Ritual, emotion, and alterity: Festive entanglements at Bangkok's Khaosan Road during Songkran

Abstract

The Thai Water Festival or Songkran marks the start of the traditional Thai New Year. It is characterized by its water-splashing festivities and is one of the most anticipated annual events for tourists and locals alike. This article examines the globally renowned water-splashing celebration on Khaosan Road, the popular and often controversial backpacker enclave of Bangkok, by adopting an ethnographic approach to explore the emotional entanglements among local street vendors and festivalgoers. Qualitative street interviews were conducted with street vendors and festivalgoers to gain a more nuanced understanding of their experiences and interpretations of Songkran at Khaosan Road. The authors argue that Songkran is a cultural rite of passage that impacts one's perception of time and space, where social norms are relaxed to a point where ritual and disorder co-exist in a liminal fashion. While foreign tourists enjoy the carnival-like atmosphere, some local street vendors often tolerate the disorder to retain memories of Songkran's cultural significance and an opportunity for economic gain. Through the confluence of embodied experiences, emotions, and festivity in the confines of Khaosan Road, Songkran is argued to be transformative for many who partake in it. Subsequent discussions highlight the role of interaction ritual chains in creating a liminal environment in terms of space, sights and sounds, enabling a liberating but temporary experience of alterity.