Songkran saw Walking Street flooded with tourists ready for some watery fun. Bars along the South Pattaya nightlife strip were decorated to welcome the Thai New Year and many businesses had promotions or activities.
Police were out to ensure that tourists engaging in water fights weren’t victimized by criminal gangs. Street vendors all wore big smiles as they raked in the baht.
Pattaya officials claimed they were being strict on waterplay, seizing any high-pressure water tubes they found and telling bar owners to remove water tanks from public sidewalks. But online photos and videos showed just the opposite, with powerful water guns being sold openly and water tanks still blocking footpaths.
Other police were out on traffic duty in Naklua, where congestion was heavy around seafood markets.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand said more than 80% of tourists for Songkran are Thais on domestic trips. The numbers of foreign tourists arriving for the holiday are relatively small and mostly Asian.
AirBNB, which actually is illegal in Thailand, released figures that showed people are still searching its website for Songkran accommodations. Australians topped the list of users, followed by Americans, Brits, German and French. Bangkok was the most-sought city, followed by Pattaya.
