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A Brief Overview of the Songkran Water Festival
The Songkran Water Festival is one of the most significant traditional festivals in Thailand. Every year, people in the Land of Smiles organize this festival on a large scale nationwide. Songkran festival originates from the birth of the Buddha, and Thai people believe that this period marks the transition of the sun between zodiac constellations in the universe, heralding the start of a new year.
Songkran Festival in Thailand - The Water Splashing Festival
The Songkran Festival, also known as the Water Splashing Festival, is the traditional New Year's Day of the Thai people, similar to the Tet Nguyen Dan of Vietnam. This festival has been officially celebrated since 1941 with the purpose of splashing water to wash away misfortunes, troubles, and weariness of the past year, while bringing luck and happiness to the participants in the new year.
Unlike traditional New Year's celebrations in other countries, the Songkran Festival in Thailand is a community-based event, the more people participate, the bigger the festival becomes. Therefore, it is not only a time for family reunions but also an opportunity for socializing and making new friends among Thai people and tourists.
When does the Songkran Festival take place in Thailand in 2023?
Timeframe of the Songkran Festival in Thailand 2023 is from April 13th to 15th. As Mytour mentioned earlier, the tradition of water splashing in the New Year in Thailand has been long-standing, but it wasn't until 1941 that the Thai Royal Family officially designated the date for the celebration. This period is also the ideal time to travel to Thailand and experience the extremely exciting traditional Tet festivities in this country.
What makes the Songkran Water Splashing Festival special?
Activities during the Songkran Festival
It can be said that the Songkran Water Splashing Festival is the most anticipated event of the year in the land of golden temples, as it marks the Thai New Year, and the activities during these days mainly focus on family. Therefore, Thai people often prepare everything very carefully and meticulously to have the perfect New Year celebration.
- The first day of the festival, also known as Wan Sungkharn Long, is the time to start cleaning up and decorating homes to rid them of the old and prepare for the new year. Additionally, Thai people will be busy shopping, cooking, and preparing offerings for the following day's ceremonies.
- The next day is Wan Nao, which can be loosely understood as the 30th of Tet in Vietnam. On this day, Thai people wake up early and bring offerings prepared from the previous day (or early in the morning) to the temple for ceremonies.
Furthermore, Thais will go to riversides to build sand pagodas, symbolizing letting go of sins and worries from the past year as each grain of sand is washed away by the water.
Another significant activity on Wan Nao is the Rod Nam Dum Hua ceremony for the elderly. During this ritual, the younger generation will pour scented water over the elders to show respect and wish them longevity in the new year.
Rod Nam Dum Hua ceremony on Wan Nao
- Lastly, there's Wan Payawan, where Thai people dress beautifully and go to the temple early to participate in the Buddha bathing ceremony. After this ceremony, the water splashing festival officially begins. People pour onto the streets, splashing water on each other in hopes of washing away the misfortunes of the past year and looking forward to a better new year. Besides water splashing, some places also use water guns for spraying and colored powders for throwing at each other.
Where is the most fun to participate in the Songkran festival?
Bangkok
The capital of Thailand is probably the ideal destination for you if you want to experience that Songkran festival. It's also considered the largest and most lively water splashing festival in the country. Bustling areas like Banglamphu, Rattanakosin Royal Square, Khao San Road, Wisut Kasat, or Phra Athit,... are all attractive locations with many exciting activities, attracting thousands of locals and tourists alike.
The water splashing festival in Bangkok is extremely vibrant
Pattaya
Pattaya Beach is the hottest spot for water battles during the Songkran festival, and you can also enjoy parades and music events on the bustling Walking Street. Pattaya is known as Thailand's party city, so there's no reason why the water splashing festival here would be any less fun than in other cities. If you're in Pattaya, apart from joining the water splashing festival, don't forget to explore this beautiful city through exciting destinations like Coral Island, the floating market, and more, all of which are famous Thai tourist spots that you shouldn't miss!
Check in at the Songkran water splashing festival in Pattaya (@iam_dandan_)
Chiang Mai
As the most beloved destination during the Songkran water splashing festival in Thailand 2023, Chiang Mai captivates visitors with street art performances, unique beauty pageants, and delicious cuisine. When joining the Songkran festival in Chiang Mai, don't miss Tha Phae Gate - the famous old town street or Wat Phra Singh temple - the most sacred place in the land of flowers Chiang Mai, where you can splash water on the Buddha statue. These are all the most fun water splashing festival venues in this city.
Chiang Mai is where you can splash water on the Buddha statue (@pennueng_k)
Phuket
Patong Beach and Soi Bangla are the liveliest places for the water splashing festival in Phuket. Additionally, Loma Park, the pier, and Jungceylon event center often host many exciting events during this time. With the extremely vibrant atmosphere, Thailand's 'beach paradise' in Phuket is sure to not disappoint when participating in the traditional water splashing festival here.
Songkran water splashing festival on Patong Beach, Phuket
What do you need to prepare for participating in the Songkran water splashing festival?
- According to Thai travel experience, when participating in the Songkran water splashing festival, make sure to have a water gun with you beforehand: believe Mytour, if you come to Thailand during these days, you'll definitely not stay dry anywhere, just moving around on the street ensures you'll get wet. Therefore, get yourself a water gun to 'protect' yourself, moreover, the prices of water guns can be 2 or 3 times higher than usual, so buying early will also save you money. Choose a cool-looking gun to really enjoy the 2023 Thai water splashing festival.
- A waterproof bag is a smart choice: you should buy a large waterproof bag for your backpack or electronic devices to keep them from getting wet or damaged by water. Even if you're just strolling around, not participating in this 'water battle,' you should still put your belongings in a plastic bag to avoid accidentally getting splashed.
- Choose appropriate clothing: besides preparing 'weapons' like water guns, clothing is also very important. You should choose neat, comfortable, dark-colored, and quick-drying outfits like t-shirts, shorts. Also, if you're afraid of water getting into your eyes, prepare an extra pair of glasses.
Choosing appropriate clothing for participating in the water splashing festival (@kimberlychern)
What should you pay attention to when participating in the Songkran festival in Thailand 2023?
And to have the most complete experience in the Thai water splashing festival, you should jot down a few notes in your travel notebook.
- Say 'Sawasdee Pee Mai!' meaning 'Happy New Year!' to all participants in the Songkran festival, although simple, it will be like a meaningful greeting at the beginning of the new year.
- Absolutely do not splash water on monks, children, the elderly, except in some areas where they will allow splashing water on these individuals, but using scented jasmine water to sprinkle.
- Because the festival is very crowded, it will be difficult to avoid pickpocketing incidents, so you should not carry expensive items with you, keep them safe in your hotel room and lock it.
- As mentioned above, besides splashing water, some places will also use colored powder to throw at each other, which can be uncomfortable, not to mention if it gets into your eyes, it will be quite dangerous. After the water battle ends, make sure to wash your face thoroughly. However, you should also note that Thai people believe that washing off these stains is unfortunate and impolite, so make sure to wipe your face when returning to your hotel.
- Finally, remember not to splash water on people participating in traffic as this can be very dangerous, avoiding causing unwanted accidents.
Hopefully, this article has provided you with additional useful information. Join Mytour's Thailand tour during the festival season to have the most enjoyable experiences or book your flight to Thailand early to get extremely discounted prices! Wishing you a memorable trip to Thailand during the Songkran water splashing festival 2023!
Hanh Chu
Image sources: Internet, Instagram
