Supersoaker advice (and BTS toy question)

[ling_dtua_khaao]

I'll be in Thailand during Songkran. Despite visiting the Kingdom many times over the last 20 years or so, I've never once been for Songkran. I've arrived a few days after, left a few days before... but am still a Songkran Virgin. (Be gentle with me!)

I'll probably be in Chiang Mai for Songkran. So, I want advice on the biggest, badass-est supersoakers and where to get them. Recipes for homemade contraptions also welcome.

I understand there's been a coup. Maybe I could borrow one of those nifty police water cannons.

I'll be travelling with a big pack, as usual, and if I empty its contents and line it, that would give me a huge reservoir. I could comfortably carry 40 litres in it (40kg extra weight) and still maneuvre OK. Then I could run a line to the handheld soaking device out front....

Sand, my fiancee, is arriving mid-March after not being back home for two and a half years. Keep your hands off, BKK lechers. I haven't been in Thailand since July '04 - longest gap ever. I'm in BKK after Songkran, to see my dad for his birthday. (April 20. He shares a birthday with Hitler.) Unfortunately, I don't get to stay so long... teaching duties... and I can't miss my son Holm's birthday.

Holm is a train fanatic. He's been in Thailand once, and basically remembers three things. (He was only 2 years old.) He remembers feeding elephants bananas and giving them money (at the Crocodile Farm), he remembers the little train-mobile thingy that drives people around the Crocodile Farm, and he remembers the BTS.

Does anybody know if there are toy BTS trains available in BKK? Ever seen one? Where?

--Ling

[beej]

China town!

[beamer]

I would definitely recommend Chiang Mai for Songkran. I have been there 3 times for Songkran and always thoroughly enjoyed it, much more than doing Songkran in Bangkok. I have several Super soakers which I got in the States (never seen them in Thailand) and they put the locally available water guns to shame :wink: Last year I bought a Max Infusion Flash Flood which worked great. It has 2 nozzles, one normal and one fire-hose sized one that basically dumps out whatever is left in the gun (has the same effect as throwing a small bucket of water at someone). You can also get backpacks that attach to the gun so you don't need to constantly refill it. However, in Chiang Mai city centre everyone has large oil drum sized containers with iced water lining the streets so you can easily refill from those.

Alternatively, Hasbro also used to make a Super Soaker Monster XL (of which I have 2) which have a connection on the front to hook it straight up to a hose pipe so you have a continual feed of water (assuming you stay roughly in the same place). However I think those have now been discontinued.

I would also suggest you buy some cheap large sunglasses like the Oakley Blades (you can buy cheap copies at any of the street stalls in Bangkok). That helps against people that have an annoying habit of putting the cooling clay in your eyes or throwing buckets of water in your face as they walk by :evil:

Enjoy

Flash Flood http://www.hasbro.com/supersoaker/default.cfm?page=browse&product_id=17451

Back Packs http://www.hasbro.com/supersoaker/default.cfm?page=infusion

[bigKus]

I would definitely recommend Chiang Mai for Songkran. I have been there 3 times for Songkran and always thoroughly enjoyed it, much more than doing Songkran in Bangkok. I have several Super soakers which I got in the States (never seen them in Thailand) and they put the locally available water guns to shame :wink: Last year I bought a Max Infusion Flash Flood which worked great. It has 2 nozzles, one normal and one fire-hose sized one that basically dumps out whatever is left in the gun (has the same effect as throwing a small bucket of water at someone). You can also get backpacks that attach to the gun so you don't need to constantly refill it. However, in Chiang Mai city centre everyone has large oil drum sized containers with iced water lining the streets so you can easily refill from those.

Alternatively, Hasbro also used to make a Super Soaker Monster XL (of which I have 2) which have a connection on the front to hook it straight up to a hose pipe so you have a continual feed of water (assuming you stay roughly in the same place). However I think those have now been discontinued.

I would also suggest you buy some cheap large sunglasses like the Oakley Blades (you can buy cheap copies at any of the street stalls in Bangkok). That helps against people that have an annoying habit of putting the cooling clay in your eyes or throwing buckets of water in your face as they walk by :evil:

Enjoy

Flash Flood http://www.hasbro.com/supersoaker/default.cfm?page=browse&product_id=17451

Back Packs http://www.hasbro.com/supersoaker/default.cfm?page=infusion

.. real soaker experter.. be careful, it could be illegal doing that this year.. :roll:

[beej]

Hahahaha I bet you the CNS/Ministry for culture, ban them for either..

a. the water guns dont premote national unity.

b. the water guns could be used to start a counter coup.

c. throwing water promotes promiscuity in teenagers.

[ling_dtua_khaao]

Excellent cherryberry, thanks for the BTS link. My son will be thrilled by a BTS toy train that actually runs.

Great soaker advice, thanks Beamer. Sounds like the best soaker hardware is available here in North America (though no doubt all of it is made in China). Maybe I'll buy one here and rig up a system to my backpack. Yeah hopefully they won't think I'm starting a coup.

--Ling