52 dead

The same day last year, the first of 7 dangerous Songkran days, had only 25 deaths, so more than double this year.

Udon Thani had the 2nd highest number of accidents (18).

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 83870.html

Post by **timmy** » April 13, 2016, 9:34 am

i,ve never seen nong prajak so quiet as this year 9.30 am and not a drop of water thrown , might even get out for a beer if it carrys on like this , thats if any wheres open ???

Post by **mak** » April 13, 2016, 11:33 am

timmy wrote:i,ve never seen nong prajak so quiet as this year 9.30 am and not a drop of water thrown , might even get out for a beer if it carrys on like this , thats if any wheres open ???

Set up our gazebos there this morning at 0700. No pumps allowed therefore no people. It will be quiet.

Post by **Drunk Monkey** » April 13, 2016, 12:42 pm

Svein66 wrote:
macca46 wrote:Have just read yesterdays road stats.Monday 11.04.2016

52 dead
The same day last year, the first of 7 dangerous Songkran days, had only 25 deaths, so more than double this year.

Udon Thani had the 2nd highest number of accidents (18).

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 83870.html

Not suprized at all ... during the course of my morning cuppa PG and BBC News there were 4 accidents at the traffic lights/intersection directly outside on the ring rd ,,, all tail enders / rear end shunts ...oh yeah and a local ice truck took out the duck noodle shops dustbin and dragged it up the rd trapped under the front bumper .. and im just mulling over the idea of driving to Buriram to the village to escape Udons water wonderland

Post by **redwolf** » April 13, 2016, 2:22 pm

Wife reports she made it all the way from Soi 6 down Aduyadet to Central DRY No Water, as a contingent of military marching behind a troop transport announcing to not violate various Songkran orders.

She says first time in her life she's ever seen that.

Must be a limited area though?

Post by **fdimike** » April 13, 2016, 2:31 pm

Sorry to say this but a baseball bat is the only thing these people understand. Same applies to the blue bike lanes throughout the city which have become "private" parking areas for those too lazy to walk another 5 or 10 meters. Signs, concrete blocks, painted lines and glass dome reflectors on the road are all ignored by the locals. The only exception being those areas which they have erected a concrete curb between the road and the bike lane. TIT, TIUT

Post by **Drunk Monkey** » April 13, 2016, 2:46 pm

redwolf wrote:Wife reports she made it all the way from Soi 6 down Aduyadet to Central DRY No Water, as a contingent of military marching behind a troop transport announcing to not violate various Songkran orders.

She says first time in her life she's ever seen that.

Must be a limited area though?

Yepp same story from a fella just dropped by the 3DM office to pick up a couple of slabs of Cider for home consumption , he confirmed after a ride around town in his pick up that the military out n about and only real crazy zone was Pom Pisai rd.

Maybe just maybe this year could be a different story ...

fdimike wrote:Sorry to say this but a baseball bat is the only thing these people understand. Same applies to the blue bike lanes throughout the city which have become "private" parking areas for those too lazy to walk another 5 or 10 meters. Signs, concrete blocks, painted lines and glass dome reflectors on the road are all ignored by the locals. The only exception being those areas which they have erected a concrete curb between the road and the bike lane. TIT, TIUT

fd mike 100% correct ... with the Thai mentality towards the highway code and road use in general those blue bike lanes were always gonna be a big fat white elephant ...little practical thought went into the decision/design , end result a waste of money.

Post by **fdimike** » April 13, 2016, 3:58 pm

Of course the problem always goes back to the near total lack of law enforcement. Another fine example is the double and triple parking that is still going on in front of the general hospital. No double parking signs all along the park fence are ignored. A multi-level parking garage along with parking lots all over the place and yet those too lazy to walk a bit continue to park wherever they feel like.