Songkhran celebrants warned

PATONG: The superintendent of Kathu Police Station has warned Songkhran celebrants not to throw or daub talcum powder or powdered dyes on other people. Such activities, Pol Col Paween Pongsirin says, reflect badly on Thailand’s culture. Those caught using powder risk being arrested for making public places dirty or for creating a nuisance. Both offenses carry a maximum penalty of a 1,000-baht fine or a month in prison, or both. Col Paween pointed out that, originally, Songkhran festivities consisted of pouring water gently on Buddha images in the morning, in order to gain merit, then doing the same with one’s elders. In the afternoon, people would play with water, and would offer good wishes to anyone they soaked. “Patong gets a lot of tourists who want to know what Songkhran is, and what Thai people do to celebrate. I think it will look bad if they come and see that we make a mess and touch other people’s faces or do other things that are not part of the Thai tradition,” he told the Gazette. “Children, especially, will get the wrong idea if they see adults smearing powder on girls’ faces or chests. They will think that this is something normal during Songkhran, something that they must do. So this year in Patong, people may use only plain water.” He also warned that anyone throwing water with ice in it risks arrest.