Songkran - The Thai New Year

Well the Thai New Year holiday is almost over. Most people outside Thailand know it as the water festival and here it's called Songkran. On Thursday almost everyone will be back at work although some companies save up other holidays to make it a week off.

Traditionally it is a time to pay respect to your parents and elders. It was also a time when prayers for rain were made. It doesn't get much hotter here than it is now and the rains should arrive soon to cool it down and more importantly to fill the rice paddy fields.

So many people leave Bangkok to go back to their original towns and villages that it's one of two times in the year that it seems empty here. The other time is Western New Year holiday. Driving to the office today you could imagine you were in a small town in the US or a British country town as the traffic was so light. I have always lived in big cities so I can imagine how pleasant it is to drive to work in a small town unlike the stressful drive we usually have here. Below is a picture Srinakarin Road at 08:30 this morning. You will have to wait to the 31st. December to see morning traffic like this again.