Back in November I posted a photograph of a sign near Thapae Gate in central Chiang Mai. It was a Thaksin-era billboard and, back then, a reader informed me that the sign had been removed since the coup.
Recently it has been replaced by a public announcement from the Chiang Mai city fathers asking locals to send in their Songkran snapshots .
This photograph was sent to me by a regular New Mandala reader – thanks for your help!
On this note, New Mandala would like to wish all our readers a safe and happy Songkran and Thingyan. We would also like to extend a big thanks for all of the provocative, interesting and important contributions that have been made over the past year. And please do remember that Andrew and I are always happy to hear from you. Our contact details are available here.
Best wishes to all!
8 responses so far ↓
1 John Francis Lee // Apr 13, 2007 at 11:28 pm
No. It’s not fun. But that’s just me.
Here’s a question though. It’s billed as Thai New Years. Two or three years ago I was in Chiang Tung on November 16 and was told it was Tai Yai New Years. Apparently a moveable feast that’d been standardized by the Burmese. Coincides more or less with Loi Krathong.
So is Songkron, the feast in the middle of the dry season, the Mon/Khmer New Year adopted by the Central Thai and the feast at the end of the rainy season, post harvest, the Tai New Year? Or not?
2 Amateur // Apr 13, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Thank you for your wishes and I wish the New Mandala team a safe and happy Songkran and Thingyan as well. I haven’t been on a Songkran in Thailand since I was six years old, so I don’t have a imagination how wild this celebration has become. I try to get to the local Songkran here in London which I reckon to be tamer than over there.
Swasdee Pee Mai Thai
3 Pig Latin // Apr 14, 2007 at 12:19 am
I shoot my e-water pistol at you all!
4 Amateur // Apr 14, 2007 at 1:06 am
John, as far as I remember the Dai in Sipsongpanna (Xishuangbanna) hold their New Year (or what the atheist Chinese call “Water splashing festival”) in April as well. I then wonder how a Mon/Khmer tradition could have gone up that far and leave the Tai Long totally unaffected (The Khuen seem to have a Songkran, however). It would be interesting to know when the animist Tai Dam celebrate their new year….
Regardless from this splashing with water in that hot month makes totally sense. The Shan must be scorchering without watersplashing
5 Jon Fernquest // Apr 14, 2007 at 2:28 am
“…is Songkron… the Tai New Year? Or not?”
Yep. And the Burmese New Year too.
There’s a great Songkran Story about a Pagan King who orders one of his servants to surreptitiously throw water at his queen, who gets angry, tries to poison his food, the food is eaten by a poor dog who dies, the King roasts the queen alive, then can’t sleep at night, dreaming of the wife he just roasted. Moving story. (I’ve always been at a loss to find a culturally sensitive way to translate this ancient form of execution, literally it would be rendered as “fried on a grill” which sounds too much like Burger King)
The private part of Songkran, like giving gifts and paying respect/bowing to elders and going to the temple and making offerings to people in your family who’ve died, carrying buckets of sand from the river to build a sand pagoda (Tais everywhere do this, according to Terwiel’s study of Tai ritual) IMHO this is all fun stuff.
Nowadays, I avoid the carnival aspect though, in which people drink home brew Sato (like Korean Makkoli) beat drums and dance themselves into a frenzy in the streets. The neighbors even tried to get poor old mother drunk after marching in the parade two years ago.
A little water throwing in front of the house is fun, but for the last two years I’ve stayed indoors with my nine dogs and read. This year I’m doing Burmese inscriptions. They’re like puzzles.
6 John Francis Lee // Apr 14, 2007 at 11:17 am
I remember the Dai in Sipsongpanna (Xishuangbanna) hold their New Year (or what the atheist Chinese call “Water splashing festival”) in April as well.
The atheist Chinese have a “Dai” water splashing festival everyday! I wonder how much of the commercial “Dai” culture in Sipsongpanna is the invention of the Chinese, using Thailand as their model.
…Yep. And the Burmese New Year too.
Yeah. That’s my question.
The Romans liked to “grill” people as well… Valerian grilled St. Lawrence and Diocletain grilled St. Foy, for example. I’ll always remember Giulieta Masina’s grandfather saving her from Foy’s fate in Juliet of the Spirits.
…ike giving gifts and paying respect/bowing to elders and going to the temple and making offerings to people in your family who’ve died, carrying buckets of sand from the river to build a sand pagoda (Tais everywhere do this, according to Terwiel’s study of Tai ritual) IMHO this is all fun stuff.
Yeah, that sounds like fun to me too, but it’s completely overwhelmed in my experience by the “exuberance” in the streets. I’m just an old curmudgeon holed up myself just as you are. I’ll look for Terwiel’s study of Thai ritual. Thanks.
7 Thai Radio // Apr 14, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Happy Songkran!
And long life to this blog !
8 Timokl // Apr 17, 2007 at 1:56 am
I haven’t been in Thailand around Songkran time last year but the years before. At least in Bangkok, it was more tame to my experience than the years before. Especially, there hadn’t been that much the discussion about spaghetti tops and how they are not in accordance with Thai moral values, as it had been two years ago (or even three – not sure about that.)
Leave a Comment
Please note: New Mandala encourages vigorous debate. However, for the moment we will only be publishing high-quality comments that make original contributions to discussion. There will, of course, still be space for pithy, humorous, eccentric and cheeky input. Short and sweet will usually trump long and involved. Repetitive ranting, unimaginative point-scoring and idle abuse will not be entertained. Comments which carry a real name are also more likely to be approved. Thank you for your ongoing interest and contributions.