New Year Festival -- Phuket, Thailand

Happy Buddhist New Year 2552!!!!
April 13

The real reason we were in Phuket (Poo-Get!) was to participate in the Buddhist New Year, or Songkran Festival. This is also known as the Water Festival because all day long water is thrown every which way soaking absolutely everybody! We hadn’t made it very far from our hotel that morning before we were absolutely soaking wet. Luckily, we were prepared with our swimming suits under our clothes.

The streets were filled with parades of trucks full of people throwing water on anybody and everybody that they passed. I felt really sorry for the many moped drivers that got splashed in the face while trying to drive on a wet road with traffic everywhere.

All people, young and old, local and tourist alike, carried around water guns and squirted anybody that came into their range. We had originally planned on grabbing some breakfast but when a truck stopped in front of us, I looked at Staci and said “Let’s go!!” We jumped on the random truck and joined in the fun of splashing everybody! Several hours later, we were completely soaked, starving and had no idea where on the island we actually were since we had driven so far. We jumped off in front of a nice looking restaurant and found solace from the splashing water inside the building.

After lunch we befriended a really nice Thai family in a different truck who took us around all afternoon. We even went with them to their house to refill the big buckets of water in the back of the truck. This family was really hilarious (or cruel!) because they bought ice and put ice bags in the buckets so that the water was freeeeeezing cold and shocked all of our victims.

Probably the funniest moment came when the seemingly nice, caring, and innocent mother took her bowl of water and threw it right in the face of the passing traffic cop. I thought I was going to die laughing!!!

My favorite tactic was aiming for the old white tourist men that weren’t expecting anything. Their surprised looks were priceless. After surprising somebody with a splash of cold water, everybody would laugh and yell "Happy New Year!!!!!" They also made a paste of baby powder and water and spread it on your face for good luck in the new year.

We had been warned to not take anything out that day that shouldn't be wet, and they were right. Everything was completely soaked by the end. The picture above is a little blurry because it was taken from inside a ziploc bag. You know me, I had to risk bringing my camera but I stored it in my pocket in two ziploc bags. It got a little wet still, but survived.

This was quite possibly the craziest festival that I have ever attended. Literally, the entire town was involved in the festivities (whether they liked it or not!) and were soaked.