A photograph of Luang Prabang, Laos.

It can be a gamble whipping out your camera or phone during Songkran but these people were prepared to risk the ruination of their photography equipment to capture the watery madness that is New Year in Thailand. We in turn jeopardised damaging our third camera in Southeast Asia to photograph them doing so.

When we met up with my sister in Chiang Mai and she told us all the things she had done and was going to do in Thailand, Deirdre and I looked at each other and realised we had done sod all here.

We have mixed feelings about Songkran, in that one of us loves charging about town squirting water into the faces of old women and children, while the other loathes it and won’t venture outside for the duration.

I’m writing this piece in the sticks in Ireland - surrounded by fields, without a wifi connection and bloody miles from the nearest shop. In some ways it reminds me of Lisu Lodge where we spent the first night on our three day/two night Lisu Lodge and Khum Lanna Soft Adventure tour. The big difference between here and there – apart from the temperature and number of massages on offer – is at the lodge we had transport.

Three days of pushing social boundaries to the limit by throwing buckets of iced water over grannies and ambushing five year old children.

You’re armed to the teeth with the biggest water gun you could find and ready for some watery mayhem but want to make the most of what might be a once in life time experience. The great thing about Songkran is it is for everyone: young and old, male or female, Thai or tourist, everyone has a laugh and enjoys themselves. Here is our guide to the polite mayhem Thais call Songkran.

A photograph of Luang Prabrang, Laos.

I’m sitting in a pink towel listening to the whoops and cheers as our neighbours soak each other and passing scooters with water. On the bed are laid out various items of clothing. What does one choose from our limited wardrobe for charging about town like a maniac squirting people in the face?

A photograph of Chiang Mai, Thailand.