WigiPiper
a stout bagpiper in Bangkok
I had the chance to play at the historic Neilson Hays Library, in honor of Burn’s Night, but it was in the morning and the event was for kids and parents.
As the bells struck at midnight, and the fireworks began to light up the night sky, I struck up my bagpipes and played Auld Lang Syne. It was a new event for me, but was quite fun to be Bagpiping Pattaya’s New Year.
The end of 2025 gave me a chance to play bagpipes for the various kids and adults at Sauté Ballet school and studio.
Dec. 23rd, I got a chance to play a Scottish wedding in Phuket. The location as beautiful and overlooked the Patong beach.
Nov. 23rd, The Thailand GAA invited me to play my pipes to lead in the athletes and play the Irish national anthem at Patana Sports complex in Bangkok.
End of August, the annual (mostly) Alex Forbes Memorial Anglo–Scottish Football Game was held, and I got a chance to play my bagpipes in Bangkok in August.
May 1st, I had the opportunity to play a few tunes for a birthday party in Hua Hin. The birthday boy, a Scot, was quite surprised when I struck up right behind him. He let me know that it actually was a wonderful way to make him a little homesick.
I donned the green kilt, put a harp logo on my hat, and got to play some Irish tunes on my pipes at a number of bars.
I had the opportunity to play my bagpipes for two weddings on Koh Samui in February 2025. Both were beautiful events on beautiful days. It was a pleasure to play for the happy couples. They had different ideas of how they wanted to use a bagpiper, so there was no fear of feeling stale….
I was happy to be invited to come do the Bagpiping for Burns Night in Laos again for 2025 by the British Business Group of Laos. The event took place in the capital, Vientiane, at the very nice Holiday Inn. The night was filled with poetry, dancing, good food, lots of drinks, and many opportunities to play some bagpipes.
Burn’s night in Bangkok, I returned to play my bagpipes at the Londoner Brew pub. This year, the event happened on a Saturday, and was a great time. I played outside the pub for a few minutes, and then played from upstairs dining area to open for the more normal music. Always happy to play my bagpipes in Bangkok.
At the end of November, the Thailand GAA hosted the 2024 Asian Gaelic Games at the Patana Sports complex. Teams from across Asia came into Bangkok to compete. Bagpiping the Asian Gaelic Games was a new event and experience.
The First & Future Steps International School Bangkok was kind enough to invite me to play my bagpipes for their international day. It was so much fun being able to play for the young children, and so many of them were dressed in traditional clothing. Many of the teachers were also dressed to represent the countries they come from.
In July, the international Scottish beer brand, BrewDog, opened a taproom in Bangkok. To celebrate the Scottish connection, they brought me in to play some bagpipes outside of the bar.
McDucation is a group that brings the Alumni of Scottish universities together in Bangkok, and support the students that will study in Scotland. To add to the Scottish authenticity, the organization invites members of the Bangkok St Andrew’s Society to come in and demonstrate some dancing, and bagpiping.