While many Thai revellers headed straight to get wet and wild in Bangkok's wettest areas like Khao San Road, Silom and RCA at the start of the three-day Songkran festival, hundreds of senior citizens who preferred a return to the holiday's quieter religious and familial traditions flocked to Lumpini Park to celebrate the Thai New Year in retro style.
"I think Songkran these days involves too much drinking, too many public displays of affection and too many obscene gestures," said 62-year-old Prachuap Pitakpan. "I wish it was more traditional and family-oriented."
Mrs Prachuap recalled that when she was young the Songkran tradition didn't involve ruthless splashing. People sprinkled water onto Buddha images and monks to receive blessings, pour water onto elderly family members' hands to show respect, and throw water at each other in a friendly way.
"I miss those days when Songkran was more civil and polite. Women did not wear revealing clothing and men treated us with respect. The only source of entertainment was temple fairs," she said.
Mrs Prachuap travelled to Lumpini Park, where the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is hosting its annual Songkran celebration in the form of a temple fair, with her granddaughter and grandson as she wanted them to learn how beautiful Thai traditions and culture were in the past. "They are members of the new generation who will help us conserve the uniqueness of Thai culture, so it's my duty to educate them in traditional ways of celebrating Songkran," she said.
The BMA this year has picked Lumpini Park as the venue to host its official Songkran celebration instead of Sanam Luang to attract revellers from the nearby Silom area to experience the traditional beauty of the Thai New Year. The festival this year is organised under the theme of the "Thai way of life".
Phra Phuttha Sihing and eight other sacred images have been moved to Lumpini Park so revellers can worship them as a way of marking an auspicious start to the year.
Visitors can join rites for the pouring of water on the hands of the elderly and watch traditional shows every day until tomorrow.
The BMA has banned talcum, water guns, provocative dresses and alcoholic drinks during the celebrations. In addition, visitors are also encouraged to get dressed in period costumes or floral-patterned colourful shirts.
Dressed in full traditional Thai costume, Boonleua Noianurak, 60, said she came to bathe the Buddha statues for good fortune and enjoy the temple fair as nowadays temple fairs cannot often be seen in Bangkok.
"I'm happy that at least there is a festival for people of my generation to celebrate Songkran. It feels good to see people wearing Thai traditional clothes while splashing water at one another. It reminds me of the good old days," she said.
Mrs Boonleua said she thought the high-rated soap opera Bupphaesannivas (Love Destiny) might have inspired many Thais to don traditional dress during Songkran this year.
"It's a lovely thing to see and makes the atmosphere of the festival more beautiful. I think the government should grab this opportunity to promote Thai traditional costume on more occasions," she said.
Put Chieplaem, 69, said he agreed with his friend Boonleua that wearing Thai traditional dress helps conserve Thai tradition and culture and shows to foreigners the Thai way of life.
He also urged the government and BMA to organise more Songkran festivities in the traditional style next year to create more activities for elderly people as Thailand becomes an ageing society.
However, he said young people should be able to celebrate Songkran how they want to as well. "In my opinion, wearing Thai traditional clothes or celebrating in the Thai traditional way should be voluntary because culture evolves all the time. If you press young people too hard to do things, they will rebel. The most important thing is to give people choices, " he said.
