MYANMAR’S famous Thingyan water festival is a unique and entertaining event and many people - especially young people - have begun planning how they want to celebrate the national-wide party.

For those who are bored with the idea of staying at a pandal all day long , driving around with friends in an open vehicle can be the most exciting option.

The most cost-effective approach is to hire a car for the holiday, with jeeps and trucks the clear favourites. Jeeps, in particular, have always been the favourite choice for youths because they are durable and allow people to dance on the bonnet or sit on the bodywork. And the open roof gives everyone riding on the car the opportunity to call out to friends or spray water.

First visitors to Myanmar may be amazed to see so many cars clogging the roads and packed with shouting revellers.

For 20-year-old Maung Thura Tun the best way to celebrate Thingyan is cruising around on the back of a jeep with his friends.

“Almost every year, I drive around town and my friends and I share the cost of hiring the jeep, which we usually get for three days,” he said with a wide grin.
“I think riding around in a car is much more fun than staying at a pandal all day.”

He said riding around in a car allows people to see so much more of the celebrations and he usually meets - and makes - friends along the way.

“We joke with people in other cars while we are stopped in the traffic jams. The best thing about the festival is that nobody gets annoyed with each other because of the jams, although some people get too drunk,” Maung Thura Tun said.

Second-year university student Maung Kaung Myint said he also prefers to hire a jeep.
Even VW Beetles carry up to 10 revellers during the most joyous event in Myanmar.
Pic: Lwin Maung Maung

“Most years we hire a jeep for Thingyan and my friends and I split the costs. Usually we have around 15 people on the car,” he said.

“But for this year, we are still considering whether we’ll hire a car or not because we don’t know exactly how much it will cost.”

He said his group could afford to pay up to K150,000 per day if they were able to gather 15 people. “If we can find 15 people, it may cost only K10,000 per day plus another K5000 for food and drinks. But if we can only gather 10 people, we might have to reconsider our options,” he said.

For those who cannot afford to spend that much money, another possibility is to hire a truck, which can accommodate about 30 people and lowers the daily cost to only K5000 each.

Although Yangon’s youths usually prefer to drive around during the festival, the cost of renting a car is increasing from year to year.

Most of the jeeps for rent are found near Yangon’s Dalla suburb on the other side of the Yangon River. Normally these jeeps are used to carry passengers between Dalla, Twantay and nearby towns.

Youths cross the river to rent jeeps and those looking for pick-ups or trucks can usually find them nearby as well. The daily cost usually includes fuel, so if the price of fuel is higher, renters can expect to pay more to hire a vehicle.

The owner of one Yangon repair shop said car owners often charg high fees over Thingyan because many cars are damaged in the partying. Many vehicles, he said, had to be repaired and repainted after the festival.

Last year, hiring a jeep or Toyota Publica pick-up cost about K80,000, while a larger Toyota Hilux was K100,000. Car hire agencies said the prices are sure to increase this year but actual prices will only be set when the festival is closer.

According to information released by Yangon Division Wireless and Traffic Police Force, five people died on the road during Thingyan last year and another 58 were injured in collisions in the Yangon area alone. “I take much care for our safety during the festival and warn my friends,” Maung Thura Tun said. “To have an accident-free festival, we do not drink too much and hold tightly onto the car while it is moving. We never let the driver drink too heavily and we ignore any trouble from other people.” And he offered some useful advice for other party goers. “This is a very enjoyable event but we should do our best to stay in control.”