Bangkok Turns Festival Water Guns Into Recycled Plastic to Boost Supply

Bangkok is expanding its Songkran plastic water gun recycling initiative to address global plastic supply challenges, local authorities announced in mid-April 2026.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has extended the campaign to collect and recycle used water guns from the Songkran festival through April 19, increasing collection points from three to nine locations across the city. This expansion follows high participation during the festival period from April 10 to 14, when more than 3.14 million people joined celebrations in Bangkok.

Collected plastic water guns, regardless of condition — whether old, new, or no longer in use — are being processed into naphtha, a key raw material for producing plastic resin. The recycled material can then be used to manufacture new products such as chairs, storage containers, plant pots, clothing fibers, and other plastic components.

The initiative is being carried out in partnership with SCG Chemicals (SCGC), a major Thai chemicals company, which supports the processing of collected plastics into reusable materials. City officials described the program as the first concrete effort to recycle Songkran plastic water guns, which in previous years typically ended up as general waste.

Pornphrom Vikitsreth, adviser to the Bangkok governor and the city’s chief sustainability officer, emphasized that the campaign invites the public to help reduce plastic waste by returning water guns for recycling. The BMA has also tightened safety and crowd-management measures at festival sites during the closing stretch of the Songkran celebrations.

Collection points have been established at major public venues and shopping districts, including Silom Road in Bang Rak, Khao San Road in Phra Nakhon, Benjakitti Park in Khlong Toei, Iconsiam River Park in Khlong San, CentralWorld and Central Park in Pathum Wan, EMSPHERE in Khlong Toei, The Mall Tha Phra in Thon Buri, The Mall Bangkapi, and Central Park in Bang Rak. Residents have until April 19 to drop off items at these locations.

The recycling effort aims to contribute to domestic plastic supply chains amid global shortages linked to geopolitical disruptions, including the Iran war, which has affected production of key petrochemical feedstocks. By converting festival waste into reusable raw materials, Bangkok seeks to create a circular model for managing seasonal plastic consumption during one of Thailand’s largest annual festivals.