Water guns are in full blast to mark Thai New Year festivities despite worries about heat wave
 

It’s water festival time in Thailand where many are marking the country’s traditional New Year, splashing each other with colorful water guns and buckets in an often raucous celebration that draws thousands of people, even as this year the Southeast Asian nation marks record-high temperatures causing concern.

The festival, known as Songkran in Thailand, is a three-day shindig that starts Saturday and informally extends for a whole week, allowing people to travel for family celebrations. The holiday is also celebrated under different names in neighboring Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, which like Thailand have populations that are predominantly Theravada Buddhist.

Songkran is immensely popular — predicted this year to attract more than 500,000 foreign tourists and generate more than 24 billion baht ($655 million) in revenue, according to the state tourism agency. Past Thai governments have been reluctant to call for dialing down the fun even during crises such as droughts and the pandemic

Though the festival originated as a way to pray for a rainy season that helped crops and included activities such as cleansing images of the Buddha and washing the hands and feet of elders, Songkran these days is now often associated with public drunkenness, sexual assault in the guise of merrymaking, and a spike in traffic fatalities, noticeable to the point that the extended holiday has been dubbed the “seven dangerous days.”

The festival usually falls at the hottest time of the year when temperatures can creep above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).

But this year, the unusual heat wave, with expected record temperatures for the next few months, has triggered apprehension. The United Nations Children’s Fund warned Thursday the sweltering weather could put millions of children’s lives at risk, asking caregivers to take extra precautions.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/thailand-songkran-climate-heat-wave-southeast-asia-15826a3236f3db5eef3b90df43b83781

Comprehension

When is the water festival known as Songkran celebrated in Thailand?
How long does the Songkran festival last?
What is the state tourism agency's prediction for the number of foreign tourists that will attend the festival this year?
What is the estimated revenue generated by the Songkran festival this year?
What are some of the negative aspects of the Songkran festival?
What is the usual temperature during the Songkran festival?
What is the warning issued by the UN Children's Fund regarding the heat wave?
What precautions are being advised by the UN Children's Fund?

Discussion

Have you ever heard of the Songkran festival before?
Have you ever participated in a water festival or a similar event in your country?
Do you think it's important for festivals to maintain their traditional significance and values?
What measures can be taken to prevent negative incidents during festivals like Songkran?
How do you think festivals impact a country's tourism industry?
Have you ever experienced a heat wave in your area?
How can we protect ourselves and others during extreme heat conditions?
Do you think governments should take action to reduce the negative impacts of festivals?
How can festivals be made more inclusive and safe for everyone?
Should there be restrictions on certain activities during festivals to prevent accidents and injuries?

Vocabulary

Shindig - a lively party or celebration
Dialing down - reducing the level or intensity of something
Crises - a time of intense difficulty or danger
Raucous- loud and boisterous
Theravada Buddhist - a branch of Buddhism that is the most conservative and oldest of the three major branches
Revenue - the total amount of money earned by a company or organization
Sweltering - extremely hot and humid
Apprehension - a feeling of worry or fear about what might happen