First Time Songkran Experience: Island Life is Best Lived Wet
Rich with breathtaking landscapes, mouth-watering foods, astounding palaces and, of course, insane parties, Thailand is a beautiful country to visit any time of year. But during its new year’s national holiday of Songkran, things somehow get even better – and even crazier. Your first time Songkran experience will be something you always remember!
From April 13 to 15 each year (or 12 to 16, depending on whom you ask), you will find the streets of every city in Thailand peppered with kids and adults alike, shooting each other with water guns that range from little elephant-shaped handguns to bazookas that rival those of the military.
Etymology of “Songkran”: What does it mean?
Songkran actually comes from the Indian language Sanskrit word saṃkrānti, meaning transformation or change – and let me tell you that within five minutes, you’ll transform from a normal, dry person walking down the street into a head-to-toe-soaked water-gunning maniac. Or maybe that was just me.
At Bodega Koh Samui, the night leading into Songkran was celebrated in our typical way: a bar crawl. For 350 Thai Baht, or $11, partiers got a special edition of the already pure craziness of Bodega bar crawls: on top of pour shots and a bucket, they got a special Bodega Songkran shirt, a water gun, and a much needed waterproof phone case that they used for the days to come.
It’s safe to say that the details of that night weren’t well remembered by anyone who attended – but the insanity, endless laughs and constant soaking definitely were. For the next few days, people participated in Songkran on the main Koh Samui island street or even just at the Bodega pool, where even if you were above the water, there was no way that you stayed dry.
There’s no better way to mark the arrival of spring than with a bucket of water emptied onto your head by a Thai child. At least, that’s what I told myself while that child proceeded to laugh at me for five minutes. And since Bodega has a way of making everything – even the craziest holidays in Thailand – even crazier, you can bet that you’ll enjoy your stay to the fullest.
