If you like festivities such as concerts, parades, fireworks and the likes, then you will enjoy the two Thailand Festivals: Songkran Water Festival and Loy Krathong or Festival of Lights.
Songkran Water Thailand Festivals
Songkran comes from a Sanskrit word that means “passing” or “approaching”. The Songkran Festival symbolizes the Thai New Year and celebrates for three days in April. It begins every year on April 13 and ends on April 15. In 2018, the Thai cabinet extended the Festival nationwide to five days, from 12–16 April, to enable the citizens to come back home for the holidays. During this time, the people in Thailand will spend time with families, have trips to the temple, go parties and have water fights.
How Is Songkran Celebrated?
Traditionally, Songkran is celebrated by people going to temples, where they pray and give food to the monks. They also pour water over Buddha statues. The Thai people also prepare themselves for the New Year by cleaning the houses.
Today, throw water has become a huge part of the annual celebration; hence get ready to be wet during this period of time. People will roam around throwing buckets of water to each other, using water pistols and generally just soaking anyone in the vicinity.
What to bring for Songkran?
- A waterproof bag for your phone/camera
- Your sense of fun
- A water pistol/bucket
Where to Celebrate Songkran?
The main places to celebrate Songkran are Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and some places of the Thai Islands. You should plan accordingly as accommodations tend to get booked in advance during these peak seasons.
Loy Krathong – Festival of Lights
Loy Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the Lunar calendar; it often falls in November, there are thousands of krathongs with flickering candles, that floating down the river. It’s one of the most Thailand’s enchanting and the second best-known festival after the Songkran Water Festival.
Krathongs are made from banana tree’s trunks, which are decorated with flowers, banana leaves, candle and incense sticks. In Thai language, “Loy” means floating. Today, people replace the base of the krathong with either styrofoam or bread baked in the shape of a krathong. Everyone makes a wish, and then sends the krathong into the water, to carry your wish downstream. Thai people believe that when they set the krathong free, it carries away your troubles and offers up your wishes and prayers with the incense and glowing candle.
