Songkran

Songkran begins quietly. Before the water fights, people clean their homes the day before, and on 13 April they go to the temples to sprinkle scented water over Buddha statues, a rite called Song Nam Phra. In Bangkok, Wat Pho is one place where this happens. The water stands for purification and merit, and the idea behind the whole festival is to wash away the bad luck of the year that has passed.

That meaning is the reason the street version looks the way it does. Elders and monks are respected by pouring a little scented water gently over their hands or feet, and the same act, much louder and wetter, is what young people do to everyone with buckets, hoses and water pistols. The festival was the official Thai new year until 1888, when Siam adopted a solar calendar. Thailand later moved its new year to 1 January, but Songkran stayed, and UNESCO now lists it as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage.

The holiday is 13 to 15 April and, for 2027, those days fall from Tuesday to Thursday. The Thai government sets the holiday dates, so confirm them in the spring. Some places celebrate for longer, from 12 to 19 April, and the busiest streets are the water-fight zones in the big cities.

How to go. Plan to get wet. Put your phone, passport and cash in a waterproof pouch, and wear clothes that dry fast. Travel is heavy at the start and the end of the holiday, as Thais go home to their families, so book transport early and expect hotel prices to rise. If you want the quiet side of Songkran, go to a temple on the morning of 13 April and ask before you pour water over anything. In April it is hot, and the water is a relief. See the Bangkok guide for the city.