Bangkok and the Annual Songkran Festival

Songkran is the name given to the Thai New Year, which is said to be similar to the South Indian New Year that is celebrated in the month of April. In the past, the date of Songkran was based on the lunar calendar and was a celebration of the equinox, but they have now fixed the dates to be between the 13th and the 15th of April. In case these dates fall over a weekend, the Thai government declares the subsequent weekdays as holidays to compensate. The festival of Songkran is one of the most important festivals in all of Thailand, with the festivities taking place around the country.

The traditions that are followed during Songkran vary from region to region, however, the one tradition that is common to most of Thailand is the water throwing. On the three days of Songkran, people can be found along the road carrying water in containers, while some of the young people opt to wield water guns. Passers-by stand the chance of getting soaked when they walk on the road, but all this is done in a festive spirit. On the Songkran festival, people wash their houses and then spend the day visiting temples and monasteries to donate food.

In Bangkok, the tradition also includes a pageant, where the women of that particular area put together a display of their beauty and talent, which is then judged by the local community. There are also many neighbourhoods in Bangkok which treat the day like April Fools' Day, where pranks are played on the men by the young women of the area.

The New Year celebrations in Thailand are special in many ways in that they involve such colour and splendour Hogmanay in Scotland is certainly up there with New York City when it comes to seeing in the New Year, but Songkran in Thailand is certainly also arguably one of the best options. The Thai weather, the splendid food and the genuine kindness and attitude of the locals makes this a great festival and New Year location.

Over the course of the three day festival, it is almost tiring in the end in that 3 days of fun and hot spicy Thai food and what for tourists are very affordable cocktails. Down in the islands Singkran also includes a lot of beach festivals and events and for many travellers, there are few places that can compete with such a location and place to spend.

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