That’s it, you’ve done it again. Planes and hotels are fully booked and you’re going to be stuck in deserted Bangkok. Restaurants in your street will be closed, your friends will be gone and staff at the 7-Eleven will empathize as you come in for your twice-daily purchase of mama noodles.
Before you jump under the wheels of a BTS (and uselessly delay your fellow Bangkokians), check this out: a complete guide to make sure every hour of your Songkran holiday here in the capital is packed with delicious, exciting, utterly relaxing and deeply inspiring moments.
Day One: Sat, Apr 12. Get Armed
8 am: Get yourself out of bed, put on your shorts, sunscreen and a white shirt or tank top. Make sure your pockets are filled ‘cause you’re going to need to dish out some cash to complete your shopping list for the day.
9 am: Let’s begin outdoors. Browsing the markets, you can see many new and improved Songkran “war” inventions for 2008. Our everyday markets like Chatuchak and Pratunam are well-stocked but, in this case, Khao San Road is probably your best bet. There, you’ll find everything from simple water guns to super soakers—the AK-47s of Songkran warfare. Whether you’re a morning person or not, we suggest you get there early. Please don’t be silly and wait till the sun’s directly overhead at noon.
11 am: Once you’re done shopping, take a couple hours to cool off. Chill out, have a late morning beer. And there’s plenty of grub on Khao San. Our suggestion? Pick one of the three food vendors selling pad thai off the pan for B25. It’s sort of a speciality in that area. Some even sell oily but yummy vegetarian spring rolls for B10 a piece. Once you’re done, shift locales and start your indoor shopping (bless the inventors of air con).
1 pm: Hit two birds with one stone (groceries and Songkran shopping) and head straight to a Foodland of your choice. Visit www.foodland.co.th for a list of all their branches. The Songkran stuff is usually all lined up in an area up front—think handy water gun with attached reservoir (B149). Small super soakers are B27, medium ones are B67-99 and B299 gets you a jumbo one. You can even buy yourself a couple of colorful (not to mention already inflated) beach balls to throw around on the wet streets. These go for anywhere between B59 and B95. Foodland, surprisingly, also carries cotton short-sleeved, flower-printed shirts that come in all sizes (B95-179)—the kind Thai men wear over a white undershirt.
3 pm: If you want to beat inflation, 7-Eleven is a great place to stock up. You can get everything from sachets of din saw phong B7/sachet (soft chalk powder), good-sized plastic buckets B20/each, bottles of nam ob B20/each (scented water) and even Songkran greeting cards (B15 small, B20 big). Let’s just say a B200 budget can get you miles.
4 pm: Now, you need to shop for gear—i.e. protective gear. You obviously need some form of clothing—it’s probably smart to get yourself a bright and colorful top rather than trying for the sultry sexy look of getting drenched in white—unless you want to, of course. Besides Foodland, our cheap clothing paradises—Platinum and MBK—are oozing with B120-199 shirts befitting the occasion.
Day Two: Sun, Apr 13. Rich in Rituals
The first day of Songkran, Wan Sangkan Long, indicates the passing of the old year. This is when you bid farewell to the old year by basking in traditions and rituals with the family. We suggest you begin this day early.
8 am: Pile into your family SUV and be out of the house early enough to get to Wat Phra Kaew to begin your visit to the nine royal temples around Rattanakosin Island. There, you will be able to experience real Songkran customs from all four corners of Thailand. The nine include Wat Phra Sri Rattanasasadaram (Wat Phra Kaew of the Grand Palace), Wat Chetaphon (Wat Pho), Wat Suthat, Wat Saket, Wat Bowonniwet, Wat Chanasongkram, Wat Rakung, Wat Arun (Wat Chaeng) and Wat Kalayanamitr. This is actually an organized activity. Participants will be given a passport at each temple. Collect a stamp from all nine venues and get a chance to win a lucky prize. Tickets—B100 (adults), B50 (children)—can be bought at the Grand Palace. For more information, check with the Events Planning Division of the Tourism Authority of Thailand at 02-250-5500 ext 3470/-3, or ring the TAT call center (1672).
3 pm: If you are were to hit all nine, you certainly deserve a break. Your relatives will also appreciate it if you freshen up before you continue the proceedings at home.
4 pm: When it comes to family, two Songkran traditions come to mind: Song Nam Phra and Rod Nam Dam Hua. Song Nam Phra is the custom of bathing a Buddha images and pouring water on monks’ hands, which you might have done a bit of on your morning temple tour. Don’t forget what you learned in school! Step one, you make an offering: flowers, incense sticks and candles. Step two, you use the nam ob you bought yesterday at 7-Eleven and you gently pour it on the statue. (Avoid the head, you dope.)
