Innovative party people

It’s party time in Bangkok almost every day of the week and with drinks and decent music no longer representing more than the entry-level requirement for a “cool” party, organisers are forever seeking ways to cater to Bangkok’s ever-changing nightlife scene.
And that’s no easy task in a city that has seen it all. In addition to international guest DJ nights, which have seen the Thai capital welcome the world’s leading DJs, many clubs are now coming up with weekly or monthly themed events to add spice to the clubbing experience. In recent months, we’ve had ’90’s music parties, drum and bass bashes, drag nights, mor lam parties, club crawls and comedy nights. At one time, night owls were even treated to some serious fetish parties.
And yet these clever operators keep coming up with more. Take, for example, the Boat Party.
Boat Party is a project by Duck & Noodles, a collective of friends who got tired of partying in clubs and decided to take the fun to the Chao Phraya River.
“We were having dinner on a restaurant boat near Rama III one night and a friend said ‘hey, let’s ask the owner if we can do a party’. So we did, and he said yes. It was really the location gave us the inspiration to do an event,” says team member Thapphawut “Sun” Parinyapariwat, of the defining moment back in 2010.
Unlike many parties that use drink promotions, sexy performances or celebrities as the selling point, Boat Party lures partygoers with the pure excitement of getting on a boat (albeit one that’s safely moored) to party.
“The most important thing is that we’ve come up with a concept – and this is based on location.” Sun adds. “Do you want to party in a club that you’ve been to a few times already? Or do you want to go to a one-off house party in a massage parlour?
“The next thing is simplicity. Most event titles are a complicated mess of sponsors, promoters and some event name. The whole party becomes diluted by commercial interest and self-promotion even before it starts. We keep it really simple, like, ‘Duck & Noodle presents Boat Party’. And it really is on a boat. It’s so simple.
“We don’t use sex to sell our events; that’s so cheesy and it sets up an expectation that we don’t want. We don’t want to have a party with 10 coyote dancers and 200 guys. And I think our success so far shows that a lot of people respond to this. We just try to make events simple and fun.”
Equally simple though on a much larger scale is Waterzonic, which made its debut last November at Rajamangala Stadium and drew a phenomenal 30,000 people. Combining electronic music and water splashing, Waterzonic redefines the “wet and wild party” with a 120-metre long and 18-metre high stage, a 40-metre-high water screen, a fire machine, lasers, lots of special effect, the K1 sound system – supposedly the world’s best – and big name spinners such as Nervo, Showtek, Sick Individuals and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike.
“It’s a good concept, because most electronic music fests only have music and drinks on offer,” says inveterate party animal Wassana Sintham. “You have to really like the DJ to spend Bt2,500 for an EDM fest, which most of the time is like a maximised clubbing space with the usual strobe lights and lasers. Unless you’re super rich, it’s better to go to a club. Waterzonic is one of a very few EMD festivals that really captures the outdoor, festival vibe and gives you more to do than drinking and dancing. And who doesn’t like to play with water?”
The Thai-owned fest is back on November 28 though at a different venue – the SCG Stadium in Muang Thong Thani. Dynamic superstar duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike will once again man the decks alongside more bit name acts that are yet to be announced.
Music is often seen as the main ingredient for a party, but for Wonderfruit, another Thai-owned fest, immersive experiences with a bit of everything thrown in make for a refreshing success. The three-day “music and lifestyle” festival debuted last December on a large, dedicated festival ground near Pattaya and offered everything from music, art, wellness, gastronomy and crafts to farming and camping.
“I personally like music, art, cuisine and new experiences. Wonderfruit was inspired by all of those passions, resulting in an event where people could have fun while developing the community,” says Pranitan Phornprapha, founder and director of Wonderfruit organiser Scratch First.
“Despite the new concept, the turnout exceeded our expectations and we were delighted with the positive reception from the festival goers.”
The festival was divided in zones and offered activities, fun, games and music from morning till late night. Festival-goers could camp on site, or take a short drive to Pattaya to find accommodation. Highlights included music from local and international acts such as Andrew Damian Lazarus, De La Soul, Hercules & Love Affair and Jose Gonzalez, as well as gastronomic offerings from Nahm’s David Thompson and other renowned restaurants.
Wonderfuit will return for a 4-day event from December 17-20 at Siam Country Club in Pattaya. Early bird tickets are now on sale.

On the Net
>> Facebook.com/DuckAndNoodle
>> www.WonderfruitFestival.com
>> http://Waterzonic.com/