THAILAND SONGKRAN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP - A JOURNEY ACROSS THAILAND
April 12 - 20, 2027
With Leica Ambassador Robin Schimko
Location: Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, Bang Saen, Pattaya/Thailand
FROM TRADITION TO CHAOS - FOLLOWING SONGKRAN ACROSS THAILAND
For nine days, we'll follow the festival across the country - beginning with the traditional Lanna celebrations of Chiang Mai and finishing in the enormous water fights and street celebrations of Pattaya.
But Songkran is much more than a water festival.
Buddhist traditions, temple ceremonies, processions, family gatherings and local customs remain at its heart. And as we travel south, we'll watch the character of the festival gradually change.
Chiang Mai gives us temples, Lanna culture and traditional processions.
Ayutthaya combines Songkran with historic communities and its famous elephant celebrations.
Bang Saen introduces Wan Lai, sand pagodas and huge coastal crowds.
And Pattaya takes everything to another level.
The result is a street photography workshop built around contrast - tradition and party, quiet rituals and enormous crowds, moments of concentration and complete chaos.
WHY SONGKRAN?
Songkran takes that unpredictability and turns it up considerably.
People fill the streets. Water comes from every direction. Music, movement, colour and crowds constantly compete for your attention.
Photographically, it can be overwhelming.
That's what makes it interesting.
The challenge isn't finding something happening.
Something is always happening.
The challenge is finding structure within it.
We'll work on slowing down mentally when everything around us is moving quickly - finding backgrounds, anticipating gestures, building layers and learning where to position ourselves before the moment happens.
At the same time, we'll experience a side of Songkran that goes far beyond the water fights.
Temples. Buddha images. Traditional dress. Religious ceremonies. Sand pagodas. Local communities. Families celebrating together.
By following Songkran across four very different locations, we'll see how one festival can take on completely different forms.
THE JOURNEY
APRIL 12 - CHIANG MAI
Before Songkran
We begin in Chiang Mai as the city prepares for the festival.
We'll explore the Old City, markets, temples and surrounding streets, looking at everyday life alongside the increasing signs that Songkran is about to begin.
Preparations are an important part of the story.
Vendors setting up. Decorations appearing. Temples preparing. People arriving. Water containers beginning to appear along the streets.
It's also our opportunity to get to know Chiang Mai before everything changes.
APRIL 13 - CHIANG MAI
Lanna Traditions & Songkran Parade
Our first major Songkran photography day.
Chiang Mai offers one of the most culturally distinctive versions of the festival and provides an important contrast to what we'll experience later in the journey.
We'll begin with traditional Songkran activity around the Old City, temples and surrounding streets.
In the afternoon, our attention turns to the traditional Songkran procession.
Buddha images, Lanna costumes, musicians, dancers and representatives of local communities move through the city.
But we won't only photograph the parade itself.
Preparations, participants waiting, spectators, interactions along the route and everything happening at the edges can be just as interesting.
This is street photography, not simply event photography.
The procession gives us the setting.
Our job is to find the moments within it.
APRIL 14 - CHIANG MAI TO AYUTTHAYA
Songkran in the Ancient Capital
We leave Chiang Mai early and travel to Ayutthaya.
After arrival, we're back on the streets for afternoon and evening photography.
Ayutthaya gives us another interpretation of Songkran, combining local celebrations with temples, historic surroundings and everyday neighbourhood life.
The environment changes, but our approach remains the same.
APRIL 15 - AYUTTHAYA
Songkran & Elephants
Today we spend a full day photographing Songkran in Ayutthaya.
The city is known for its distinctive elephant water-splashing celebrations, creating photographic situations we won't encounter anywhere else on the journey.
But once again, we'll look beyond the obvious spectacle.
We'll explore temples, neighbourhoods and streets away from the main celebration, looking for the smaller moments that help tell a broader story of Songkran.
By now we'll have photographed the festival for several days.
That gives us an opportunity to start looking beyond individual photographs and think about how different images might work together as a body of work.
APRIL 16 - AYUTTHAYA TO BANG SAEN
The Festival Changes
We travel south toward the coast and Bang Saen, where the extended Songkran celebrations are known as Wan Lai.
This is where the character of our journey begins to shift.
Compared with Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya, the atmosphere becomes bigger, louder and increasingly focused on the social side of Songkran.
We'll spend the afternoon and evening exploring the town as preparations intensify.
The contrast is exactly what we're looking for.
APRIL 17 - BANG SAEN
Wan Lai & Sand Pagodas
One of the principal photography days of the workshop.
Bang Saen's Wan Lai celebrations bring together two very different sides of Songkran.
Traditional activities include the creation of elaborate sand pagodas, while enormous crowds transform the coastal streets into a much more energetic festival environment.