4.30 pm: Now it’s time to pay respect to your elders. The Rod Nam Dam Hua was originally a Lanna ritual of the North but is now practiced throughout the Kingdom. Present your elders with an array of offerings: flowers, candles, new clothes and betel nuts (a sign of respect and hospitality). Once they receive the gifts, they reciprocate by sprinkling (sometimes pouring) scented water on you.
5.30 pm: If you’re not “ritualed-out” yet, there is always the releasing of birds and/or fish. By no means unique to the Thai New Year, people buy little caged sparrows, bagged eels or catfish in plastic as a way to make merit. And with that, we conlcude our day’s proceceedings. Hit the sack early: you’re going to need your energy tomorrow.
Day Three: Mon, Apr 14. Like it Wet
9 am: D-Day has arrived! Fill up the soakers, grab the din saw phong, put on your colorful shirts and devour that energy drink cause you’re going to need it. Spend the day where the battle is the fiercest, Khao San Road. Remember, you won’t find any safe zones here. So be ready. If you’re not keen on subjecting yourself to being man-handled, then you might want to hit some of the less hardcore places like… your backyard. Or maybe you’d rather be man-handled by a different crowd: Silom Soi 4, Rambuttri Road and Patpong are all officially places to celebrate Songkran Festival 2008.
3 pm: Head home to dry off and take a two-hour nap before getting ready to party the night away. Pacing is key.
6 pm: Route 66 (RCA, 29/33-48 Rama 9 Rd., 02-203-0834) is throwing a full-on Songkran extravaganza. Join the party animals on the 14th for a continuation of the water battle in the Poom & Petjah Badboyz Water Parties.
7:30 pm: If you’re looking for a serious break from water, then head to CentralWorld for a while to join their New Year festivities in their Splashy Songkran Festival. Check out live performances by a bunch of indie bands including Moderndog and Flure. For now, catch Jetset’er in action.
10 pm: If you’re into men (pretty and bare-chested) then gCircuit invites you to join their SKII party. Dress in blue to join their showdown with Princess Ann (Ma) and Spectrum K at Fallabella (100 Ratchadamri Rd., 02-252-5131. BTS Ratchadamri). Tickets are B800, get there by 10pm! For more information visit www.gcircuit.com.
Day four: Tue, Apr 15. Renew and Rejuvenate
This day is officially known as Wan Thaloeng Sak, which signifies the beginning of the New Year. Too bad you slept half of it away. So get out of bed and get yourself to a spa for some pampering!
1 pm: For your (late) lunch, enjoy that mouthwatering summer treat and Songkran speciality, khao chae. It’s the perfect solution to the smoldering heat of Bangkok, leaving you both refreshed and satisfied all at once. Some options: ISO Restaurant (Nai Lert Park Bangkok, 2 Wireless Rd, 02-253-0123, www.swissotel.com), Celadon (Sukhothai, 13/3 South Sathorn Rd., 02-344-8888, www.sukhothai.com), the Erawan Tea Room (Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, 494 Rajdamri Rd., 02-254-6310) or Dine@7 (Majestic Grande Hotel, 12 Sukhumvit Soi 2, 02-262-2999. www.majesticgrande.com) for a traditional taste of Songkran.
3 pm: After the water fights and the partying, the body’s going to require a bit of recuperating and rejuvenating. Head to the Spa Botanica at the Sukhothai Hotel (13/3 South Sathorn Rd., 02-344-8900, open daily 9am-10pm, www.sukhothai.com) for a 90-minute Virgin Coconut face and body treatment (B3,900). The treatment uses both natural coconut oil as well as organic coconut oil fiber. Another seasonal promotion is the Botanica Body Cocktail (B3,900). Also 90 minutes, this treatment begins with a hand, foot and scalp massage followed by a brown sugar scrub. This is followed up with juicy oranges squeezed all over the body, a yogurt mask and, finally, a warm wrap.
The middle path is the Thai New Year Package at the Tantara Spa (8/F Pathumwan Princess Hotel, 444 Phayathai Rd., www.tantaraspa.com). For B5,000/person, you can enjoy a 2.5-hour deal starting with a floral foot bath, a bergamot body scrub and wrap to cleanse your body, a sabai sabai body massage and finally a choice between a foot massage or a hydrotherapeutic bath.
