Tourism Authority of Thailand invites you to join the traditional Thai New Year celebrations
| BANGKOK’S Songkran celebrations are set to be bigger and better than ever this year thanks to a special celebration held in the heart of the city. Held on April 10, from 3pm onwards at Mahajetsadabodin Royal Pavilion (close to Democracy Monument) ‘Songkran Splendours: The Procession of Three Kingdoms’ will feature three unique processions – Kingdom of Rama III: Engraving of World’s Heritage; Kingdom of Rama V: Songkran Day in Thailand; and Kingdom of Rama VII: Songkran Around The World – which have been designed to celebrate Songkran’s history and heritage, as well as mark the arrival of the Thai New Year (which will be celebrated in Bangkok and around the Kingdom from April 13-15. Scroll down for more info). |  |
Each procession will start at Mahajetsadabodin Royal Pavilion (close to the Democracy Monument), before moving to Ratchadamnoenklang Road, Ratchadamnoen Nai Road, Nhaphralan Road, Maharaj Road, and finishing at Nagaraphirom Park.
The first procession will see dancers and performers in exquisite costumes bring to life wall-engravings from Watphrachetuphonvimolmangklararm (Wat Pho), and will be capped with a special water display.
The second procession will highlight how Songkran is observed in different regions of Thailand, showcasing not only the different ways people make merit, but also their unique celebrations too.
The event will then be capped with a procession that celebrates Thailand’s cultural bonds with Laos, showcasing how temples at both countries’ borders celebrate Songkran and welcome the New Year.
Alongside the processions, from April 10-12 the TAT will also organize an ancient market at Wat Pho. Open daily from 10.30am-8.30pm and featuring a wide range of food, drinks, and handicrafts, the market will also give visitors the chance to see Thai traditional plays and puppet shows.
The first procession will see dancers and performers in exquisite costumes bring to life wall-engravings from Watphrachetuphonvimolmangklararm (Wat Pho), and will be capped with a special water display.
The second procession will highlight how Songkran is observed in different regions of Thailand, showcasing not only the different ways people make merit, but also their unique celebrations too.
The event will then be capped with a procession that celebrates Thailand’s cultural bonds with Laos, showcasing how temples at both countries’ borders celebrate Songkran and welcome the New Year.
Alongside the processions, from April 10-12 the TAT will also organize an ancient market at Wat Pho. Open daily from 10.30am-8.30pm and featuring a wide range of food, drinks, and handicrafts, the market will also give visitors the chance to see Thai traditional plays and puppet shows.
 Songkran in focus SONGKRAN derives from the Sanskrit word sakrnti, meaning ‘astrological passage’ (or transformation or change). The annual celebrations (held this year from April 13-15) are arranged according to the Buddhist solar calendar and mark the arrival of the new year. Water runs deep in the traditions and is used to represent the act of cleansing and renewal. While tradition dictates a small amount of fragrant water should be poured on another person’s palm to wish them luck (or, if you’re in a temple, on a Buddha statue to wash away sins and ill fortune), youthful enthusiasm has seen traditional water bowls replaced with buckets, garden hoses and water pistols, and you can expect the streets to be full of revelers enjoying lots of water splashing fun. |   |
