Every year from around the 13th-15th April, Thailand celebrates Songkran. The water festival signifies the beginning of the traditional Thai New Year, with many visiting their hometowns to show appreciation to their families as this is an important aspect of the festival. Going back generations, Songkran is Thailand’s most famous festival. So whether you’re a local or a tourist we’ve compiled a list of the best ways to celebrate. Just make sure you’re prepared to get wet!
Date: 12th-15th April 2019 - 5pm - 12am (midnight)
Location: Show DC Arena, Rama 9, Bangkok, Thailand
Best for: An all-around Thai experience, combining traditional Thai with the modern rave!
Tickets: Siam Songkran Music Festival
Video by AirAsiaRedTix
Despite being in its first year, Siam Songkran is organised by a collection of Thailands best festival professionals, so this is set to be an awesome all-around experience. Featuring performances from the likes of Afrojack, Darren Styles, Mija and many more this is going to be an unbelievable Songkran rave! It’s made up of 4 areas with 2 incredible stages and features cultural classes and workshops on cooking, Muay Thai and much more. As if that wasn’t enough, they’ve also got a creative marketplace where you can browse and buy traditional and vintage items, a food area with delicious Thai cuisine and of course plenty of water with water cannons and jets! For all you EDM lovers this is the definitely the choice for you.
Date: 13th - 15th April 2019
Location: Live Park, Bangkok
Best for: Classic partying
Tickets: S20 Songkran Music Festival
Video by S20
S20 Songkran Music Festival is the world’s largest Songkran celebration. Promising to be wet and wild, the line up includes performances from Steve Aoki, Fat Boy Slim, Tiesto and many more. Doors open from 4pm and the music is already pulsing by 5pm. Hot nights full of cool water splashing madness set to the sound of some of the best local and international artists. This is an almost completely sold out event, at the time of writing this there are only 1-day regular passes left available for the Saturday, Sunday or Monday. There is also a minimum age restriction of 20+.
Date: 13th-15th April 2019 - 10am - 11pm
Location: Khao San Road, Bangkok
Best for: Budget stretched partiers
Tickets: Not required, this is a free event
Where better to get involved if you’re on a tight budget than the infamous Khao San Road? Buckets and water guns at the ready, you’re won’t be leaving the road with a cm of dry skin. Anyone who’s been to Khao San Road before knows it’s a bustling tourist attraction and it’s just as rammed for Songkran. Closed off to traffic the street is lined with water stations, power hoses and Thai and travellers alike. Music will be blasting from all the restaurants and clubs, creating a real party atmosphere.
Date: 13th-15th April 2019
Location: Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Best for: Traditional experiences
Tickets: Not required, this is a free event
If you after a more traditional experience, make your way to the country’s ancient capital: Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Here you’ll be soaked by real-life elephants, which are beautifully decorated with paint. There’s also plenty of traditional cultural activities to get involved in such as water splashing in front of the old city hall in the afternoons. If you’re up for an early start, you can offer donations to the saffron-robed 999 monks in front of Vihara Phra Mongkhon Bophit at 7am, then let fish and birds go into the wild. Of course, as at many Songkran celebrations, there is also the option to help bathe the Buddha, but here they use water from bamboo pipes.
Date: 12th - 15th 2019
Location: Chiang Mai
Best for: Laid back vibes
Tickets: Not required, this is a free event
Lasting for nearly a week, Chiang Mai hosts the largest Songkran celebrations, kicking off with a procession around the city. It is celebrated throughout the old city, so wherever you go you’ll be part of the festivities, but the most popular spots are the Chiang Mai Gate, Thapae Gate, Ping River and around the canals and moats. Chiang Mai is one of the most popular spots for tourists to celebrate the festival thanks to its chilled vibe and abundance of water to throw. A few days before the celebrations the moat is drained and refilled with cleanish water so it can be used throughout as a refill station. It is also common for people to take sand and sculpt it into mounds at monasteries, to symbolize the dirt they’ve carried on their feet for the last year.