I mentioned to you before that I wanted to buy some flowers for the house which are meant to bring you good luck. There is supposed to be a certain kind of flower that Thai people believe will bring prosperity to your household. It sounded like a good idea. The only problem is that I couldn't remember the name. But I could picture it. Or so I thought.

Last night I headed over to our local Big C. Around the back they have quite a big garden center. After browsing for a while I spotted a plant with a red flower that looked familiar. I asked for the name and the assistant said it was called "dok kem". I inquired whether it was supposed to give you good luck but she replied that she had no idea. Well, it looked like a nice flower which would nicely adorn my front doorway. So, why not. I bought two plants at 35 baht each.

Back at home that evening, I decided to do some research on the Internet and googled for "dok kem". Not surprisingly the first hit was one of my own sites that I had written a number of years ago! This flower is used by students to present to their teachers in the annual "wai khru ceremony". So, that is where I have seen that flower before!

The most important event to be held at school is the annual Wai Khru Ceremony. Like other schools around the country this always takes place towards the start of the new academic year and always on a Thursday. The students pay respect to their teachers by presenting them with flowers and going down onto the floor to do a krab which is the most respectful way to show respect. The students hope to gain merit and good fortune for the coming year. Quite often, students who have moved onto other schools come back to present their teachers with flower garlands.

Each class takes part in a competition to design the best flower arrangement. But each individual student also comes to school with their own bunch of flowers. The flowers used in the arrangement are symbolic. Dok Ma Khue (eggplant flower) stands for respect because when the tree is blooming its branches bend down in the same way a student pays respect to their teacher. Ya Praek (Bermuda grass) stands for patience or perseverance because although the grass looks wilted it is still very much alive. Khao Tok (popped rice) stands for discipline because the rice is placed in a pan together and heated up to become popped rice. The Dok Kem (the red flower and the one I bought) has the same name as the Thai word for needle. So it means the student will be sharp-witted and brainy.

Well, I guess that won't hurt me. A few more brain cells and I might be able to remember the name of the plant that I should have bought!

Next week sees the celebration for the start of the traditional Thai new year. From the 13th-15th April, Thai people will be dressing up in new clothes and visiting the local temple to make merit and to their grandparents in order to receive blessings. Afterwards, the youngsters will be out on the street taking part in the world's biggest water fight.

* If you go out during Songkran, then you are fair game. Don't complain if you are squirted in the face with a water pistol or someone rubs white powder on your face. Although it might not seem like it, they are actually taking part in a centuries old tradition of paying respect to their elders. Let them do it and smile. Resistance is useless.

* If you are a woman, try not to dress provocatively - particularly spaghetti strap tops or white t-shirts that become revealing when wet. Thai people are traditionally conservative, but some young men will take advantage of Songkran to grope you. Many of them have been partying all night and are drunk.

* Keep your cool at all times. Everyone is just having fun. Be prepared for the buckets of water which have been pre-chilled with ice. Also beware that people might come up to you from behind to smear white powder on your face. If they are polite they will ask first. But, you won't see that happen often. Try not to move too much when they are doing it as you might end up with the paste in your eyes. However, that is inevitable the longer you stay out.

* Don't wear your best clothes. If you take your camera then make sure you also have a plastic bag. Better still, buy a camera that is waterproof. Last year, many people ended up with soggy mobile phones that stopped working. The mobile phone vendors do good business during Songkran repairing them.

* By law you have to carry your passport at all times. However, during Songkran you are running the risk of your important documents getting wet. Make photocopies of your passport to take out with you and leave all important documents in the hotel safe.

* If you don't want to take part in the water fights then you will need to stock up for at least 3-4 days. Some expats go out to buy enough DVD movies and food to last them the holidays. If you do venture out, the chances are high that you will get soaked by one of the mobile water units on the back of a pick-up truck.

* The shopping malls and movie theatres are all open during Songkran. So, you can use these places as a safe haven. However, getting to them safely might be a problem. If you have to use public transport, make sure you use an air-conditioned bus or meter taxi. If you use a normal bus with the windows down or a tuk tuk then you will get soaked.

* If you are going out in your car, try to stick to the main roads. There is no point in washing your car before or during Songkran. Wherever you go your car will get plastered with white paste. Make sure that you have topped up your windscreen wipers with plenty of water. You will use them often. Whatever, you do, don't forget to LOCK all car doors. If you stop at traffic lights or in a traffic jam, they will try to open your doors.

* Songkran is not just about water fights. Do make an effort to see the more traditional side. Early in the morning Thai people will be going to the temples to make merit. They will also bathe the monks and Buddha images with rose scented water. In the afternoon, they will build sand pagodas in the temple grounds.

If you are in Thailand, then I hope you go out and have some fun! The temperature is above 35 degrees Celsius and this is a good way to cool down. However, if you are not in Thailand, then try visiting your local Thai temple. Many of them will be holding Songkran activities.

Thai people often consult fortune tellers and astrological charts before doing anything important. There are certain days which you shouldn't do things on. In Thailand, there are some calendars that you can buy that tell you the unlucky and lucky days for each month. In March, there seems to be many days which are not good for buying a new car.

