Thailand 2012 Songkran Festival in Bangkok & Chiangmai

Bangkok, the City of Angels is a splendid city that never sleeps, making it one of the best places in the world for living. Whether you are fond of shopping, dining, drinking, clubbing, or partying, Bangkok has all you want especially during vivid festival time. There is no doubt that Songkran, or the Thai New Year, is the most  exciting annual event in the country, also its capital-Bangkok. Many roads and areas in Bangkok would close down to celebrate Songkran with 3 days of water parties, especially on Khao San Road, and in Chiangmai, Songkran is greatly celebrated on both sides of the old city canal. Apart from Songkran, Loy Krathong and Chinese New Year are two other festivals with exciting festivities and celebrations in Thailand.

The Songkran Festival is the traditional New Year of Thailand. Celebrated from April 13th-15th during the hottest time of the year in the country, Songkran Festival is the time for family reunions, housing cleaning, as well as performing the Rod Nam Dum Hua ritual on the 1st day of Songkran, which is the National Elderly Day and temple visits on the 2nd day of Songkran, which is National Family Day of Thailand. During the Rod Nam Dum Hua ritual, people would pay respect to their elders by pouring water mixed with Thai fragrance into the elders’ hands as a gesture of respect and to ask for their blessings, while on the 2nd day, people would visit temples early and give alms to the monks, as well as bathing Buddha image with fragrant water both at the temple and home wishing for good luck and prosperity for the New Year.

Songkran Festival is also the most favored festival among international visitors. It is time where one ventures out on the streets and most likely to get wet for that Thais would drench anyone who comes in their path by with water, sometimes mixed with mentholated talc. Songkran Festival is a colorful festival that is not only celebrated in Thailand, but also in other countries in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Yunana area of China.

Book your Thailand hotels today to have fun in the colorful 2012 Songkran Festival!