Celebrating the Thai New Year – Ton Salat, Thailand

Celebrating the Thai New Year
Ton Salat, Thailand

I had been at Seaview Rainbow some three weeks, and it was now into April, and I
began to hear that the Thai New Year was imminent – and that it was quite a
blast. I hadn’t done any partying since Australia in January, so I was
looking forward to it. One night Mr Oy (the owner, and quite an important
man in Ko Pha-ngan) announced that the restaurant would close the next
day and two trucks would assemble in order to take all those who wished to
the main town, Ton Salat, for the New Year.

Drenching a Police Officer

The next day as we assembled, a large water barrel was put on each of the
two trucks and filled up, with plastic bowls for each person, plus a crate of
beer for each truck, a present from Mr. Oy. Then at 11a.m, we left. We
hadn’t gone far before we were drenching everyone with water, and in turn, by throwing water
at everyone on the way: roadside onlookers at each village, fellow truckers
and motor-cyclists. When we arrived at Ton Salat everyone and everything
was completely wet.

We stopped at a restaurant to fill up with water, and did a tour of the
town, getting caught up in the complete craziness and fun of it all. No
one seemed immune to the water treatment.

At 1:00 p.m. we stopped at a roadside stage set up for us, where ‘Japanese
Joe’ a bungalow neighbor of mine and the chief DJ for the Full Moon
Parties at Hat Rin, played his music while the mayhem continued. Frequent libations
of beer and drenching were non-stop for the next 4-5 hours and one would
think this activity would pale after a while, but the atmosphere in this
town was such that this organized anarchy was infectious, especially
amongst the younger elements. And, while I saw no major accidents, I saw a few
near escapes. It can be a bit of a shock to have several bowls of water
hit you in the face while attempting to steer a motor-bike through the
saturated throng.

Partying in the City

It is fortunate that the climate is what it is. To attempt anything like
that in England on anything but on the balmiest of nights would be
uncomfortable as the evening stole on. Those of us who were still capable
and who had not left with any member of the opposite sex, rounded
up the evening with a Thai curry, more beer, then at 9 p.m. got back on the
trucks, wet, but happy and drunk. It was a great day and an experience, and I
would heartily recommend for both young and old. I hope to repeat it again.

Check out Pete Day’s e-book, Chips Out O’ Yer Knickers, available FREE from e-publishingaustralia.com.

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