I survived Songkran

Well, actually this is an old picture. This is what happened to me in Songkran 2001. But don't worry it all washed off.

Here in Mahasarakham there were a few people throwing water around. Sometimes people could see that I had my camera with me so I only got a little bit wet. On the days when I didn't have my camera I got really wet.

Sa wat dee be mai.

Happy Thai new year

Hi everyone, here in Thailand right now it's new year. They call it Songkran. At Songkran people like to wash the hands of their parents and other people who are important to them. It is supposed to wash away bad luck. But often people get a bit excited by this and start throwing water over anybody. Once I was on a bus and when it stopped someone threw water in the door. This will go on for the next five days. Most people don't mind very much because it's very hot here right now.

To say happy new year to a Thai person, you say 'sa wat dee be mai'.

Happy new year from Grandpa

Happy New Year

Hello

Sa wat dee bee mai. That means Happy New Year in Thai. That's because people in Thailand use Buddhist years and this is their new year, called Songkran. There is a holiday and many people leave Bangkok and go home to wherever their family lives. The people who are still in Bangkok go a little bit crazy.

It's very hot here right now. Most days the temperature reaches almost 40 degrees. So people don't mind getting wet. In the first picture you can see there is a stall alongside the road selling water pistols. A girl has bought a water pistol with a backpack to hold the water and she is spraying her friend on the motorbike.
People also drive around in little trucks with barrels of water in them. With plastic bowls they throw water on each other and on other people. In the second picture there are two trucks together having a friendly water fight.



And not only that but people mix powder with water and they put it on other people's faces. You can see the white on the faces of the people in the third picture. I met them in a restaurant where I was having lunch.

Maybe one day you'd like to come to Thailand in April and have fun at Songkran.

love from your Granddad