Songkran Celebrations 2023 in Phuket

Also known as the Water Festival, the Songkran Festival celebrates the beginning of the Thai New Year. It’s a traditional Buddhist festival and national holiday in Thailand. The Thai New Year's Day is 13th April every year, but the festival period includes the 12th, 14th and 15th of April as well. This festival is well known for the unleashed water wars which are mostly celebrated by young people. In the big cities, like Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket, the major streets are closed to traffic, and are used as arenas for this water fights. Celebrants, young and old, participate in this tradition by splashing water on each other with buckets, water guns, balloons and any other vessels they can get their hands on. Nobody is spared, those who cross the streets on foot or scooters, whether they are locals or tourists, whether they want it or not, are all splashed with cold water. Traditional parades are held in all major cities and in some venues "Miss Songkran" is crowned, where contestants are clothed in traditional Thai dress.