Reasons not to go to the fireworks festival:
- It is held on Beach Road and getting in and out will be hell.
- It has pissed down in Pattaya every night for the last few nights; washout expected.
Nothing daunted, we set off into town and parked well outside the main area. A quick baht bus ride and we were having dinner in Central Mall near to where it was all going to happen. I was told it started at 2000, she who must be obeyed consulted a Thai website which proclaimed a 2100 start. Just to be sure, we left the restaurant shortly before 2000, at which point she who must be obeyed announced an urgent need to visit the toilet; and I have learned not to argue with these proclamations. Twenty minutes later (she needs time) we were outside to discover that the Chinese display had just finished, so I can’t tell you how good it was. I also can’t tell you much about the Italian entry because Beach Road and the beach were absolutely heaving, with nowhere to stick a couple of tripods.
I was becoming rather desperate and considered just going home. Then, she who must be obeyed took charge. “Follow me”, she commanded in her best “obey me” voice; so I did and we set off north up Beach Road at a fast pace. She reckoned the crowds would be thinner up there; and she was right and we found a spot to set up our tripods, just in time for performance by the United Arab Emirates.
Bloody hell, this was the best firework display I have ever seen. Launched off at least three mobile platforms anchored out in the bay, their display perfectly matched the music that came out of the speakers. There was arabic music with fireworks which were delicate and cascading and, well, arabic. There was rock music with big booms and flashing fireworks. Best of all there was Louis Armstrong and Wonderful World:
I see trees of green. Cue green fireworks. Red roses too. The sky turns red. Skies of blue. You know what happened Clouds of white. etc. Colours of the rainbow. Hello all the colours of the rainbow.
I declare I became a little emotional at this point.
Their twenty minute show finished right on cue with the music. No idea how they design and build these shows, but the UAE know exactly how to do it.
The last show was from Thailand and although it was OK, it didn’t compare with the multi-barge extravaganza of the UAE.
Had a beer outside Hard Rock before the long walk back to the car. Walked down second road from Pattaya Klang to Pattaya Thai which took about half an hour; during which time the traffic did not move a single metre. Back to our secret parking spot and then home in five minutes, congratulating ourselves on our wise parking decisions.
Some photos; all taken with the Panasonic GF1 and 20mm lens, manual focus, F6.3, ISO 100 and shutter speeds between 1 and 5 seconds:
If you don’t have a tripod, then just wave the camera around; you can produce some interesting patterns:
Comments 🔗
2010-08-15| Mike saysI went to the roof at the Markland and had a perfect spot. My Nikon Coolpix worked ok but the pictures looked like some acid trip. I really need to follow your advice and get a better camera or next time a tripod with cable release. I agree the UAE had a very good show which had a nice balance with the music. One day I hope to meet you taking pictures around town.
2010-08-15| Spike saysMike, any camera can take fireworks shots, provided it can accept manual settings and you have a tripod or a solid surface to put it on. I envy your Markland location.
2010-08-15| MSB saysI know several folks who missed the start due to the confusion over the start time. How they can put on a top show like that and not manage to tell the public the correct start time is just so typically Thai.
2010-08-15| Spike saysI agree. It was a great show and well-managed in terms of crowd control. But there is an ongoing problem with finding out what is happening in Pattaya. They need to sort out their PR, in both Thai and English.
2010-08-15| roman169 saysWatched it from rooftop at Pratamnak hill - no music but still awesome - do you have a photo from the final? - when the illuminated the whole bay/sea at the start - never seen something like this before.
2010-08-15| Spike saysThat thing they did after I thought it had all finished and was packing away my gear…..?
Err, no; but it did look amazing.
2010-08-15| wentworth saysApparently Thailand’s largest fireworks show ever according to the self described world famous Epic Fireworks blog. They have a video too.
epicfireworks.com/blog/
2010-08-15| Bob saysGorgeous photos. You got lucky with traffic. Every other story I heard included lots of expletives and nightmares.
