Happy Songkran!

It doesn't matter if you have your camera with you. Or your passport. Or are carrying your bags to the hotel or airport. You've just entered a war zone and will very soon know it. It all starts with the woman who served you pancakes ten minutes earlier pouring a plastic container of water over your head. She's not angry, in fact she's smiling – this is Songkran and you should expect to get wet. Very wet.

At first you walk around wearing your soaked clothing with pride. Not all tourists are wet, and some look visibly worried about the possibility. In smaller tourist areas it's probably not too hard to keep dry most of the day, but given it's one of the hottest days of the year, getting wet seems like paradise. A bunch of us headed off by longtail to the nearby town, armed with water balloons and excitement. As the car engine puttered its way through the water, we hatched many plans. Upon arrival at Ao Nang's pier we were duly soaked before noticing that the traffic was only one way, and going at a crawl.

Waterless, we were at a severe disadvantage until we hauled ourselves up into the bed of a passing truck. Surrounded by smiling children with huge water pistols we realized our hands were not going to be good weapons. About 300 Baht later we're armed with super-soakers, pistols and buckets and the fun begins!

There are huge blue water butts at the side of the road providing a continual supply of cool water as they're constantly refilled with a hose. Everywhere you look, people are throwing water or having it thrown on them. People park their trucks, set the stereo blaring and dance happily, while bands of smiling Thai's walk past with talcum powder – sometimes rather mentholy and cold until it starts prickling and burning your skin – slipping it on to your cheeks, shoulders, hair. People smile as you soak them, you smile as ice water is poured down your back.

Thai New Year is a joyous occasion, often described as the world's biggest water fight, but its roots go far deeper than cooling off at the end of the hot season. April 13, the first day of this 3-10 day (depending on location) celebration marks the sun's passing into Aries and signals a time of change. The monsoon season approaches, and all the water thrown precipitates the downpours soon to come, Buddha statues are bathed in ceremonial flower water and carried through the streets so everyone can wash them. Then the water fight begins, usually in the afternoon. I'm really happy I got to experience this very different but very refreshing New Year - my fourth of 2009!