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Bangkok, the city of angels has a very vibrant culture. Quite renowned for its laid-back lifestyle, the city enjoys Songkran, the water-fun festival annually.
Thai culture has been immensely popular among people worldwide and for all good reasons. Songkran is full of pure Thai vibes with people going totally care-free, energetic, loving and all-smiles.
The festival is celebrated in the second-third week of April, annually. For Thai people, it is a symbol of welcoming the summer season with open arms. And they do it in style with love, laughter, cheers and lots of water all around.
Bangkok sees a great number of tourists every year. In recent years, massive growth in the number of foreign tourist attending the Songkran festival was recorded.
The possible reason for this is probably strong digital marketing strategies. However, this article is not about that. It is all about the Songkran and once you’ve been to the festival, you wish to be there every year. Here’s a guide about everything that goes at the vibrant Songkran Festival.
What is the Songkran Festival?
The Songkran Festival marks the beginning of a new year in the Thai calendar. Traditionally, the festival was celebrated on the dates as per astrology.
However, now April 13,14, and 15 have been officially booked in the calendars for Songkran Festival. During these dates, mostly schools, offices, banks are shut off.
Thai people generally travel to their hometowns or the families just re-unite elsewhere to follow some rituals during the three days.
While the locals visit their family and enjoy the special occasion, the visitors come out on the streets to celebrate the festivals with all the water fun.
Day 1 of Songkran
The 1st day of the festivals in Thai culture is dedicated to the elders. It is officially celebrated as the National Elderly Day in Thailand.
On this day, Thais the traditional ritual named Rod Nam Dum Hua. The ritual sees young members of the family pouring water into the palms of elders. This humble action of the youngsters is reciprocated by the elders with blessings.
Day 2 of Songkran
The 2nd day is dedicated to Buddhist culture. This wake up early on this day and offer alms to the Buddhist-monks and bath the idol of Buddha.
The day is celebrated with the whole family enjoying Buddhist ceremonies and making merits. The day is officially celebrated as National Family Day in Thailand.
Day 3 of Songkran
The third day officially marks the end of the festival. But lucky for you, the festival continues for at least a week or so. The 3rd day sees a lot of water fun activities on the streets.
Thai people usually visit the famous temples in the city. With music, cheers and a loving spirit, the rest of the days of Songkran are celebrated passionately.
A warm welcome to the summer
This phrase is meant both literally and metaphorically for the festival. April being the hottest month of Thailand gets up to 40 degrees warm.
However, that does not take away the spirit of people who celebrate the new year with all their love and warmth. Thai people wish ‘Sawasdee Pee Mai’ to one another which roughly translate to ‘Happy New Year’.
Too cool for the summer
Again, the phrase is meant metaphorically and partially literally. Given, the scorching heat of the summer, people dress up in the coolest clothes with a lively spirit.
Many people sport the famous white or sky-blue T-shirts and cotton shorts with black sunglasses. The warmth is summer is cooled down for a while by throwing water at each other in a friendly manner.
The streets are full of party scenes with water, food, music, love, and laughter.
The water throwing has been a ritual in Thai culture. Traditionally, people splash a little bit of water on their family members, near and dear ones.
This splash is believed to wash off the difficulties and bad memories of the year gone by. This wish for a fresh and better new year for one another.
Where to attend the Songkran festival in Bangkok?
In different regions of Bangkok ( Guide to Best Areas to Stay in Bangkok ), the festival is celebrated with some unique qualities. But be rest assured, every region is full of love, fun, and happy vibes. Here are the best places to visit in Bangkok during Songkran.
Silom: Quite famous for the vibrant Patpong market, Silom sees the best part action on Songkran. With thousands of happy young people and lots of alcohol, the place is full of festive vibes.