This year, I have been fortunate to witness and document nations one of the most significant celebrations, from Orthodox Christmas in Tbilisi to the Persian New Year (Novrus) in Baku. I was eager to taste the big one in my hometown—Songkran in Bangkok. Yeah, it was expectedly spicy and an obvious case of revenge tourism.
“Revenge tourism” is a term coined by the Economist. Basically, it’s a rebound of the tourist industry while travel restrictions are starting to relax. (Shits in the world are still pressing though.) I don’t have the number of Songkran revenge travellers but I’m one of those. Judging from the contrast of the depressing one last time I was in the city in 2021, this year—2023—was close to the last one I attended before the virus in 2016. Days and nights of partying and getting wet, it was exhausting towards the festival’s last day.
12 April
12 April
I’m currently staying in the Asoke area, one of Bangkok’s tourist and business hotspots. The vibe is different from my neighbour, Phra Khanong. Looking at this revenge tourism, I hope we don’t fall into the same trap we dug into before the pre-pandemic boom. Sustainability and all that.
This time back in Bangkok also marks the end of my first round of the digital nomad scheme. Even though I still work remotely with 11-12 hours ahead of the HQ. There are loads of materials from Baku, Tbilisi, and Amsterdam to work on. They will keep me busy during my time in my hometown.