You don’t need to choke on toxic trash smoke to know Bangkok’s not having the best year. A lot of us are angry at each other and unable to settle our differences without a lot of blame and bombs. Temperatures are high – literally. But here comes Songkran, to quench the flames, at least for a handful of days.
It’s sort of understandable some were wounded last month by the idea Singapore would steal the idea and possibly have more fun than us. But when it comes to fun, we should never feel insecure. Especially compared to a city so dour the government has to urge people to smile.
We’re Bangkok people. The world envies our fun. And Songkran is the best there is. Why?
WETNESS IS A FACTOR: Poor Singapore. They almost had something fun to do other than shop in malls and frown at one another, but then they announced there’d be no water (or booze) at Singkran. Thailand also has a drought, but there’s a compelling public interest in helping people cool off and relax. The water’s free in many cities, or cheap: reload your gun for THB20 or just pump some from a nearby canal. At the end of the day, everybody will be powdered and wet, and we do expect some canal water anyway. Photo: Coconuts Bangkok
PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING GOES: Thailand’s culture is conservative, at least on the surface. While public image demands the modesty of girls and politeness of boys, you don’t have to dig deep to tap into that great human commonality of sex. Thais are proud to claim some of the most beautiful women in the world, and Songkran gives a kind of permission for everyone to get superfreaky. From the music and mood to the attention and wet tank tops – it’s enough to make anyone go crazy and dance like a beast atop a pickup truck. Photo: CMU Club
Let’s not forget the fabulous boys. Photo: GCircuit
MAO IS MAO IS HOW WE ROLL: We haven’t seen the science but would guess everyone in Thailand spends about 17 percent of their life hungover, on average. Beer and buckets, yaa dong and Sangsom, champagne and wine. Open bottles in the street? Everything’s fine. Photo: Zanyasan Tanantpapat
OUR FOOD IS THE BEST AND WE KNOW IT: Sure, Thai food is a big factor in enjoying pretty much anything, but damn our omelette is delicious, especially eaten in the middle of a water fight. Photo: Zanyasan Tanantpapat
SHOW YOUR WEIRD SIDE: We are people who don’t always wear our hearts on our sleeves. There’s a lot of pressure (understatement) to conform and meet social expectations, but Songkran is an invitation to let the weird off the leash for a few days and let it all hang out. Photo: Todd Ruiz
THAI PEACE, LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING: For all the talk of “unity” and “harmony,” it’s usually code for intolerance of other ideas. Unify with my thinking or be branded inhuman, unpatriotic, unprincipled, un-Thai. During Songkran there aren’t red or yellow shirts – just wet shirts. Barriers of wealth, status and hierarchy break down in the street when you’re equally positioned to unload a stream of high-pressure water or smear the burny powder on every face in sight.
GRAB YOUR GRANNIE AND HOLD HER TIGHT: Of course many will point out that paying respect to elders is the true reason for the season, and in a world that elevates youth above all else, it’s good to take a break to tell old people: Hey, you’re pretty awesome and important. Photo: Tak Provincial Office
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