Post 356: Song Kran Festival ... Ban Pai, Thailand

From Phitsanulok we drove for an hour and arrived in a small village just a few miles outside of Ban Pai. The village probably has it’s own name, but I honestly don’t remember anybody ever mentioning one. The village kids were already prepared for their day of fun. Standing at the side of the quiet road, a huge ceramic urn filled with water and scoops with which to throw it onto any passing person or vehicle.

The first vehicle was an Isuzu D-Max, filled with soaking wet girls and armed to the hilt with high powered water guns. The kids of the village didn’t stand a chance and if there’s one thing that I hate, it’s an unfair battle. I borrowed a Honda Scoopy and made a dash for the town of Ban Pai, taking the back roads and avoiding most of the soakings.

An hour later, I returned to the village with no name and distributed my purchases amongst the kids. 500 Baht had bought me a veritable arsenal of water weapons. The village with no name was now the mightiest fighting force in all of Central Thailand and beware anybody who approached.

The day was hot but the water was cold. Everybody who passed along the road got a refreshing welcome and the kids were revelling in aquatic heaven. But the road was too quiet, too few victims.

It was time to mobilise the troops and take to the back of a D-Max. A mobile fighting force the likes of which has not been seen in these parts since the time of King Naresuan himself. We were invincible.

And as night fell, it was time to party …. Thai style …. With a little touch of San Francisco … mai pen rai kap