Just a reminder that any time I refer to "Hash" I am not referring to the drug. We don't do that here. I am referring to the Hash House Harriers which is a global group of drinkers with a running problem that organized outdoor runs all over the globe. These are great ways to make friends, have a few drinks, get some exercise, and if you end up like me, form life-long friendships with people from all around the world.
Songkran is a very big deal in Thailand and there are a ton of ways to have fun during it. There are a lot of HHH chapters in Thailand so normally we will decide who is going to get the featured event of the year and let that particular Hash chapter make the arrangements for a rather large influx of participants.
This year's Songkran run is taking place in Songkla and while I was not part of the selection process I'd imagine that the fact that both the holiday and the city name have the syllable "Song" in them. For most of us that live here in Thailand, we don't really feel compelled to go down to Songkla because it is so far away from any of the other hotspots in the country. As far as the expat community is concerned there are a lot of people there that work in the offshore oil industry and that is the primary reason why people relocate there. I've passed through the city many years ago on a biking trip and it was a good city. Big enough to be fun but not so big that getting around is a pain.
That being said, this year's event is a real bargain for anyone that is considering getting involved.
If you are going to be in the country or if you already live in the country, it is important to get in touch with the organizers as soon as possible since there is a limit on how many people can be allowed to participate. Basically, for the days that the events are going on all expenses are covered by the 700B entry fee. When you consider that transport, meals, and a commemorative shirt are all included this 700B is a very small price to pay. To put it into perspective many of the events that we have hosted here in Chiang Mai have been at least double that price and people were happy to pay it. If the Songkla accountants for their Hash function at all like our own, they are almost certainly going to lose money on this. Perhaps they don't mind because offshore oil workers tend to be quite wealthy :)
The cutoff point has not yet been determined but you can bet your bottom beer that it is going to be relatively early, perhaps even as early as early to mid March. This is because it takes some time to get the shirts customized since with your participation, your Hash name will be printed on the back of the shirt along with everyone else's that participates.
I can't think of any better way to spend around $25 on a multi-day event and I will be there. Will you? If you live in the Chiang Mai area and would like an intro to what it means to be a Hasher, come and join us on one of our thrice weekly events. Full details can be found on our poorly made official website.
