What is Songkran?
Songkran comes from a Sanskrit word for the passing of the sun into a new sign of the zodiac: here, its move into Aries, which marked the traditional new year. Thailand moved its official New Year to 1 January in 1941, but Songkran remains the country's most important family holiday.
UNESCO added Songkran in Thailand to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2023.
When is Songkran? Dates for 2026 and 2027
2026
- 13–15 April 2026Songkran holidays
2027
- 13–15 April 2027Songkran holidays
Songkran's dates are fixed at 13–15 April. The government sometimes adds extra days off around them (in 2026 the holiday ran from 11 to 15 April), and some places, such as Pattaya, hold their water festivals a few days later.
How people celebrate
- Rod nam dam hua: pouring scented water over the hands of parents and elders to ask for their blessing.
- Bathing Buddha images at the temple and making merit.
- Water fights with buckets and water guns, famously on Silom Road in Bangkok and around the old city moat in Chiang Mai.
Good to know
- Put your phone and passport in a waterproof pouch: anyone in the street can expect to get soaked.
- Don't throw water at monks, the elderly, babies or people on motorbikes.
- Take care on the roads: the days of Songkran are known in Thailand as the “seven dangerous days” for the rise in accidents.