HAPPY THAI NEW YEAR FROM BAN CHANG RAYONG THAILAND #songkranfestival2023

AFTER 3 YEARS OF NO NEW YEARS FESTIVALS DUE TO THE HEALTH PRECAUTIONS OF 2020, 2021, AND 2022, THAILAND WAS READY FOR THE BIGGEST SONGKRAN CELEBRATION EVER. WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE FESTIVALS IN BAN CHANG FROM TWO WHEELS.
#songkran2023 #banchang #rayong

In Thailand, New Year is now officially celebrated 1 January. Songkran was the official New Year until 1888, when it was switched to a fixed date of 1 April. Then in 1940, this date was shifted to 1 January. The traditional Thai New Year Songkran was transformed into a national holiday. Celebrations are famous for the public water fights framed as ritual cleansing.

Social scientists believe the origin of the festival lies in celebration of spring or harvest in agrarian community as well as religious. April is a month of very hot sun waves in south east asian countries, to cool body temperature farmers might have enjoyed playing water and applying Dinsohphong powder(White Thai mud). Later religious myth were associated with the festival. Thus, harvest or spring festival was evolved into a religious festival.

Songkran is a term derived from Sanskrit meaning 'to move' or 'movement'. It derives from the movement of the sun from one position to another in the zodiac. According to its literal meaning in Sanskrit, a Songkran occurs every month. However, the period that Thai people refer to as Songkran happens when the sun moves from Pisces to Aries in the zodiac. The correct name for this period should actually be Maha Songkran ('great Songkran) because it coincides with the arrival of a New Year. The Songkran festival is, therefore, a celebration of the New Year in accordance with the solar calendar. The celebration covers a period of three days: 13 April is regarded as Maha Songkran, the day that the sun moves into Aries on the zodiac or the last day of the old year. The next day, 14 April is called Wan Nao, the transitional day between the old and the new years, and 15 April is called Wan Thaloeng Sok ( 'to begin a new era or year'), New Year's day itself.

I'm a disabled American Army veteran from Kansas City KS and I arrived in Thailand in Oct. 2015. I came to Thailand for health reasons and knew I would benefit from a tropical climate. I have lived in Thailand full-time ever since 2015, and only vacation back home to the States. I am married to a Thai lady and stay in Thailand with a Non O Family visa. In 2016 a friend asked me if I would be interested in teaching English as a second language for high school students? I did not come to Thailand to work, but after living here six months I was getting bored of retirement life. So, I started teaching part-time ESL conversational class with no text books. Similar to a speech and drama class but, students using English second language rather than their native language. I then went on to teach the same type of class (ESL) conversational English for the Royal Thai Military Academy (CRMA) in Nakhon Nayok. I love teaching these smart Army Cadets, and have made many Thai friends with the Royal Thai Army. Many of my cadets graduated and have went on to serve as officers in Special Forces for the RTA. Royal Thai officers training with western allies on active duty using their English skills to share Thai culture with western troops. Doesn't get any more rewarding than that. The most I've ever worked as an ESL teacher was 18 hours a week. Great part-time gig to get me assimilated into Thai culture.
In 2021 I became a member of the American Legion Post TH02 in Pattaya. We moved to Phala Ban Chang in 2019 because we had vacationed here and loved the area. Lots of expats here on the Eastern Seaboard of the Gulf of Thailand. I now serve as the second vice commander at TH02.
I love expat life in Thailand, and created the channel to share simple, but genuine videos about Thailand for my family back in the States. The channel has slowly grown and the audience has expanded to people from all over the globe. Making videos is an enjoyable hobby for me, and keeps me busy doing something I love. Thanks for watching, and we appreciate your support of the channel.
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With respect for Thai people, I take a slow look at the Thai lifestyle and the importance of expat life here.