Every year in April, for three days, all businesses close and everyone travels to their home town (or to the beach) for the Songkran Festival. This marks the beginning of the new year.
Traditionally, people flock to the streets and throw water on each other to bless each other for the new year. Sometimes powder is also smeared on faces. This is meant as a blessing, but if you don't want to get wet - stay inside! They spare no one. If you're on the street, you will be soaked in minutes. The upside: it's very hot in Thailand (especially in April), reaching 95 degrees most days. Water is indeed a blessing!
Thai people and European Tourists having a party on every street.
The kids love to soak everyone with water.
Kids especially enjoy the fun. They gather on street corners and wait for trucks to pass by with new players. These trucks roam the city with people in the back, armed with "super soakers" and water buckets. The street revelers have impromptu water fights with the passing trucks. It's all in fun.
Songkran Water Festival 2015
This is a busy tourist time in Thailand, so book hotels early. They fill up fast. Loads of Chinese and Western tourists flood the streets of Bangkok, Phuket, Samui and other Thai cities. It's a fun time to be in the Land of Smiles, especially if you like hot weather and cool water. Silom, Kao San Road, and Central World are areas known for being jammed with water play, but don't be afraid to venture into other areas. More local, less tourist areas can be more fun in their own way. I love watching the local kids revel in soaking a western guy! It's great.
It's also a time of blessings, temple attendance, and parades. Beyond all the water, it is the Thai New Year celebration: both a spiritual and a festive occasion. The festival and water throwing lasts for three days! That's a lot of sun, water play, and time outdoors. Plan it well, and wear sunscreen.
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