Songkran (Thailand New Year): The Water Festival

Songkran (Thailand New Year): The Water Festival

Songkran 2012 / Thai New Year 2012
Songkran Festival or known as Thailand Water Festival, is the most important festival for Thai people. Celebrated as the traditional Thai New Year, Thai people sprinkle water on the elders in show of respect and pay respect to Buddha images.
Date of Songkran 2012
Songkran 2012 falls from Friday, 13 April 2012 to Sunday, 15 April 2012.
Songkran Festival was previously calculated based on Thai lunar calendar, but in recent years is now fixed based on Western calendar. Songkran Festival falls on 13-15 April yearly, though the celebration usually starts before and ends days after the official holiday.

Date of Songkran 2011
Songkran 2011 falls from Wednesday, 13 April 2011 to Friday, 15 April 2011.
Date of Songkran 2010
Songkran 2010 falls from 13 April 2010 to 15 April 2010.

Songkran Celebrations

Thai National Holiday
Songkran 2012 is the most important festival for Thais and is a Thai national holiday. While the official national holiday is for 3 days, from 13 April to 15 April , workers’ days-off often last for as long as a week.
Video: Songkran Celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand

Songkran Water Fights
Songkran Festival, the Water Festival is very closely associated with water. Originally, people gently pour water to elders and family to give good fortune, but now it has evolved to splashing strangers on the streets with water, either with water gun or bucket of water, all in the spirit of good fun. Because of this, Songkran is also often called as the Water Festival.
International tourists have mixed preference about this. Some will avoid traveling to Thailand during Songkran festival, but many plan their travel to coincide with the festival and join in the fun of Songkran water fights.
Pay Respect to Buddha
Many Thai people celebrate Songkran by visiting Buddhist temple (wat) to pay respect to Buddha and to give alms to Buddhist monks. People also clean Buddha images in the temple by gently pouring water on them.
Songkran 2012 Celebrations Around Thailand
Songkran 2012 will be celebrated throughout Thailand and is one of the tourism highlight.

• Chiang Mai Songkran Festival, Chiang Mai
• Sukhothai Songkran Festival
• Bangkok Songkran Splendours Festival
• Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Songkran Festival
• The Great Songkran Day 2012 Suphan Buri Province
• Phra Padaeng Songkran Festival, Samut Prakan
• Nakhon Si Thammarat Songkran Festival
• Songkran on the Beach & Phuket Bike Week 2012
• Hat Yai Midnight Songkran Festival, Songkhla
• Chon Buri Songkran Festival
• Songkran Festival and Dok Khun Siang Khaen Festival on Khao Nieo Road
• Nakhon Phanom Songkran Festival
• Nong Khai Songkran Festival