Tourist ‘almost went blind’ from retinal haemorrhage after Songkran water gun fight
On Saturday (18 April), a tourist took to social media claiming he “almost went blind” after being sprayed using a high-pressure water gun during Songkran in Bangkok.
The original poster (OP) from the Philippines said the incident occurred on the second day of Songkran after he and his friends had joined a water fight.
He recalled spraying another person with his water gun before the individual retaliated.
“Apparently, he was using a high-pressure water gun and the water directly hit my left eye,” he said.
Source: @seppedrajas on TikTok
Tourist’s vision goes black
The OP said that, after being sprayed on the eye, he couldn’t see anything for about 30 seconds.
“Complete, pitch dark,” he described.
During the next three minutes, he began to see, but his vision was very blurry.
The OP told his friends what had happened, so they moved to the side and washed his face with clean water.
Source: @seppedrajas on TikTok
However, the OP worried that it was serious as he had tasted blood.
Upon asking, his friends also said they saw blood trickle from his eye.
The OP and his friends then went to a first aid truck on Silom.
He told the medical attendants what had happened, but they only applied sodium chloride to his affected eye.
Source: @seppedrajas on TikTok
Tourist suffers retinal haemorrhage
That evening, while showering inside their hotel room, the OP noticed black dots in his eye.
After a Google search, he found out these were floaters and that he should see a doctor immediately, or else these could spread, cover his pupil, and cause him to go blind.
Despite not having travel insurance, he went to an eye hospital in Bangkok the following day.
A doctor later diagnosed him with retinal haemorrhage, a condition involving bleeding inside the eye.
Source: @seppedrajas on TikTok
He asked if this was a common occurrence during Songkran, but the doctor said it was not and that it was serious.
The doctor then referred him to a retinal specialist, who would only be available after two days.
The OP asked if the eye check-up could wait until he got home to the Philippines four days later, but the doctor said he should see the specialist as soon as possible.
No tear found, surgery not required
The tourist said he still attended Songkran events while waiting to see the specialist, but was very cautious of his eye.
“It was really traumatising, whenever I saw water gun fights, especially those who use high-pressure guns, I really avoided them,” he recalled.
Two days later, the OP visited the retinal specialist.
Source: @seppedrajas on TikTok
During an exam, the doctor confirmed a bleed inside the OP’s eye, but was relieved when he learned its cause.
The specialist then said that despite the bleeding, there was no tear found in OP’s eye and that he didn’t need surgery.
Source: @seppedrajas on TikTok
“So the moral lesson is get insurance and wear glasses all throughout,” the tourist said.
MS News has reached out to the OP for further information.
Also read: Woman suffers seizures after allegedly being sprayed with drug-laced water during Songkran
Woman suffers seizures after allegedly being sprayed with drug-laced water during Songkran
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Featured image adapted from @seppedrajas on TikTok.
