Songkran in the South

Rumor had it that Chiang Mai’s way of celebrating Thai New Year would get pretty wet. So I fled to the South for a traditional Songkran with Jip’s mom. In her village the three-day holiday revolves more around monks, blessings, and family than around throwing water. You can get as wet as you want to, but if you say you don’t want to play, people respect that and let you pass without a splash.

Life there is lived in the open air. Most jobs in Ban Krud take place outdoors, most transportation happens by cycle, and the beach exerts a strong pull on locals and visitors alike. Even though it’s the hottest time of the year (temperatures have been around 40C/100F), we spent our days sitting out front of the house to see who was passing by, or cooking in the outdoor kitchen—you can’t have a ceremony in the village without a feast afterwards.