Last week it was Thai New Year, a time of fun and frivolity here in Chiang Mai. The main entertainment being to get as soaking wet as possible. With temperatures nearing 100 degrees, that is actually a good way to see the new year in.
We were led to believe that water-pistols were the accepted weapons and bought ours in good time. Wrong! About a week before the official New Year, people started lining up along the roadside throwing or squirting water over passing motorists using buckets, bowls, hose-pipes. Motor-cyle riders and people in open-top trucks were particularly good targets. They always got a good dousing.
Chiang Mai is surrounded bya moat (a bit like York) making it a perfect place for this sport. Over the actual New Year week end, a water battle mania descended upon the city. Thais were driving in from surrounding areas in the truck loads, loaded with drums of iced water. The locals were armed with any sort of container they could lay their hands on to fill up at the moat. As the trucks drove around the city, battle commenced! We drove around in our vehicle with the windows closed being scaredy cats. Well, you don't know how many dead dogs or farangues have been thrown into the moat! It was all very good fun but after 4 days, we were thankful it was back to normal.
They also parade their Buddhas and throw water over them as they pass by as symbol of cleansing ready for the new year. In the supermarkets and bazaars, this ritual also took place.
So.....Happy New Year everyone, doesn't time fly!

 

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