Pattaya Songkran 2012

Pattaya Songkran is without doubt one of the greatest festivals in the world. Pattaya Songkran 2012 will be no exception. This event rivals both the carnival in Rio and Mardi Gras in terms of fun, excitement and involvement. In Pattaya you have to be involved, there is no escape unless you keep yourself locked away at home or in your bedroom at your hotel. There are some Pattaya old timers who will actually leave the country during Songkran rather than face the water. Water is what Songkran is all about. Songkran is the 'Water Festival'. Once a staid and devout Buddhist festival it has now thrown of its shackles of seriousness to become the greatest water fight in the world.

In times gone by Songkran was looked upon as the Thai New Year. Whereas that has changed it still remains a public holiday. Many Thais, including those in Pattaya will return home to their towns and villages for the Songkran holiday. The majority will return to Pattaya for Songkran though as it takes place there just a little bit later than the rest of the country.

In Pattaya Songkran 2012 you can and will become a child again. Regardless of age or sex people will join in. This is about water pistols, buckets and hoses. This is about fun and laughter, a celebration of fun. There is no escape if you are in Pattaya for Songkran so you may as well let your hair down and enjoy.

Songkran takes place all over Thailand and each and every city will have their own celebration. It is universally recognised that Pattaya Songkran is the most fun and the biggest water fight in the world. Those in the know along with people from other parts of Thailand will descend on the city to join in the fun. Pattaya Songkran runs in waves throughout the City. It will start around the 17th April, really get underway by around the 18th and be as wild and as funfilled as can be imagined by the 19th April (Dates can change. Wise to check). If you have the spare time and the money make your way to Pattaya Songkran 2012.

The origins of the Songkran festival are lost in the mists of time. It is believed that it may have come to Thailand from India. The word 'Songkran' comes from Sanskrit and means 'to move forward'.

The legend says:

A wealthy couple had everything they desired apart from children and so they prayed to a God who was guarding a huge tree. The God was kind enough to give them a son who they named Thammaban. Thammaban was an exceptionally gifted child and was even able to converse with birds.

The four faced Hindu God King Kabinlabrahma was jealous of Thammabans' gift and descended to earth to challenge him in a quiz. Kabinlabrahma challenged Thammaban to tell him as to where the grace of man was in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. He went on to say that if Thammaban could not give the correct answer in seven days that he would cut off his head. Thammaban puzzled over the question each day but on the sixth day he overheard two birds in conversation.

The birds said that man's grace was in his face in the morning so people wash their faces with water. In the afternoon grace is in body and so people bathed and powdered their bodies with sweet scents. In the evening it was in their feet and so people washed their feet in water.

Thammaban was able to give King Kabinlabrahma the correct answer and so he kept his head. Kabinlabrahma in recompense decided that it was himself who should lose his head. King Kabinlabrahma had seven beautiful angel daughters. He told them that after he was beheaded that his head must never be thrown up in the air as this would cause a drought. If his head fell on the ground then there would be fire and devastation. If it was to fall in sea that it would dry up. In short his head had to be very carefully care for.

After the beheading his daughters placed it upon a tray, carried it clockwise around Phra Sumane Mountain (different mountains mentioned depending on who tells the story) and placed it safely in a cave on  mount Krailat. Ever since that day the daughters have taken turns to bring out the head from the cave and parade it around the mountain. The daughters are known as the Nang Songkran and the tradition has become the Songkran Festival.

Each of the daughters is very much her own person and has strong affiliations with different days of the week, colours, animals, weapons and ornaments.

Sunday - Tungsa Dhevi - Red Dress - Garuda (King of Birds) - Ruby - Discus - Fig - Conch

Monday - Koraka Dhevi - Yellow Dress - Tiger - Moonstone - Sword - Staff - Oil - Cork blossom

Tuesday - Ragso Dhevi - Light Red Dress - Pig - Lotus - Agate - Trident - Bow - Blood

Wednesday - Monta Dhevi - Emarald Green Dress - Donkey - Champak Flower - Cat's eye - Stylus - Staff - Milk - Butter

Thursday - Kirinee Dhevi - Greenish Yellow Dress - Elephant - Magnolia Flower - Emerald - Hook - Bow - Nuts - Sesame seeds

Friday - Kimita Dhevi - White Dress - Buffalo - Water Lilies - Topaz - Sword - Lute - Bananas

Saturday - Mahotorn Dhevi - Black Dress - Peacock - Water Hyacinthe - Blue Saphire - Discus - Trident - Hog deer

Songkran is a time to visit the temple and to bathe Buddha and other staues. It is a time for the family, to make offerings to monks. It is time for spring cleaning. It is a peaceful time. 

US President Harry S. Truman once said "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen'. This could very well apply to Pattaya during Songkran only here it water and not the heat. No-one is exempt from a soaking a hundred or more times a day. It doesn't matter if you are dressed in a two thousand pound designer suit and carrying the latest state of the art digital camera...you WILL get wet.

Put on your least important clothes, buy yourself a water pistol, get a bag of talc or powdered clay, let your hair down and get on out there and enjoy the fun. This is no place for misery guts. Enjoy the fun. Pattaya Songkran 2012 is bound to be the best ever.

Go on, be a kid again and if you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen.

Have fun.

                      For more about Pattaya as a Tourist Destination please read

                                              THE PATTAYA HUBS