Thailand Tour 2013
Kanchanaburi | Thailand
24 Oct 2013 | Thu
Day 08 of 43
River Kwai Overnight Disco Raft Trip Kanchanaburi
This overnight outing is hard to put into words. It’s probably best to separate this event into two parts, the beautiful & tranquil cruise on the river (and return trip the next day) and then the unbelievable overnight rocking rafts disco (with about 10 other large rafts).
The rafts consist of a large covered room with tables and seating along with a small kitchen, serving area, bathroom facilities, and advanced (and very loud) sound systems (karaoke, CDs / digital music, DJ-type setup). There are single and two stories rafts that are closer in style to a houseboat. They usually travel with two rafts connected, one for partying, dancing, eating & drinking and the other for sleeping. Even though these rafts/boats do have an engine, they are pulled along with a small “tug” type boat.
Apparently, the “Disco Raft” is something that has been around for a long time. Several years ago people from Bangkok would visit Kanchanaburi to party on the disco rafts, on the river, all night long. It’s hard to explain just how loud the sound systems are on these rafts. Think of the loudest music you’ve ever heard and then multiply by 10 (that’s from 10 other rafts). Today there are rules in place, and they are not allowed to travel up and down the river like in the past (due to large homes/mansions now built up on the river).
Once you leave the main docking area (in Kanchanaburi) you travel up the river for a few hours then dock in a designated raft area. Here you can have as many as 10 or more rafts docked (all with their sound systems cranked to the max). However, with the new rules, loud music is now only allowed until midnight.
