Bangkok at Songkran
 

Songkran is officially Friday 13 April to Monday 15 April. Can anyone comment as to what Bangkok is like at this time? I believe many of the boys go to their home provinces so is it "unofficially" longer, by that I mean is it quieter before and after these dates? What are the go go bars like at this time?

During songkran
 

Awful. Don't bother. All my friends leave Thailand or hide in their condo.

BKK. during 'Songkran Fest'l.' ...
 

-- Unless you're young - or still young-at-heart - and like being drenched with COLD, and possibly not overly clean, water, best avoided! Many residents, especially farangs, flee BKK. for quieter places.
- Most active area in BKK. is Si Lom rd., especially in vicinity of soi four.
-- :)

Every-one should experiemce Songkran - once !!
Its not universally celebrated on the same days, and Pattaya is always partly over-lapping but runs for a day or 2 after BKK - so its possible to visit BKK and Pattaya and be soaked constantly for 5 days !

One day is great fun - 2 is bearable- but by the 3rd day the novelty is defintely wearing off. Many boy bars close for 1 or 2 nights (as probably non of the boys would turn up those days anyway) - and while the streets are teeming with hot young topless things, they are more interested in having fun with their friends than hooking up with farangs of the more mature variety !

It would appear the 13-15 is to avoided. What about the immediate preceeding days?

If 13th is on the Friday, then Monday would be the 16th. :)

songkran 2012
 

What are the best dates to stay in Pattaya during songkran 2012?

Point taken Hot Viking. I repeat my question what is Bangkok like in the days preceeding 13 April or putting it another way the beginning Songkran?

Some guys start early - but that only means the evening of 12 April, after dark, usually only among themselves. I was in Silom 1 year on April 12 as Easter is often close to that date so I take a break from my office around then and go to Thailand, and there was some minor activity around the Soi that has DJ Station around 10pm but passers-by weren't impacted. I left for the airport first thing next morning. It's a bugger when Songkran coincides with Easter but most years it's before or after.

sorry-or not that much, but remember, this is Thaild: there are no set dates, starting shoots or whatever. Will also depend on what govmt grants to extra days off-only to be announced a day or so before.
also keep in mind: getting OUT of BKK in the days just before and getting IN BKK just after is a nightmare or worse.
In other famous areas for the waterballets it MAY start up to 3-4 days before and gradually gets worse. ANY farang is a prime target