April in Thailand is quite often the hottest month of the year. April 2022 is no exception, with this last week hitting 38 degrees Celsius (triple digits in Fahrenheit) daily, with humidity. Normally, the heat is welcomed by Songkran, the Thai New Year, a time of celebration, a long holiday, return to hometowns, and travel. But the uphill battle against a current COVID-19 peak and the delicate attempt to jolt the economy has resulted in a new type of Songkran. Or is it the return of the old Songkran?
In 2020, Songkran was canceled. I’m not talking about cancel as in cancel culture, but the authorities thought that canceling a holiday would limit the spread of COVID-19. In 2021, just as things were looking up, the Delta variant struck Thailand. International travel was limited. Foreign tourists looking to splash around in Thailand had too many hoops to jump through to enter the country. Efforts to promote domestic travel in April 2021 coincided with what was then Thailand’s new disease peak.
How is 2022 different? Songkran is not canceled, so as a government worker, I do have a holiday! But again with many hoops to jump through and surprise costs with international travel, foreigners are not flocking to Thailand and young Thais are not traveling abroad during the long holiday as was once the pattern. In the midst of the highest case count and an economic “valley,” there is confusion of what people in Thailand should do during Songkran.
Some are opting to travel domestically. Airlines and hotels have capitalized on this trend, recognizing the demand. Try to book a flight or a night’s stay and you will question whether the extra money you are forking over will result in increased value as compared to a normal non-holiday weekend. Yet, many Bangkokians desperately seeking an escape will not think twice about the price hike, as long as it means they can find their beach.
With the famous urban hubs of Songkran water fights forced to cower away this year (Silom, Khao San, Old City Chiang Mai), we now see the return of a more traditional Songkran. For years, the purists have been ragging on how Songkran has become over-commercialized and has broken away from its roots. In 2022, the purists can finally have their day. In Bangkok, families are returning to temples together to pay tribute to the Buddha images. Shopping malls across Bangkok are also welcoming merit-makers, with refuge from the heat, to celebrate a more traditional (but not completely authentic) version of Songkran.
As for me, if you have not guessed by now, I am in the category of hiding from the heat and traveling locally. More information to come in future posts!
Yes, there is still traffic, especially on the BKK to Isaan route. Yes, there is still the subsequent increase in road traffic injuries. But now we wait to see if this year’s Songkran helps stimulate the economy and how it affects the national COVID-19 cases. I will finish by wishing everyone a happy and safe Songkran, hopefully surrounded by loved ones.