We'll photograph throughout the day and into the evening.
Crowds, water, music, vendors, families, groups of friends and traditional activities all overlap.
The challenge will be deciding where to place our attention.
Rather than trying to photograph everything, we'll concentrate on finding individual situations within the larger celebration.
APRIL 18 - KOH LARN
Day Off
After several intensive days of photography, we stop.
Completely.
We'll travel to Pattaya and take a boat to Koh Larn for a day on the island.
There is no workshop programme and no photography schedule.
Leave the camera in the room if you want to.
This isn't a hidden photography day disguised as a break. It's a real day off.
Because the following morning, we go straight back into the chaos.
APRIL 19 - PATTAYA
Wan Lai Finale
The climax of the journey.
Pattaya traditionally celebrates its main Wan Lai festival on April 19, bringing our Songkran journey to an extraordinary conclusion.
And it couldn't be more different from where we started.
Nine days earlier, we were photographing temples, preparations and Lanna traditions in Chiang Mai.
Now we're surrounded by huge crowds, water fights, music and street celebrations along the coast.
We'll spend the entire day photographing the streets, beachfront and surrounding areas up until late at night.
APRIL 20 - PATTAYA
Final Morning
After the intensity of Wan Lai, our final morning is deliberately relaxed.
Depending on departure times, there may be an opportunity for a final walk, breakfast together or simply some time to decompress after the previous day's celebrations.
Then it's time for departure or onward travel.
WHAT TO EXPECT
We’ll immerse ourselves in the energy of the streets while also exploring quieter, layered moments that make your photos breathe.
Daily guided street sessions across different neighborhoods — timed to festival processions, rituals, and night markets
1:1 feedback, group critiques, and visual exercises to push your photography forward
Personalized assignments to build clarity and depth in your visual voice
Learn how to shoot in motion, layer stories, work with light and shadow, and navigate cultural context with ease.
HIGHLIGHTS
Over nine days, we'll experience Songkran in very different forms.
Chiang Mai - Lanna culture, temples, traditional celebrations and the major Songkran procession.
Ayutthaya - Songkran among historic communities, temples and the city's distinctive elephant celebrations.
Bang Saen - Wan Lai, elaborate sand pagodas and huge coastal crowds.
Pattaya - the most intense street celebration of the journey and our final day of Songkran photography.
Koh Larn - one genuine day off between the two biggest Wan Lai photography days.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
This workshop is ideal for intermediate to advanced photographers who want to push themselves. You should be comfortable shooting on the street and ready to handle fast-paced, high-sensory situations.
You don’t need to shoot with a Leica - all gear types are welcome. But you do need an open mind, a passion for street photography, and a willingness to be part of a tight-knit group for a week.
ABOUT YOUR MENTOR
I’m Robin Schimko, a photographer based in Heidelberg, Germany. I’ve been shooting street for over 15 years - mostly while on the road - and working with Leica since 2015. As a Leica Ambassador, I’ve led workshops, mentored photographers, and pursued long-term projects across Asia and Europe.
This workshop is a reflection of my own photographic journey - full of movement, culture, and moments of unexpected connection.
DETAILS
Dates: April 12 - 20, 2027
Location: Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, Bang Saen, Pattaya/Thailand
Group Size: Max 6 participants
Skill Level: Intermediate & up
Language: English (German support available)
Workshop Fee: €1250
- Early Bird: €1050 (if booked before December 15th, 2025)Included:
- Daily street mentoring and feedback
- Portfolio and image reviews
- Festival-focused street walks
- Thematic assignmentsNot Included: Travel, lodging, food, insurance, entrance fees (if applicable)
READY TO JOIN?
A week of fast-paced, festival-charged shooting awaits in Bangkok. This is your chance to work deeply, move confidently, and walk away with a portfolio that captures the feeling, chaos, and grace of the city during one of its most vibrant weeks of the year.
→ Limited to 6 participants. Book your place now.
See the dedicated workshop page for details. (click here)
-
The exact meeting location will be communicated two week before the workshop.
-
You'll need a digital camera capable of manual settings for exposure and focus. I recommend bringing a single lens with a focal length between 24 and 35mm (full frame equivalent). Shooting film is also an option, but ensure you can develop and scan the film on the same day, ready by the following morning. If you have additional questions about required gear, please reach out.
-
We can make arrangements—just contact me before the workshop begins.
-
If I need to cancel the workshop for any reason, a full refund will be provided. If you need to cancel, a full refund (minus a 10% administration fee) is available up to two months before the workshop. If you cancel within two months, you can attend any future workshop within one year from the original date at no extra cost.
-
If you need help choosing a hotel, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to recommend the best areas to stay in and suggest options based on your preferences.