Songkran -- another year of thoughtlessness and stupidity; most Thais wouldn't know the 'mindfulness' of Buddhism if it somehow bit them in the ass

Thailand, a Buddhist country only by affectation.

letters re: the recent recent Buddhist new year celebrations in Thailand, which in the past decade have 'evolved' into a weeklong rage of hooliganism and drunk driving.

Another Songkran has passed. Another year of questions remain.

How did a holiday that originally started out as a way to pay respect to the Lord Buddha and to one's elders descend into a wild ritual of contempt for other people? Does anyone know when the line was crossed from playfully splashing water onto one's friends and neighbours to sloshing anyone in the face with a bucket full of dirty water at any time of day, for days at a time, whether they have chosen to join the celebrations or not? And when someone has not given their consent to be hit full in the face with water, but people do it anyway, what message is passed on to the children?

I realise there is little hope of returning the holiday to its origins. But here are a few suggestions for reform that could possibly realign the ritual of Songkran with one of the first principles of Buddhism as well as all major religions: never do anything to any peaceful person without their consent.

Have designated spots in a city, town, or village where one can play with water. If you go to those spots that would imply that you have agreed to join the water fights. Restrict the water play to these spots or to throwing water among friends who have agreed to participate.

And why not limit the time to just one or two days? It's crazy that you cannot go anywhere for a full week without getting completely soaked.

Finally, throwing water at passing motorcycles, open pickup trucks, and songtaews should be strictly prohibited. Today I was splashed with a bucket full of water while driving by on my motorcycle. Not only did I nearly crash but it's quite likely I could develop an ear infection. I definitely did not give my consent for that.

Chiang Mai

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A waste of nearly two weeks of productive time

Not only has my business been closed since last Tuesday, I have to give my staff an off day on Wednesday so that they can vote for the senator aspirants whose insane advertising posters have bothered us for the past two weeks.

Needless to say that none of my staff will show up on Thursday. If they do, they'll only be looking forward to yet another weekend.

Glorious! This is exactly how I make money and pay my staff. Why don't we also declare the rest of the year a holiday just to be in line with an utterly unproductive and wasted April?

Go ahead. Smile. There's nothing else you can do about it. Thailand rules!

Bangkok

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Water-splashing is as lethal as drunk driving

It is comforting to learn from your reports that fewer people are being killed this Songkran than last and that the deaths are lower than the goal (!) set by the government. We are also relieved to know that drunk drivers, speeders and motorcyclists without helmets or driving licences are the cause of it all. But there is another story, which I call "Happy Songkran in Nong Khai".

A small family of four is riding their motorcycle along the road to Tha Bo. Father is not drunk and is wearing his helmet, the visor slightly smeared with white powder. Mother holds her lovely baby and some groceries. The second child, a sweet five-year-old excited by the Songkran festivities, hangs on behind mother. Behind them is a six-wheel truck, windows painted black top and bottom to shield the road glare and the rest covered in other advertising stickers. The large sticker in the middle of the windscreen announces that the driver likes Caribou.

The driver has only had one drink but is driving a bit close to the motorcycle, since it is going so slowly. Along the side of the road Songkran revellers, most drunk, are having a wonderful time drinking, dancing, throwing cold water and powder. A beautiful young girl throws a bucket of water at the family on the motorcycle and another dabs them with white and pink powder. The father, temporarily blinded by the water, closes his eyes. Just as mother and baby shift their weight the motorcycle's front wheel hits some gravel, skids and spills the family on the highway. The crowd roars with laughter and continues dancing and playing as the truck slams on his brakes.

There is a shriek of brakes as the driver, who couldn't quite see the motorcycle falling, steps harder on the pedal. The mother screams as the truck runs over her baby and skids to a stop on top of the father's legs. The second child lands further up the road with blood gushing from her head; she moans in pain. The motorcycle and groceries lie along the side of the road. Most of the crowd continues dancing and drinking, but some help toss the family into the truck and watch it speed away.

Songkran is such a fun time for most people - the rest are just statistics.

Nong Khai