*Songkran 2010*

Songkran, the Thai New Year, was celebrated at Dolphin Bay Resort on April 12, 13, and 14 this year. Songkran marks a new astrological year and means to “move” or “change place” suggesting when the sun changes its position in the zodiac.

Traditionally, Songkran is a time to pay respect to parents, grandparents, and elders by pouring scented water over their hands and patting their faces with a paste of fragrant powder and water. It is a time to be with family.

Nowadays the festivities have evolved from a delicate pouring of water onto the hands, to an outright water battle. Pickups roam around loaded up with big barrels of water and water pistol toting revelers ready to douse anyone who gets into range. Total strangers drench each other from head to toe and have a good laugh all around.

Songkran is also referred to as the Water Festival, and is also celebrated in Laos, Cambodia, and Burma. Water is believed to wash away bad luck and can also be quite welcome as a nice way to cool off, since April is the hottest month of the year (as long as you’re not dressed in a business suit!).  

Thais love fun and Songkran is the most fun, playful holiday of all!

Our thanks to Dolphin Bay guest Nadia Heiman for these great videos!

Double-click to see a bigger video screen

*Fun and Games at the Resort*

Dolphin Bay guests and staff had great fun drenching passers-by and each other, and with the games we organized on the beach - a Tug-Of-War, a Water Balloon Throwing Contest, and a Sand Sculpture Contest were the highlights of the festival. There was plenty of home-cooked Thai food and cold drinks on hand to quench every thirst and hunger, old-fashioned shaved ice and free homemade popsicles for everybody!

Click on the photos to see a larger image

Congratulations to the Winners of the Sand Sculpture Competition!

 1st Place: The Dutch Herrings!           2nd Place: TJ Tylers!              3rd Place: NIST Kids!                                    
   (Pepyn, Juliette, Marcus, Joelle, Luuk)     (Thanya, Alisa, Jeremy, Aranja, Kyla)     (James, Morgan, Cameron, Alex, Jacob)

      
   
   1st Runners Up: Mafia Wars!       2nd Runners Up: San Sanuk!   3rd Runners Up: Dolphin Bay Staff! 

We hope this little report gave you a taste of how Thais celebrate their New Year. To round it off, here are two more videos of the Tug-of-War contest:

 

All in all, it was a great week of fun and friendship. Thanks to all our wonderful guests. We hope you'll visit us at Dolphin Bay Resort again soon!