The monk was departing to Bangkok with AirAsia
Last week, Wee-Peng, Meng-Hong, Boon-Huat, Wei-Seong and I went to Bangkok, Thailand. We were worry about the red shirts but felt excited at the same time.
After two hours of flight we arrived in Bangkok and checked in our hotel, Baiyoke Boutique. On our way to the hotel, we saw people were cheering and splashing water on others. In addition, we saw some red shirts too but they were harmless to us.
Of course, the first thing we did was joining the crowd for Songkran festival (Thai New Year) at Khao San Road, where previously the violence between the red shirts and Thai army took place which killed tens just a week before we went.
We took a tuk-tuk (a popular Thai public transportation) to Khao San Road. I didn’t take my camera with as it might get splashed in the water-fight. There were groups of people stationed at the roadside waiting to splash water on pedestrians and cars which passed by.
The tuk-tuk’s young driver knew we wanted to have fun too. So he slowed down the vehicle wherever the people were stationed and got us splashed. Tuk-tuk cars are all doorless, thus we all got wet and it was really chilling when the tuk-tuk was moving fast. Some people even filled their pail or water gun with icy cold water and splashed on us.
It surprised us when we arrived at Khao San Road. It was so crowded with local people and also tourists with water guns or bowls of powder and water mixture. The powder mixture used for smearing others is a sign of protection and promises to ward off evil. Many people with bowls of this mixture at Khao San Road applied it to various parts of the face, neck and torso of others. Most people there were either wet or smeared with the powder mixture, or both. So were we!
It was a waste that I could not snap any photos there; however I did on the Songkran Festival in Pattaya later.
That night, we went to Suan Lum bazaar, a night market to have dinner and shopping before we went back to rest. We were attracted to some beautiful lamps at the market which I called it puzzle lamp. They were puzzled up by PVC pieces into various beautiful shapes.
These are some photos I took:
Our local airport pick-up with our friend's name written incorrectly
Wei-Seong at the airport
Boon-Huat was reading the Bangkok guide
Wee-Peng (left) and Meng-Hong were reading the map
Boon-Huat was entering a BMW airport pick-up
Coca-Cola and Fanta trucks could be seen everywhere. Thai just love the drinks
Statue of Buddha was placed at the entrance of our hotel during Thai New Year. We could bathe the Buddha as a respect.
A lovely painting at the hotel
Thai kids were having fun during the Songkran Festival with their water gun doing water-fight
A kid with a water hose in hand waiting for prey
A little Thai girl was mixing the powder cubes with water, to be used for smearing others during the festival
Beware! There were pickup trucks equipped with big buckets of water and water weapons!
Dusk of Bangkok
A road sign which looked just like the Barisan National polical party's logo in Malaysia
The Indian Deva displayed at the counter of a tailor shop
There are many tailor shops in Thailand. Wei-Seong was relaxing in one of those.
What made Wee-Peng so happy in a tailor shop?
Arriving at the Suan Lum night market
We were attracted to the lamps of this stall in Suan Lum bazaar
From left: Boon-Huat, Wee-Peng and Meng-Hong at the puzzle lamps stall
Puzzle up! The mat-salleh was trying to fix the lamp he purchased
Look how nice it is!
The PVC puzzles can be assembled into other shapes
Take a closer look at the lamp
Other tourists were attracted with the lamps
A cute Thai kid was playing with the flying toy he was sellling.
A Japanese tourist was taking photo of the cute kid playing at the Suan Lum night market
We didn’t do much on that first day we reached Bangkok because we were so tired on the journey. We enjoyed the Songkran Festival at Khao San Road, Bangkok so much. People were laughing and cheering all day long. Sawaddee Pee Mai (Happy new year in Thai).
Nice one Cj!
1/ U guys pick up car is BMW? 😛
2/ Bought one coca-cola for my collection?
3/ Dusk of Bangkok damm NICE.. i ♥ bangkok ^^
4/ What a nice puzzle lamps stall.. i wish i hv 🙁
– Super nice trip at Bangkok.. U guys must be enjoyed –
thanks cinda…
1. i’ll let boon-huat answer this question
2. next time when i go i will
3. sunset in krabi was nice too when we were there.
4. there will be available in jonker street soon i believe
yes we enjoyed the trip so much. the place is nice. 🙂
bee, u should tell me earlier ma u r collecting coca-cola as ur collection…
i heard that jonker is also selling the puzzle lamp, but i din c b4 la.. but is ok, remember wat i told u in MSN today? :p
peng, i not cola collector..just cj say can saw anywhere in thai..so i tot u all got bring one for me ma..heee… so nice leh those pic….
jonker i also din saw that b4.. so ur answer is same as MSN till today? lolx
Thanks cj for the transportation arrangement!