I thought I was going to lose my sight on the first day of Songkran.

It was the first day of celebrations in Bangkok on April 12 when my friends and I were engaging in a water fight—a part of the festivities.

I hit somebody, and he hit back. He was using a high-pressure water gun, which is actually banned in Thailand, and the water directly hit my eye. It hurt as if somebody had taken my eyeball out.

I lost my vision for about 30 seconds. It was completely pitch dark. For the next three minutes, my vision was also blurry.

We went to the side of the road, and they bought me some drinking water to wash my eyes.

I knew what happened was serious because I also tasted blood. So I told my friends, and they saw blood that came out.

We immediately went to a first aid truck on Silom Road and told the responders what happened. What they did was wash my eyes with sodium chloride.

At night, when I was taking a bath, I looked down and saw a black dot in my vision. It was a floater.

Google Gemini said it was blood, and I should see a doctor immediately to determine if it was only caused by the trauma or if there was an actual tear in the vessel of my eye.

My anxiety rose. If there were a tear, blood might pump out and entirely cover the vision.

That night, I still attended S2O, one of the biggest parties during Songkran, because I didn't want what happened to ruin my trip. If I were to go blind, I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my remaining vision overwhelmed by emotions.

The day after, we went to Rutnin Eye Hospital.

Good thing it was a private hospital, so there were no long lines, and the whole process took less than three hours.

Bad thing, I didn't get an assurance.

They did several examinations on my eyes, including the usual eye examination when you get prescription glasses, as well as taking photos.

The ophthalmologist I then saw said I had a retinal hemorrhage—like a bruise when you're hit. I asked if it was usual during Songkran, and she said, “It wasn't usual, and it was serious.” She advised that I should see another doctor, who is a retinal specialist, to confirm if there was a tear in the vessel of my eye.

I asked if I could just get a follow-up examination in the Philippines, since I'd be getting home within five days. She said, I should see the doctor immediately.

I got scared, and I tried to compose myself. The next doctor would only be available after two days.

Until then, I still spent the next few days celebrating Songkran. We still walked along Silom Road, where water fights were held, but I was wearing protective glasses. On top of that, I was also covering my left eye to avoid being hit again.

Then came the day of the consultation with the retinal specialist. They did another test.

I met the doctor. He put a gel on a specialized microscope, which he used to check my eye.

He was confused why there was a hemorrhage, but he didn't see any tear. He said I should do another test.

Apparently, he wasn't aware that my eye was hit during the water fight. And he felt relieved.

The water fight caused trauma to my eye. I was lucky there was no tear in the vessel, so I wouldn't need to undergo laser surgery to close that tear.

Songkran is really a fun experience. But you must prepare for any possible worst-case scenario. Consider doing these before traveling to and once you’re in Thailand for the Songkran:

Songkran celebrations are wild—water fights are everywhere, especially on Silom and Khao San Roads. Be ready to get wet and make sure to protect yourself.