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It's Thai New Year, some parts of Bangkok have cancelled celebrations, others are staying indoors admidst the political turmoil and bloodshed. Myself I am not in Bangkok but Pattaya the seaside tourist resort town a couple of hours south, so what is New Year like for me? I, and most ex-pats, hate it...
Yes, it is that time of year again when Thailand traditionally turns into one great water fight for Songkran festival. As in previous years , I am not a fan. Especially now in Pattaya, you see officially New Years celebrations start today, tourists spending all 50 weeks pent up frustration at their unhappy lives at home come (you'd be surprised how close to the truth that statement, though brash, is) and release their frustrations in their 1, 2 or 3 weeks holiday per year when they can let loose and just enjoy thier lives for a few weeks. Behavioral regression to childhood seems to go hand in hand with this. So grown men started yesterday throwing water over all and sundry, with high power, high pressure water cannons made from PVC tubing a favourite amongst the yobs on holiday, as it can take a motorcyclist down. And it is what many of these wankers try for. Nicely done the Police went and confiscated these illegal water canons yesterday, a day before official celebrations. Maybe these 'regressionists' were too inebriated to know what day it was. And the best part is that most Thai people return home for New Years, similar to the West, where it is a time for friends and family to get together. Since Pattaya relies on the tourist dollar the Pattaya City Council instead lets the water festival run a few days later than the official Songkran, so in effect we get 3 days official, 3 days of Pattaya only Songkran and a day before from the frustrated and a day after usually too. Picture it this way, for over a week you can to be careful on your motorbike in case some Chav/Yob/Redneck blasts you not only with ice cold water but chunks of ice from a home made water canon containing dirty drainage water, ear, nose, throat, and eye infections run at an all time high during this period as does the road toll. Every 50 meters or less someone will pour water on you, the traditional way is to sprinkle water, many Thai people are polite and will just wet you a little if you are obviously not 'playing', which is fine, as it is cultural and it is for good luck. But add in the commercial factor of water guns for sale everywhere and it turns into an adult version of Kidzone. Which is also fine for a day, maybe 2, as it runs in Thai areas. In Pattaya we have a week where you are soaked with water with little regard for your valuables or safety, every 50 meters, or every 2 meters in the central areas of Pattaya. It gets very annoying, especially when some idiots are deliberately trying to cause injury. For a week you can't really go anywhere after 9am as the streets turn into water playgrounds, you can't do anything because as soon as you step outside you get soaking wet. Again this is fine for the first year or two, after that it just becomes a pain in the ass. I can't go to the gym after 9am (the biggest idiots are still sleeping off their alcohol from the day before), can't go to the supermarket, can't go to the 7-11 or local markets without getting me or my food soaked. In effect you can't go anywhere that you are not welcomed dripping wet. This year might be a little different because of the ongoing riots and protests in Bangkok, with the bloodshed in major tourism areas of Bangkok hitting the International news it might dissuade some tourists from coming, but then if I lived an unhappy, stressed out life 50 weeks a year I would not be putting off my 2 week freedom. So the moral of this post would be: If you are unhappy with your life don't save up all that pent up frustration and go and annoy others for 2 weeks, change your life so you are happy and not so full of anger/hate/frustration/blue balls/whatever... and enjoy your life at all times (well 70% would be a good start, much better than the 2/52 ratio many live with) .
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