Here are the lucky and unlucky days in Thailand for March 2009:

(1) Excellent time to do auspicious things - 6th, 20th March
(2) Can do auspicious things - 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 18th, 23rd, 24th, 28th, 31st March
(3) Good time for a wedding - 1st, 6th, 8th, 20th March
(4) Good time to buy new car - 1st, 6th, 8th, 13th, 21st, 23rd, 28th, 31st March
(5) Good time to build a house or building - 1st, 6th March
(6) Good time to be in love / Able to negotiate deal - no good days for this month
(7) Good in finance - no good days for this month
(8) Stock rises - 6th and 13th March
(9) Gold price increases - no good days for this month
(10) Beware of accident - no bad days for this month
(11) Change in weather - 2nd, 7th, 15th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26, 28th March
(12) Very bad time to do auspicious things - 14th and 27th March
(13) Cannot do caesarean section - 2nd, 5th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, 30th March
(14) Bad time for wedding - no bad days for this month
(15) Bad time to buy new car - 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 29th, 30th March
(16) Bad time to build a house or building - no bad days for this month
(17) Bad to be in love / Not able to negotiate deal - no bad days for this month
(18) Bad in finance - 26th March
(19) Stock drops - 26th March
(20) Gold price drops - no bad days for this month
(21) Beware of fire - 2nd, 8th, 24th March

Three Kingdoms Park in Pattaya

Thai people often consult fortune tellers and astrological charts before doing anything important. There are certain days which you shouldn't do things on. In Thailand, there are some calendars that you can buy that tell you the unlucky and lucky days for each month. In February, there seems to be many days which are not good for buying a new car.

Here are the lucky and unlucky days in Thailand for February 2009:

(1) Excellent time to do auspicious things - no days this month
(2) Can do auspicious things - 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 23rd, 24th February
(3) Good time for a wedding - 5th February
(4) Good time to buy new car - 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st, 23rd February
(5) Good time to build a house or building - 5th, 23rd February
(6) Good time to be in love / Able to negotiate deal - no days for this month
(7) Good in finance - no good days this month
(8) Stock rises - no good days this month
(9) Gold price increases - no good days this month
(10) Beware of accident - 1st, 2nd, 7th February
(11) Change in weather - 11th, 14th, 19th, 21st, 25th, 27 February
(12) Very bad time to do auspicious things - 12th, 22nd, 27th February
(13) Cannot do caesarean section - 5th, 12th, 19th, 22nd, 29th February
(14) Bad time for wedding - 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 11th, 16th, 17th February
(15) Bad time to buy new car - 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 18, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st February
(16) Bad time to build a house or building - 2nd, 9th February
(17) Bad to be in love / Not able to negotiate deal - no bad days this month
(18) Bad in finance - 9th, 15th, 21st, 31st February
(19) Stock drops - 9th, 15th, 21st February
(20) Gold price drops - no days this month
(21) Beware of fire - 6th, 12th, 13th, 20th, 24th February

I told you the other week about the Thai belief that it is unlucky to get a haircut on Wednesdays (see Which days are unlucky?). Did you know, that you should also pay close attention to which day you wash your hair?!

Wash your hair on Sunday - you will live long
Wash your hair on Monday - you will be lucky and have a lot of money
Wash your hair on Tuesday - you will defeat your enemy
Wash your hair on Wednesday - bad luck, some people will say bad things about you
Wash your hair on Thursday - very good: the angels will look after you
Wash your hair on Friday - good: you will live happily
Wash your hair on Saturday - very good: the things you plan and carry out will be successful

Although the Thai Zodiac is similar to what we use in the West, you will see from the following chart that the Thai version is off by about 23 days. According to "Thai Ways" (Denis Segaller p.205), this is because the Western version takes the sun as its reference point. While in the Thai system, the earth is taken as the reference point.

I always thought that I was Gemini, but if I was born in Thailand, I would have been born a Taurus. So, when we check our horoscope, how are we supposed to know which one to look at? All very confusing. However, I remember there was one time a monk asked me what day and exact time I was born. He was trying to work out a lucky day for me to buy something. As I was born in the evening in the UK, I asked him whether I should take into account the time difference. Which, of course, would have meant I was born in the early hours of the following morning. But, he replied that it was only important to know the time and date of my birth in the country where I was born. I wonder if that still makes me a Gemini then? Not that it makes any difference, I never read my horoscopes anyway.

Thai people often consult fortune tellers and astrological charts before doing anything important. There are certain days which you shouldn't do things on. In Thailand, there are some calendars that you can buy that tell you the unlucky and lucky days for each month.

Here is a translation I did for January 2009:

(1) Excellent time to do auspicious things - no days this month
(2) Can do auspicious things - 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 23rd and 24th January
(3) Good time for a wedding - 5th January
(4) Good time to buy new car - 6th, 8th 11th, 16th, 21st, and 23rd January
(5) Good time to build a house or building - 5th and 23rd January
(6) Good time to be in love / Able to negotiate deal - no good days
(7) Good in finance - no good days
(8) Stock rises - no good days
(9) Gold price increases - no good days
(10) Beware of accident - 1st, 2nd and 7th January
(11) Change in weather - 11th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 21st, 25th and 27th January
(12) Very bad time to do auspicious things - 12th, 22nd, 26th and 27th January
(13) Cannot do cesarean section - 5th, 12th, 19th, 22nd and 29th January
(14) Bad time for wedding - 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 11th and 17th January
(15) Bad time to buy new car - 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st January
(16) Bad time to build a house or building - 2nd and 9th January
(17) Bad to be in love / Not able to negotiate deal - no bad days
(18) Bad in finance - 9th, 15th, 21st and 31st January
(19) Stock drops - 9th, 15th and 21st January
(20) Gold price drops - no bad days
(21) Beware of fire - 6th, 12th, 13th, 20th and 24th January

I will tell you the unlucky days for February 2009 next month.