I couldn’t give a tweet about fireworks, so I went to the cinema to watch Angelina Jolie while everyone else was crammed in at the beach.
2010-08-15| Bob saysOh, and BTW, I wrote in the Pattaya Mail – front page – what time the show started: 8 p.m.
2010-08-16| Barry saysYou witnessed a piece of Thai history and didn’t realise it at the time. You attended a ‘happening’ that was advertised to begin at 21.00 but which began at 20.00, when the norm in Thailand is to advertise that it begins at 20.00 and it actually begins at 21.00 (or later).
Or it was just the usual Thai-style cockup with wrong info on a website. No history made in that.
I like the brown and white shaken but not stirred photo, and can imagine a giant version on my wall. But then I’m strange that way. Far too much imagination.
2010-08-16| Jay saysI am going to ditch my DSLR for GF1 now.. Not sure why to carry such heavy gear where there is one little bastard doing everything perfectly.. Great photos!!
2010-08-16| Spike saysBob, didn’t get lucky; she who must be obeyed’s planning. Parked at Tuk Com and took a baht bus there. Walked back to car, which took a while but quicker than the traffic which never moved.
Barry, I like them too. Once I saw them I wished I had photographed the whole event with my camera being waves around wildly.
Jay, wait a couple of weeks, there is about to be a GF2.
2010-08-16| Billy saysDish-Dash-Dosh
The UAE are excellent at most things. This is achieved by finding the best in the world and paying them appropriately large sums of dosh; I can guarantee that the UAE “fireworks team” had hardly a national in it except for the guy in the dish dash who accepts the trophies. In this it is of course eerily similar to the Premier League; except the bit about the dish-dash
2010-08-16| Billy saysPS Loved the photos
2010-08-16| Jamie says“there is about to be a GF2”
and then a GF3, so I think I will wait until I am 90 years old and get the amazing GF1000
2010-08-17| Spike saysJust trying to be helpful. If Panasonic is to announce an update on 28th August, it makes sense to wait. If nothing else, the existing stocks of the GF1 will drop in price.
2010-08-18| Wentworth saysThe UAE are excellent at most things.??? Arithmetic isn’t one of them. Being bailed out is.
2010-08-18| Billy saysAh, Wentworth, bailed out in fact was just Dubai … and bailed out moreover by its UAE big brother, Abu Dhabi, which is well up the Croesus wealth league … and each is highly attuned to the employment of paid top talent …
2010-08-19| Wentworth saysYes my mistake but my argument stands. I see where you’re coming from. Try this on for size in the talent ID stakes. The UAE was one of only 3 states to recognise the Taliban “government” in Afghanistan.
2010-08-20| Billy saysIt is important to recognise a couple of things here:
Overall the UAE, particularly Dubai, is a shining beacon of light in comparison with the ocean of intolerance by which it is surrounded
Its leaders have a whole bunch of people to keep onside with, not too many in the western sense who can cause trouble by voting or something daft like that, but certainly in other ways.
Finally, if they wanted the “best in class” suicide bombers, then getting ones with a successful track record would of course be difficult :-)
2010-08-20| Rufina Payna saysThis is a good post about graphic design. I’m a college student just trying to learn more about CSS and I really enjoyed your post. Thanks and I’m looking forward to your next article
2010-09-21| Spamming bastard saysI didn’t find what I was searching for but thouroughly enjoyed the site anyway. Keep up your very nice website. Also will you be updating the blog anytime in the near future?
2010-09-21| Pete says^ Is he reading the same blog I read every day?
2010-10-14| Live in Pattaya saysThese photos are gorgeous!
WOuld you be open to share this on our site? With full credits to you and a link back to your site of course.
Please check us out: Live in Pattaya http://www.liveinPattaya.com
Sincerely,
The LiveinPattaya.com Team
Our Mission: To give free, useful and current information to the residents of Pattaya City, Thailand about their local community.
2010-10-15| Spike saysYes