Like our Xmas or New Year, Songkran lasts a few days. After the water mayhem of day one, day three, the Sunday, seems a lot calmer. Noppharat Thara beach, the long, two mile or so empty stretch of shaded beach which is great for a walk is suddenly transformed. Thousands of people, in mainly large family groups congregate along the walkway shaded by the trees and settle down to a feast. And no dried out sandwiches and a few boiled eggs here, it's a full on cookout! Laid out on huge mats, the families, all of several generations, tuck into a selection of dishes that any Thai restaurant would be proud of. The women peel and chop the veg as the men sip a beer and the kids play on the sand. Any Thai women swimming do so virtually fully clothed. The food is cooked in a wok over charcoal or a full on gas bottle cooker, chicken and fresh fish barbecue away. Cars jostle to park along the road, still streaked with the talc laden water stains from the water throwing day.
The smell was amazing, spolit only by the occasional dried fish on a stick man waving his smelly wares for sale!
And for those having a day off from cooking, the stalls lining the other side of the road would cook your feast and then deliver it to you on huge trays. There were candy floss sellers, bright inflatable beach toy sellers and the ice cream bikes going up and down sounding their distinctive chimes.There was a lovely family atmosphere, and if I was the only Thai person walking along Brighton beach on a sunny Bank Holiday, I'm not sure I would be greeted with so many smiles, hello's and Happy New Year's.
Next day walking along everything was back to normal, well, if normal includes seeing this cool dude dog having his nap in (literally!) the sand! Now, Dylan, how about you try that at Ferryside....
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