Happy New Year!

As we approach the Thai New Year or Songkran Holiday, I hope that you and yours are in good health and good spirits.

Songkran 2016 in Hua Hin is officially on April 13th.  This is the day that Thais and visitors to Thailand receive water "blessings" all day long.  People won't be able to go outside without getting soaked.  Although many Thais like to celebrate with water for 3 days, Hua Hin officials are asking that people only celebrate one day in order to conserve water during this drought.  Nonetheless, Thais have been celebrating without water for the past two weeks.  We have watched as the population of our quiet little beach town has doubled (or possibly even tripled) with holiday-makers.  Hotels are full, there are traffic jams, the beach is crowded, and every store has water soaker guns and Hawaiian shirts.  Here's a link about how Songkran is celebrated around Thailand:

http://www.asiantraveltips.com/blog/songkran-2016-thai-new-year/

A YouTube video of Songkran 2015 activities in Hua Hin (the car drives right past my Soi):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox5hcYXJSqk&nohtml5=False

This one is more about how to survive Songkran:
http://songkranday.com/songkran-water-festival-in-thailand-2016-tips-for-visitors/

A Bangkok Post link about water conservation during Songkran:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/897356/city-to-limit-songkran-water-splashing

Here on Soi 96/1, we are planning to avoid as much wetness as possible by staying at or near home most of the day.  Nonetheless, I'm sure we will all receive our blessings when we venture out for our daily sundown beach meeting around 5 p.m.  To make things easier, I think I'll just wear a bathing suit all day long.  Should be fun!

Have a great week:-)