Songkran - when why how?

[PattayaPete]

Songkran is the Thai New Year.  It is celebrated throughout Thailand and is particulary vigourous in Pattaya and Chiang Mai.

 

The official dates are 13 and 14 April.  These are a national holidays.

 

Pattaya has a week long festival starting on the 13th and finishing on the 19th.  As the week progresses the celebrations get more and more vigourous with the last day being biggest by far.

 

The catch with Songkran is that the traditional way to celebrate was to sprinkle water on other people.  This has now denigrated into all out water fights.  Some people join in and have a lot of fun, while others try to avoid the mayhem but tend to get drenched anyway.

 

If you want to see what it is like, download the Songkran video in the FLB Videos section.  Not for everyone but there is lots of fun to be had if you join in.