They may be more than a hundred years old, but Keng Thanawatyangyong and his neighbour Thongkham Saibua will be a key part of the Songkran Day celebration tomorrow.
A nurse chats with 102-year-old Thongkham Saibua, Granny Phuang, during a regular visit to her home in Taling Chan district to check on her health. Photos by Pawat Laopaisarntaksin
The water festival not only marks the Thai traditional New Year, but it is also a celebration of longevity for centenarians like Mr Keng, 103, and Ms Thongkham, 102.
Though the Songkran festival is identified with water splashing and parties among the young, it also marks National Elderly Day when the calm, time-honoured ceremony of rod nam dam hua is held where the younger people seek blessings from their elders.
Amid the build-up to the wet festivities, Mr Keng and Ms Thongkham shared their secrets to good health and long life.
Mr Keng, also known as Akong (grandpa) Seng, is a Chinese man who migrated to Thailand from his hometown near the city of Shantou in the southern province of Guangdong when he was 26 years old.
Like other Chinese settlers of Chaozhou, or Teochew, ethnic minority, Mr Keng was escaping hardship and came to Thailand in search of a better life.
He started work as a coolie delivering vegetable in the bustling Pak Khlong Talat market in Bangkok, according to his wife Piyawan Thanawatyanyong who is the interpreter for her husband as he is not fluent in Thai.
Ms Piyawan, also of Chinese descent, married Mr Keng after his first wife, who came with him from China, died after living in Thailand for two years.
Mr Keng worked very hard making a living when he was young. Every day he delivered more than 100 kilogrammes of vegetables to the vendors' stalls.
"This might be a secret behind his good health," she said. The laborious work gave him an opportunity to exercise every day.
Mr Keng is always mindful of keeping himself in his pinkest of health.
Keng Thanawatyangyong, 103, says the secret to longevity is watching your health and staying stress-free.
Despite his advanced years, the only medical condition that Mr Keng has that requires treatment is diabetes. He has managed to stay strong after quitting smoking and drinking more than 20 years ago, according to Ms Piyawan.
He also makes a point of eating healthy food, exercising regularly and keeping away from stress.
Mr Keng is an early bird, usually waking up at five in the morning. After breakfast, he picks up a newspaper and reads the news, which helps him to stay sharp, and watches television. He spends most of the day relaxing and in the evening he goes for a stroll around the house. He completes about 45 walking loops every day, Ms Piyawan said.
Mr Keng's daily meals are a simple affair, comprising boiled or stir-fried vegetables, fish, noodles and soup. Mr Seng avoids some of the popular menus which may be tasty for the mouth but are bad for the body, his wife said.
Mentally, the old man has figured out how to prevent tension and anxiety. When he is bombarded with problems, he solves them one by one and does not let himself be entangled or bogged down by endless worries, Ms Piyawan quoted him as saying.
In other words, the less he thinks, the less likely he will be worried.
Mr Keng and Ms Piyawan have seven children. The couple live with one of his sons in a family of six at a house in the Taling Chan area.
Also in the same neighbourhood is another centenarian, Ms Thongkham, who lives with one of her three daughters.
Ms Thongkham, who is known as Yai Phuang, or Granny Phuang, is originally from Chachoengsao. She relocated from the province to settle in Taling Chan when she was 22.
She came to Taling Chan to visit relatives and fell in love with the area. She was attracted to the picturesque houses built along a canal.
The elderly woman has many vivid memories of her past, which is something rare for people as they grow old. Like Mr Keng, she has maintained her health and mind, which holds the key to leading a long and vibrant life.
Her diet is similar to that of Mr Seng. "I like eating vegetables and fish but I can't chew meat now," she said.
She also eats all kinds of fruit. Her favourite is bananas.
She also likes to follow up on the news on the radio. The news she listens to lets her think, which helps give her brain a little exercise.
"The only issue I have (with the radio) is I don’t understand today's songs," Ms Thongkham said.
When she wants to relax, she likes to have a soothing massage.
Her mind is also free of anxieties as she does not linger on problems and allow them to get to her.
"If you want to have long life, don't get angry and stressed," Ms Thongkham said.
Politics can be hazardous to people's health and their state of mind. Political bickering can provoke people and Ms Thongkham insists she will have none of that.
"And it's very boring too," she said.
The only health issue Ms Thongkham has at the moment is her joints. She finds it difficult to walk these days.
However, the woman is still busy with house chores. She said the best thing for the elderly is to avoid making themselves a burden to their children.
Mr Keng and Ms Thongkham are living proof of how developments in modern medicine have extended the life expectancy of people.
However, concerns have mounted over Thailand's slide into an ageing society as the demographic proportions are changing with the number of elderly people set to reach 20% of the population in 2025 or even sooner, according to City Hall's Health Department chief Wanthani Watthana.
The number of elderly people in Bangkok jumped from 10.5% in 2007 to 14.3% of the population in 2013, according to figures compiled by the Interior Ministry.
Many elderly people may end up living alone due to fewer extended families, Ms Wanthani said.
Not all old people are lucky like Mr Keng and Ms Thongkham. They live in extended families with plenty of people to take care of them.