Tourist Armed With Water Pistol and Unwarranted Confidence Faces Karma in the Form of Ice Bucket
By JOHAN YIVES JOHANOPOLIS, EDITOR-AT-LARGE
PHUKET, THAILAND — In an act described by onlookers as “divine retribution, but festive,” a foreign tourist participating in Songkran celebrations had an abrupt spiritual recalibration Tuesday after antagonizing locals with a child-sized water pistol and the swagger of someone who believes spirituality can sideloaded via bluetooth.
The tourist, believed to be American, was identified only as Chad — because of course. He was reportedly roaming Chiang Mai’s old city drenched in SPF 15 and misplaced bravado, armed with a lime-green Super Soaker knockoff and a GoPro mounted to his forehead “to capture the vibes.”
“He kept shouting ‘Let’s get wet!’ like it was a team-building retreat,” said Pim, 31, a noodle vendor who witnessed the incident. “Then he sprayed a monk. Like... lightly, but still. That’s when the aunties got involved.”
According to multiple sources, Chad ignored repeated social cues—including a woman visibly carrying a “do not spray me” sign and a child wearing goggles for defense, not fun—before approaching a street corner manned by a group of elderly residents armed with a power sprayer and a several large buckets.
Moments later, in what one witness described as “a baptism by error,” Chad was drenched head-to-toe with a freezing mixture of water, karmic intent, and alleged fish residue.
“He screamed like a baby seal,” said local expat and part-time percussion coach Lukas Devereux, who filmed the incident for his YouTube channel Flowstate Nomadics. “It was beautiful. Pure accountability, in liquid form.”
Chad’s GoPro reportedly short-circuited upon contact. His Instagram caption was later updated to: “Songkran hits different when you disrespect the aunties 😅 #respect #learningcurve.”
Local officials issued no statement, but several nodded approvingly when shown the video.