Songkran, new and old (part 1)

Teenagers tear up and down the streets in the Thai market where I live on their motorbikes. I can see them from my condo balcony. I can also hear them revving their engines.

They make an angry buzzing sound. When the sound of many, many motorbikes revving their engines is combined, they are like menacing hornets.

Whole families can squeeze onto one motorbike, while managing to spray water at people at the same time.

Welcome to the Songkran festival! This is the day three, the last day when streets are given over to teenagers to do almost whatever they please. Tomorrow, life returns to normal.

Most revellers probably get about on those noisy motorbikes. Others station themselves on street corners, like pit stop machanics on a motor racing track.

These are the Songkran revellers who do not have wheels. They include children too young to ride motorcycles - though no one is really too young in Thailand, as I see under-age drivers, in their early teens or younger, driving motorbikes almost daily.

Teens stationed on the street, usually close to home, lug out large tubs of water, which they use to recharge their plastic guns or plastic water basins.

They dip them in the tub, fill them, then throw the water at people.

They step out onto the street, to block the oncoming traffic, which comprises mainly Songkran revellers on motorbikes, or trucks.

I do not see much 'ordinary' traffic plying the streets of the market where I live. Many Thais go to the provinces during Songkran. Sensible ones who are stuck in Bangkok stay indoors.

The street which I can see from my condo is covered in water, even though it has not been raining.

When kids walk out from their pit stop onto the centre of the road, teens on motorbikes stop.

Revellers plaster their faces with a wet powder substance, then tip water over their head.

Sensible ones use the water which kids tip on them, to rub the power off their faces at the same time.

The most popular mode of travel for Songkran revellers is probably to pile on the back of a Toyota 'pick up' truck.

Yesterday I counted 15 teens on the back of one open-deck truck. They had hauled their water tub up there too.

Even though they are probably the most powerful vehicles on the road during Songkran, they too, have to stop if the street-corner kids walk out into their path.

Once they have been splashed - and they splash the kids on the street in turn - they can move on.

Sitting at Mum's shop in Thon Buri last night, I watched dozens of sodden, bedraggled souls wander back from Khao San Rd, a popular spot for throwing water during Songkran.

Some dropped into Mum's shop to stock up on cigarettes, which they keep in waterproof bags.

This gave me the chance to catch up on the latest Songkran fashions.

now, see part 2