The water-splashing festivities stem from the Thai tradition of pouring water over Buddha statues in homes and temples to bring them merit for the New Year, and then dousing grandparents in perfumed water to bring them good luck. In recent years, Thais have taken the revelries out into the streets and now offer their blessings to anyone who comes within their range.

"I don't think people will get mad," said 48-year-old Fu Kantha, just after drenching passengers in a passing bus. "Today they will forgive us." Fu and his cohorts take up positions on the streets at 6 a.m. but are having a hard time finding targets as most people have gone to the countryside to celebrate the two-day holiday. That left the open-windowed public buses and motorcyclists as prime targets. Taxi drivers helped out by whizzing down their electric windows so attackers could douse their passengers. "It's hard to find people, that's why we have to throw water on the buses," Fu said, as he refueled his squirt-gun and buckets. Foreigners were not exempt.

People in Bangkok were getting off easy. The natives of northeastern Thailand said that in the countryside nobody is spared a soaking, and many are even sprinkled with powder when wet. Everyone spends the day drinking and dancing. In the country villages they still keep the traditions, so it's a lot of fun.

As teens and parents returned from the traditional washing of the Buddha statues in the temples of Phuket, they bring out the high-powered water hose pipes and huge garbage cans filled with water, and the real water fights began. The Phuket resort is 690 kilometers (425 miles) southwest of Bangkok.