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The Story of Songkran - All about the Thai New Year
Songkran, or the Thai New Year, is the the largest and most famous of Thailand’s many traditional festivals. Known for huge water fights and water blessing ceremonies, it’s been celebrated for centuries and is rich in culture and tradition. Every year, the celebrations begin on April 13 and normally last three days until the 15th of April.
The name was inherited from ancient Sanskrit, a language that dates back thousands of years. Songkran combines the words “Song” and “Krant” and refers to the sun beginning a new Zodiac sign. Songkran translates to “entering” and “stepping into.” It’s when the sun exits the sign of Pisces and enters the sign of Aries. “Songkran month” is the event that occurs every month. But according to astrology, when the sun reaches Aries again after 12 months have passed, it’s known as “Songkran year” and will be the solar New Year’s Day.
The festival is highly dependent on water, which symbolically washes away the previous year, allowing people to prepare for the new year. It’s also a time of family reunion, when relatives who have moved away return for the holiday to spend time with their loved ones. During the festival, various traditions are celebrated; but the one tradition it’s most famous for is water splashing. Thai locals and travellers alike drench each other with water using hoses, squirt guns and any other water carrying container.
Locals believe that water is purifying and cleansing: it washes away negativity and problems, and brings good fortune and happiness. According to tradition, the festival began with villagers collecting water that had been poured over Buddha statues for purification. This was then used to bless leaders and family members who were well respected by sprinkling it over their shoulders. A similar tradition continues today with the water blessing ceremony, in which people fill shells with purified water and pour it on the hands of their elders as a sign of blessing and respect.
Songkran is a festival in which family members gather to express gratitude, love and respect, as well as to make merit and pay respects to their ancestors. Giving food to monks is a way of gaining merit. Visiting temples and listening to Buddhist speeches are also both considered a blessing during Songkran. Thais go to temples to pray and bring food to the monks. Locals splash scented water on Buddha statues when visiting different places. Many people also like spreading positive vibes by releasing caged birds into the sky or fish into bodies of water. This occurs throughout the country.
The northern city of Chiang Mai hosts the largest Songkran celebrations, with some events reportedly lasting six days. The infamous Khao San Road is the obvious centre of activities during Bangkok’s modern Songkran festival. The atmosphere in the backpacker zone is electrifying.
In a normal, non-pandemic year, it’s hard to leave your accommodation, whether a hotel or a condo, without experiencing the water soaking chaos and any resistance will quickly fade. On the streets, you’ll find multiple generations getting in on the fun, including children, adults, the elderly and trucks full of teenagers blasting loud music.
Songkran is a national holiday in Thailand. It’s a time for locals who have relocated to other cities or towns to return home and spend time with their families. So if you’re travelling to Thailand during this time, it’s smart to plan ahead because public transportation tends to be packed and accommodations fully booked — at higher than normal prices.
Source - The Thaiger
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Songkran 2022: Bangkok allows “traditional water sprinkling”
No foam parties or powder smearing will be allowed in Bangkok during Songkran next month, but when it comes to water splashing on the Thai New Year, known for massive water gun fights, the rules are a bit vague. “Traditional water sprinkling” is allowed, but officials did not go into detail about what exactly that means.
The Bangkok Communicable Disease Committee decided to allow “water sprinkling” in specific areas that have sought permission, and organisers must abide by “Covid Free Setting” measures set by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Participants must stay at a Covid-safe distance of four metres and wear face masks. No alcohol is allowed.
The committee met yesterday to discuss petitions from local businesses to allow Songkran parties to beheld in popular tourist areas like Khao San Road. At the meeting, the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority decided to permit “traditional water sprinkling” activities within a “Covid Free Setting.” Water splashing in public areas and roads is prohibited.
If a Songkran event is expected to exceed a thousand people, the event organiser must obtain permission from the BMA’s Health Department, while local district authorities will grant permission for events with less than a thousand participants.
So far, the administration has received no more than eight requests from private firms and temples seeking permission to hold Songkran activities on their private grounds. Meanwhile, 46 out of Bangkok’s 50 district offices had declared they wouldn’t hold Songkran celebrations, and the other four district offices have not yet announced their decision, the Bangkok Post reported.
Earlier, the CCSA had agreed that water splashing and traditional water pouring as a blessing would be allowed at organised events — as long as there is no alcohol and events are under “Covid Free Setting” measures. Water splashing is not allowed on public areas, like roads. The government is focusing on allowing water splashing and pouring as a blessing at traditional Songkran events rather than the massive water fights the Thai holiday is internationally known for.
On Thursday, business owners in Bangkok’s popular walking street, Khao San Road, teamed up with tourism professionals from Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai to draft and submit a joint petition urging the CCSA to repent of its party foul, fearing a loss of income.
The group has proposed a list of measures for screening and limiting Songkran party participants, according to the president of the association of business operators on Khao San Road, Sa-nga Ruangwatthanakul.
“We will put in place measures to handle party-goers on the 400-metre stretch of Khao San Road. We want to explain to the government that the country is trying to welcome tourists back, particularly in the summer when the Songkran festival will be held.”
“But the famous water splashing is banned. With such a ban, how can we attract them to the country? We ask the government to allow the activity on April 12 to 15 to promote the festival.”
Bangkok’s communicable disease committee met on Monday to consider their request and announced their decision on yesterday. Clerk Khachit Chatchawanit said the committee would “consider what is best for Bangkok residents.”
According to the law, provincial communicable disease authorities may ask the CCSA’s operations centre to remove the unpopular Songkran restrictions, which will then pass them on to the CCSA, according to the director-general of the Department of Disease Control, Opas Karnkawinpong.
