Wild, wet and tons of fun

Songkran, as the Thai New Year is called, is less than a week away and with millions of people taking to the road next week to return home, the final preparations are being put in place for the ultimate celebrations.
Up in Udon Thani, that celebration is known as  “UD Town Wonder Water Land 2018” and it’s being billed as the greatest Songkran Festival in the Northeast of Thailand.
Now in its ninth year, the mega event, which is being hosted by UD Town in the city’s downtown area from Thursday through April 16, promises to be even bigger and better with more than Bt50 million being poured into the extravaganza, which is expected to draw four times more tourists than the 2017 festival – going from 80,000 to more than 350,000 including plenty of visitors from Thailand’s neighbours. 

 

“Udon Thani is among the destinations that play an important role in the economy,” says Apicha Weerachartyanukul, corporate branding manager at Udon Plaza.
“The province attracts more than three million local and international tourists a year, with the number going up during Songkran, the peak festive season. Visitors will be able to experience the traditional Songkran culture and also participate in a series of events at various tourist attractions around the province. Udon Thani offers comfortable accommodation to fit most wallets and some 40 flights land at our airport daily. UD Town has been holding Songkran celebrations for almost a decade and each year we welcome more visitors. Last year, we saw more than 300,000 people, both locals and tourists, during the five-day event, largely thanks to the success of our ‘Destination Marketing’ strategy that positions UD Town as a major destination for the Northeastern region.

 

Apicha’s sentiments are echoed by Yos Kuwareewong, product director with Chang International, one of the main sponsors of the event.
“I personally wouldn’t want to miss the Songkran Festival fun at UD Town. It’s the first and I think the only Songkran Festival in Thailand that lasts for a full five days. Our theme is ‘Bring your best friends to the Songkran party as Songkran is more fun when celebrated with your best friends”. We have a tower with sexy girls and premium products,” Yos says.

 

“UD Town is the biggest centre in Udon Thani for teenagers and the young generation,” adds Laddawan Lertwasin, senior marketing manager at PepsiCola (Thai) Trading, another major sponsor.
“We are delighted to be cooperating with UD Town for the second consecutive year, not least because the mall is a landmark of Udon Thani and serves as a centre for teenage customers who match Pepsi’s main target group. We have observed first hand how the event attracts more and more people so we are confident that we won’t be far off our target numbers,” she says.
“In addition, music is one of Pepsi’s main platforms including EDM, which is now the most popular genre with a new generation out of have fun. And we’re adding to the excitement by creating a zone for hip restaurants offering street food to please the teens.”

 

More than 8,000 square metres of the mall will be used to host the event, with a portion converted into a “Water Galaxy”, where festival-goers can soak each other in true Thai style.
Five zones are being created to ensure that everyone has fun, no matter their age or preference. One of these is home to Buddha images from nine well-known temples, over which celebrants can sprinkle water in a gesture of worship and respect. 
The younger set can enjoy the alcohol-free “Foam Party” while “The Best Street Food” zone will feed the hungry with more than 100 food stalls and restaurants in Udon Thani.

 

“The Largest Water Tunnel of the Northeastern Region”, which is designed as the water galaxy, provides a 360-degree experience in addition to spectacular lights and sounds, while the last zone houses the stages for the EDM shows that take place every night after sunset. The lineup of international DJs includes Sick Individuals and Quintino from the Netherlands, Gail from France, Fenner from England, electro house specialist DJ Ivy from Korea, Superone from Lao PDR and Ouj from Myanmar. They’ll be backed up more than 30 locals, among them Unmonkey, Yukie, Riviere, Rocky and Gavin.
Dutch duo Sick Individuals featuring Rinze “Ray” Hofstee and Joep “Jim” Smeele, will be manning the decks at UD Town on Thursday night before heading down to Bangkok for a gig next Saturday. EDM fans can also dance to spins by Quintino the same night. 
“We are responsible for the LED, laser system, and the water tunnel and will be taking visitors on a journey through space,” enthuses Sermkhun Kunawong, chief executive officer of PM Centre.
“We’ve designed the stage to resemble a galaxy with a giant moving light and lots of laser beams.”
Young heartthrob James Ma, Pepsi’s new presenter, turned out for the press conference, and performed “Mai Bok Ther”, a soundtrack of the “Hormones” series, while DJs 22 Bullet and Yukie took care of the beats. 

Plan to get wet

“UD Town Wonder Water Land 2018” takes place at UD Town in Udon Thani from Thursday through April 16 from 11am to midnight.

Tickets for EDM Regular are Bt100 per day, EDM VIP Zone Bt499Bt999 per day, and EDM VIP Zone Bt2,000 for 5 days. 

Find out more at (042) 932 999 and www.GoUDTown.com or join the conversation at Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.