From April 13–16, Thais worldwide will celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year. Songkran has traditionally been a time to spend with one’s parents and other family elders to show appreciation for the care they provided while growing up. Regular trips to the Buddhist temple include a bath for the Buddha statues and a spritz of perfume. Doing so would bring them success and happiness in the new year.
These remain prominent during Songkran, but water-throwing has become the holiday’s most defining feature in recent decades. Songkran takes place during the peak of the warmest season in Thailand, just before the arrival of the Southwest Monsoon and the conclusion of the scorching dry season. Thais traditionally poured a little water upon their palms when greeting one another. More recently, participants have engaged in full-scale water wars, dousing each other with buckets of water. Many individuals like the warm weather since the temperatures are so high. Participation in the’sanuk’ (Thai for “fun”) is universal, and it is common to see people of all ages and walks of life armed with colorful water guns, buckets, and hoses and splashing each other with a gleeful expression on their faces. Things tend to wind down after the tropical sunsets and pick back up again when morning arrives.
Other experiences in Bangkok
Your stay in this area will be much more meaningful if you participate in any of these activities to get a taste of local life. Our guides are natives of the area, so they know the best places to visit and the lesser-known gems to show you. Our experts would be happy to recommend excursions and other activities that will help you get to know the culture of your destination.
Start planning your trip to Thailand
Start thinking about your experience. These itineraries are simply suggestions for how you could enjoy some of the same experiences as our specialists. They’re just for inspiration, because your trip will be created around your particular tastes.
