Will mourning dampen Thailand’s Songkran festival?
As revellers gather for the water-fest that is the Thai new year celebration, a landmark date since the king’s death, fears over the junta’s continuing influence and a ‘boiled frog crisis’ combine to tighten the fun tap
This week Thailand celebrates its traditional new year Songkran festival, the time of year when a kind of hydro-madness grips the boisterous young folk of the country.
With the help of countless more-than-willing foreign tourists – the aviation authorities say this month more than 5 million visitors will enter the country through its six main airports – for days on end, people spray copious amounts of water over each other, wreaking substantial collateral damage in the process.
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Road accident deaths and casualties go through the roof and general mayhem ensues, much to the annoyance of polite Thai society, for whom it is all a bit too much. However, this year the watery festivities are expected to be somewhat muted, or at least, that is what the nation’s military rulers are hoping after issuing a raft of more draconian than usual edicts aimed at taking the edge off the party.
It remains to be seen whether the effort by the military government to tone down the celebrations, including a call for attendees to avoid skimpy outfits and cut out the powder throwing that normally accompanies Songkran, will be effective.
