Water Shootout into the New Year
This April was the first time everybody could celebrate the Thai New Year again after this festival was canceled due to Covid in previous years.
It was pretty clear that many Thais and tourists, both Westerners and Asians, wanted to make up for that!
I went twice with friends, on 13 and 15 April, to Sukhumvit's Soi 4 & 23, and on the whole had a great time.
None of us bother with water guns anymore, but it's fun to see how young and old were taking this very seriously.
Boom-boom, acka-lacka-lacka, boom - Walk The Dinosaur (*) in Bangkok!
More than a few booze companies had promotion stands at strategic places.
Whether in a tuk-tuk or riding a motorcycle was like running a gauntlet!
Getting soaked, splashed, and shot at from every possible side, welcome to Soi Cowboy...
That some participants had drunk a few beers too many was blatantly obvious, but it was all in good fun.
Sawasdee phi mai!!!!!!!
We really liked her pink bucket hat!
Selling waterproof bags for mobile phones, he should have at least some customers.
(Water) Gunfight at the O.K. Cowboy...
This was one of the less fun parts, the massive slabs of ice seller... Getting doused with ice-cold water is horrible!
OK, girls, what's next?!
And here is my last shot from a footbridge on the way to the BTS, in hindsight a BIG mistake, as the temperature inside the train was as usual seriously cold.
Being inside even only for a few stops with damp clothes resulted in me being sick as a dog the next day, serves me right I guess ;-)
Above is a grainy blast from the past, taken in the early 90s at Khao San Road: me with my 2 sons...
Those were different days!
Afterword:
I've read countless tweets and some articles from mainly ex-pats who bitterly complain about the festival, how it has become a disgrace, a travesty, etc., and that they'll stay home for those 3 days...
To each their own of course, but I still feel it's a great way of letting off steam and getting relief from the heat.
But for me as well there are limits, incredibly crowded places like Khao San Road I just avoid, simple as that.
Looks like great fun, KK, but these days I prefer smaller crowds and less noise.
Nice impression of Songkhram in Bangkok. Now... and then.