Avoiding Songkran Festival in Bangkok?

[deadzone1003]

We will be in Bangkok next April for our pre-cruise. However, the pre-cruise will be during the Songkran Festival. I am aware of the areas where there is extreme water mayhem. It is outside these war zones that I'm more worried about. Are water activities throughout the city? I'm more worried about getting my cameras wet if an 8-year old squirts water at me while I'm taking a picture. I have a waterproof cellphone which I used at Igauzu Falls but I really don't want to use it except under very wet conditions. The places where I expect to be during the daytime are Chinatown, Old City, and Bangrak. Oh yes, is there a ceasfire during sun-down?:D

[Karennella]

We were in Hua Hin and then Bangkok a few years ago at this time and experienced it in both places as the days change from region to region. It wasn't too bad. We found that when we said please don't wet us, the locals were respectful and generally didn't. (I also remember young people and even older, always standing for us on public transport and we were fit, and well under sixty)

The main problem in Bangkok was getting through some of the streets as they were blocked.

[Port Boy]

When in Rome do as the Romans do, just enjoy it you will only get wet

[deadzone1003]

Just image that you are taking a 3-day tour of Igauzu Falls but without the scenery ;)

 

We will be flying in on the 12th. I know that Khao San Road starts the Songkran Festival on the eve of Songkran. What about the other parts of the city that should be avoided because the probability of getting drenched? They said the 2/3 of the population of Bangkok leaves the city during Songkran. Is everything still open on the eve of Songkran or just most things?

[suekay]

We would avoid Songkran like the plague. There wasn't an area of Bangkok where we didn't get drenched. What seems funny at first becomes a real pain after a couple of days. We got to the stage we were reluctant to leave the hotel especially in the evening, and tried to walk alongside the roadside stalls where the stallholders would threaten the revellers if they seemed about to aim their water pistols at us (they were protecting their goods not us:)) Some of the young men take it too far - standing with big bins of water cooled with blocks of ice and buckets to throw it at you . Sorry if we appear to be party-poopers, but we really didn't enjoy the "fun"

[royal65]

When is this festival? We'll be there on April 2, will it be going on then?

[suekay]

Songkran 2013 is 13-15thApril so you will miss the ''fun'' :-)

 

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