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Thai new year splashes in with water fights, raves
BANGKOK, April 13, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Water-spraying elephants, raves and
boisterous, street-blocking water fights — Thailand’s Buddhist new year
arrived with a splash Saturday, a once calm festival now celebrated with a
more raucous edge.
Paying respects to elders and sprinkling water over figures of Buddha at
local temples are some of the traditions of the three-day new year
celebration — known as Songkran — but the holiday also has a rowdier side
involving alcohol-fuelled revelry among its youth.
Thais and foreigners sporting floral shirts arm themselves with
colourful water pistols and protective goggles, engaging in water fights that
bring entire streets to a standstill.
Authorities had issued warnings beforehand on modesty, saying that
nudity and provocative clothing will be prohibited.
There are no such restrictions however on summary drenchings.
In the Bangkok tourist hotspot Khao San road, two young men dressed in
school uniforms get doused by passersby wielding high-powered water pistols
and buckets of water.
And in Ayutthaya, elephants painted in colourful floral designs lift
their trunks and spray water on delighted tourists, with the town’s ancient
temples serving as a backdrop.
As the sun sets, tens of thousands of ravers from across Asia are
expected to dance into Saturday night under massive water cannons and
spectacular pyrotechnics, as Bangkok’s S2O Songkran festival gets underway.
Some of the world’s best known — and paid — DJs, including Tiesto,
Steve Aoki and UK veteran Fatboy Slim are performing across the three-day
dance music event — Asia’s largest.
Neighbouring Laos and Myanmar celebrate the same festival with young and
old throwing buckets of water over each other as music thuds from
loudspeakers.
In Yangon, where the festival is known as Thingyan, children blow
bubbles and play with soap suds at street foam parties, while women dressed
in traditional costumes perform dances near the famed Sule Pagoda.
Songkran is also the most perilous time to travel in Thailand, and the
week beginning from April 11 is dubbed “seven dangerous days” as millions of
Thais make the journey back to their hometowns by bus, vans or motorbikes.
To prevent drink driving incidents, authorities have said they will levy
harsh penalties on those imbibing alcohol before getting behind the wheel.
Somchai Wayrojpipat, 57, was charged with premeditated murder after
causing a fatal accident under the influence late Thursday night in the
outskirts of Bangkok, police officer Pitak Poolputtha told AFP.
“This is the first case in this country where the drunk driver faced
premeditated murder and the highest punishment is the death sentence,” Pitak
said.
The Interior Ministry has recorded more than 100 deaths in the first two
days preceding the festival, but that number is expected to climb.
BSS/AFP/RY/1640 hrs