The current Songkran precautions outlined by the Public Health Ministry say that festivities can still be held, albeit without the classic chaos of water fights and powder smearing in public, as well as no alcohol sales, according to a spokesperson for the CCSA, Apisamai Srirangson.
“Songkran events can still be held as long as the right precautions are taken, and people can travel to other provinces to visit their relatives and take part in traditional activities there.”
The CCSA’s current restrictions also encourage festival observers to practice traditional activities without water, such as bowing to elders at a distance of at least a metre, instead of pouring water on their hands as a sign of respect and blessing.
The restrictions, though well-meaning, fail to take into account the elderly’s desire to be blessed and honoured by their younger relatives, while also reflecting logical fallacies about the spread of Covid-19 among family members.
Notably, the water blessing ceremony usually takes place outside, where there is plenty of wind and UV light. Also, the ceremony only lasts for a moment, and everyone involved can wear masks, as is already normal practice in Thai society.
Source: Bangkok Post / The Thaiger
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Tourism businesses in Thailand are struggling to survive and barriers to increasing the number of foreign visitors to the kingdom must be removed immediately. That’s the view of Chamnan Srisawat from the Tourism Council of Thailand, who says the Omicron variant, coupled with Russia’s war on Ukraine, has dealt a double blow to the sector.
“Tourism operators are still struggling to maintain business as the number of tourists has yet to fully rebound due to the current travel rules. This obstacle needs to be removed before more operators collapse.”
The Bangkok Post reports on the findings of a recent TCT poll that surveyed 200 overseas travellers in the period from February 20 to March 10. Of those questioned, 71% agreed the process around the PCR test on arrival is cumbersome.
Chamnan says if Thailand’s tourism industry is to survive, it needs to retain 40% of its 2019 level of business this year. That’s 1.2 trillion baht in revenue, from 16 million tourists and 75 million domestic trips. He adds that in order to achieve this, the onerous Thailand Pass registration process and PCR testing on arrival needs to go as soon as possible.
According to the Bangkok Post report, TCT’s tourism confidence index during the first quarter of 2022 stood at 44, which was a big improvement from 36 during the same period in 2021. However, it’s still down from 47 during the last quarter of 2021. Any reading below 100 indicates weak tourism confidence among those in the sector.
740 tourism operators participated in the survey and its findings show that confidence is lowest among nightlife operators, who have been the most severely affected by Covid restrictions. The confidence level among those businesses is at 20, down from 41 during the same period in 2021.
According to Chamnan, 78% of tourism operators are struggling to increase their revenue, with 45% reporting a decrease and 33% only just managing to maintain the same level of income as during the last quarter of 2021. Entertainment venues were the worst affected, with around 44% planning to lay off workers in the second quarter of this year. They were followed by spa businesses, massage parlours, and tour operators.
Source - Bangkok Post / The Thaiger
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Lufthansa is offering customers daily flights between Bangkok and the Bavarian capitol Munich beginning with this year’s summer schedule on 27 March. These flights replace service to Frankfurt during the winter.
The initial Lufthansa flight schedule is as follows:
* Bangkok – Munich / Flight LH773 / departure: 11 p.m. local time, arrival: 5.20 a.m. local time
* Munich – Bangkok / Flight LH772 / departure: 10:45 p.m. local time, arrival: 2:10 p.m. Bangkok local time
The aircraft operating these services is the most modern in the world: the Airbus A350-900 that has set high standards in fuel-efficiency and passenger comfort. It offers 48 lie flat seats in Business Class, 21 in Premium Economy and 224 Economy Class seats.
Munich – Bangkok, however, is not the only service Lufthansa Group, Europe’s largest airline group, will offer Thai customers. The Group’s other premium carriers, SWISS and Austrian Airlines, will also connect Thailand with the heart of Europe. In the summer schedule, SWISS will fly six times weekly between Bangkok and Zurich while Austrian Airlines will fly daily between Bangkok and Vienna.
READ MORE - Bangkok-Jack
VISA AGENT / How to register for: THAI PASS - TEST & GO
VISA AGENT / How to register for: THAI PASS - TEST & GO
Americans are being told to avoid travel to Thailand, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, due to the rise in Covid-19 infections in each country. According to a Reuters report, the travel advisory was issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has raised its travel alert for Thailand to “Level Four: Very High”.
In total, the US is recommending citizens avoid travel to around 135 countries. Another 33 countries are at “Level 3: High”. Meanwhile, Anguilla, Cape Verde, Fiji, Mexico, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates have all been lowered to Level 3. Just 29 countries are at “Level 2: Moderate” or “Level 1: Low”.
The CDC is advising Americans who are not vaccinated to avoid travel, adding that even if vaccinated, travellers to Thailand risk contracting Covid-19.
“If you must travel to Thailand, make sure you are vaccinated and up to date with your Covid-19 vaccines before travel. Even if you are up to date with your Covid-19 vaccines, you may still be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19.”
The Bangkok Post reports that Thailand has recorded 18,943 new infections today, down from yesterday’s 21,162. There were 69 Covid-related deaths, up from 65 yesterday. Hong Kong reported 25,150 new cases yesterday, with 280 deaths. Authorities there are struggling to contain the outbreak, with many of the elderly unvaccinated population enduring the worst of the wave.
The city has now reported a total of 500,000 infections, with most of its 2,000+ deaths reported in the last 2 weeks. According to the Reuters report, in the week to March 6, Hong Kong reported the most deaths per million people worldwide. The US CDC raised its travel advisory for Hong Kong to Level 3 last week.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post | Reuters
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