Finally, the top option is to hole up in your own cottage at the Grand Hyatt’s I.Sawan Spa (5/F Grand Hyatt Erawan, 494 Rajdamri Rd., 02-254-6310). The best deal here is to go for their new membership plans. The first one, at B12,000 will give you enough vouchers to be pampered for a half-day and upgraded to one of their absolutely stunning Spa Cottages designed by Tony Chi. To spend the night there, get the Cottage Membership for B30,000. In both cases, you’ll also get plenty of vouchers and discounts to last you through the rest of 2008. n
“I Hate Songkran”
If turning into a prune isn’t your idea of a fun afternoon, here are some alternatives.
Shoot Real Guns
Take a shooting class at the International Detective Center (169/56 Changarkad-Uthid Rd., Sikan, Don Muang, 02-983-9753. www.interdetectivethai.com). B2,500 gets you a total of six hours. Take your buddies with you for a discount—the more the merrier.
Turn to Paint
Hey, you might hate water, but nobody ever said anything about paint! How about smacking people with paintballs? Sounds like a good way to release the tension, huh? Hit up Combat Zone 62 Paintball Field (117 Sukhumvit Soi 62 by the freeway. B350/person, 08-9771-3354). As far as we know, there are plenty of bunkers to play hide and seek—go ahead, hit em from behind!
Meditation
If you honestly just want to be left alone but are looking for a more “sublime and subtle” approach, why not try out some of the health and wellness centers around town that offer classes on meditation? Try the International Buddhist Meditation Center (Vipassana Section Room 106, Wat Mahathat, 3 Maharat Rd., 02-623-5881) or the House of Dhamma (26/0 Lardprao Soi 15, 08-2511-0439)—both the venues offer distinctive information about meditation in Buddhism.
Movie Marathon
If you’re not so much the meditation type—treat yourself to a super duper seat in gold class! Whilst other people are spending money on super soakers, you’ll be out getting pampered in lazy boy recliners, munching on cheese popcorn and watching Hollywood’s finest. You know what they say, those who can’t really do—watch. For Siam Paragon (of course!) pick from either the Ultra Screen B1,200/two or the Enigma B3,000/two. Or, if you want a nice little road trip, Seacon Square (remember that!) has gold class seats—which give VIP you comfort and satisfaction for a lot less. (It’s not really as baan nok as you think). Call 02-515-5555 to book your tickets.
Services at your Door Step
How do stress relieving and relaxing massage treatments within the four walls of your home sound? Ah! Talk about living the life! Relax on your favorite couch and wait for your masseur to knock on your front door. Check out the special home delivery services at www.spadeliveryathome.com, you’ll find a list of massages plus any promotions that might spark an interest.
Songkran Strategies
Heatstroke, gouged eyes and 361 road deaths. Here’s how to survive the fun.
Avoid Eye Contact
This festival can be pretty rough if you aren’t prepped with the correct gear. Attention contact-lens-wearing-folk: if you ain’t into the red-eye look, put on some swim goggles. And if you’re the kind that refuses to wear those in public, at least pick up a pair of B199 sunglasses and protect those beautiful eyes.
Play Safe: Zip It!
Remember, opportunity presents itself only to those who are ready. But apart from latex, protection extends to your second-most valuable asset: your mobile phone. If you really can’t leave home without them, invest in some Ziplock bags.
Moving Objects
When it comes to moving vehicles, try to bring the splashing down a notch—especially with motorcycles. And remember, it’s not just dumb to throw water at vehicles, it’s illegal.
Respect the No’s
Even if she got hammered for the celebrations and is not putting up much of a fight, no means no. Which also applies to water sports. If, as you approach with your pail of klong water, the big haired lady brandishes a menacing finger in your direction and puckers her lips to mouth a quick, “Don’t even think about it, punk,” she could be a.) protecting her Somsak Chalachol hairdo b.) wearing contacts c.) a black belt taekwondo master who’s not in the mood for fun.
White Warning
Speaking of taekwondo, girls, if you aren’t a black belt, avoid white. You’ll have enough pervs using their din saw phong-covered-hands to feel you up as it is, no need to draw crowds by winning the wet T-shirt contest. It’s a given, when you have alcohol, water and lots of drenched people thrown in the mix, things can get a little out of hand.
Water Withdrawal
You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to forget to hydrate yourself while being soaked in water in 200% humidity. Keep a bottle of clean H2O at all times. The weather in the month of April is unforgiving.
Shady Types
Even if you drink water and wear sun block, try to stay in the shade as much as possible.
Keep Walking
Three hundred sixty one people were killed during last year’s celebrations, and 60% of the accidents were related to booze. Leave your car at home. And don’t just get into any old cab (or tuk-tuk)—you may want to give your driver a sobriety test first.
