14- Bangkok Revisited

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Back to Bangkok for some cheap shopping before we hit Australia and before we head down to the beaches again... or so we thought! Arrived into Bangkok on the 13th totally oblivious to the absolute mayhem that was in store. As our taxi got nearer to the city we started to notice all the shops were closed, then we noticed a few people throwing water around the place... By the time we reached central Bangkok everyone in the street had either a massive super soaker gun, buckets full of iced water or chalky paste stuff which they rub into our face, and anywhere else they feel like! We got out of the car and instantly a lad sprinted towards Edel and threw a bin full of water over her. I thought it was funny anyway. By the time we found a hotel we were like a pair of rabbits someone was trying to drown in a paint factory! So we decided there was only one thing to do and that was to go and buy the biggest best super soaker on earth and destroy these happy Thai people! I went and got a massive one that held about 173litres of water and took off down the road with glee, half an hour later I returned soaked after realising that my gun was all talk. A big gay bear of a gun (right Matt!) Edel had a hand pistol that had more power. Anyway we fought like a team and went down like team of Sunderland players. Serious craic though, dunno when I laughed as much!


So the shopping spree was ruined and we couldnt leave our hotel for fear of ambush. What to do? Found we had a pool, bar, massage parlour, restaurant and internet place on the roof of our hotel. Nice. And it was 30C plus. So we spent much of the next 3 days chilling out and occassionally rambling out onto the street for a good battle (and subsequent soaking!) The reason for all this I have failed to mention, its the Thai new year, Songkhram from the 13th-15th April. A truly unmissable event if your here, cant believe its not more well known. If it happened in ireland there would be thousands of arrests and I suppose thousands of people dying of hypothermia but its definitely a recommendation. Even Edel liked it (for the 1st day!)


We even managed to find a place that was not closed, and what a place! The Chatuchak market or the weekend market as it is known. A massive market which sells absolutely everything a man could desire from a pet squirrel to a pair of socks, a golden elephant to a chicken, a Bristol City jersey to a puppy -this place is the business! Everything is next to nothing and if you didnt have to pay to get this stuff home you would fill a house with the amount of shite you'd buy. Quality. We got a couple of amazing oil paintings, got the artist to sign them and then got our picture taken so the guy could stick it on his door as advertisement. I know I would've been a model if I had the interest. This was all fine, but it was trying to get the paintings and clothes back to the hotel through the mayhem without them getting destroyed that was the problem. We put them in plastic bags, wrapped them in towels, more plastic bags then into a cheap rucksack we bought and ran.... We arrived back to Khao San just at party time in the evening as darkness was falling and nearly drowned on the street. When we got to our room the paintings were wet but not wrecked thankfully... So we celebrated with a few beers strolling down the street (and another soaking!)


The day we left was the end of the festivities so everything was opening up again, street cleaners everywhere, shops putting back out their magazines etc. Some clean up job! Would've loved another few days here but we cant complain, would've loved more time in most places we visited, next to the Eastern Thai islands of Koh Pha Ngan and Ko Tao for some chilling out and a spot of diving....

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Photos

Songkhram celebrations
Taken from the taxi after just arriving at airport. Scared

New in town
Fuckin wrecked and soaked after squeezing our way to our hotel from the airport through the celebrations

Edel the avenger
Ready to attack!!

Nathan the Destroyer
Or so I thought until my gun started dribbling water at people. Fuck sake

Chalked off again
Us after another tough day on the streets of Bangkok

Khao San Rd
The view from our hotel roof of mayhem below

Scenery
The view from the sunbed on the roof of our hotel

Comments

[Rambo]

Flames and his Gay Gun
Hey kelly dispite your best attemts to impersonate me with your gay water gun (173 litres me hole), you ended looking more like a gay cowboy (you could of been in that film brokeback mountain).

[arse]

roof top view
scenery is f***n right!

[arse]

roof top view
scenery is f***n right!