Songkran: Thai New Year

Spring Cleaning Turned Water Fighting

Similar to Christmas in Canada or Chinese New Year in Taiwan, Songkran is a holiday when family gathers and one spends time with loved ones. People prepare for the new year by cleaning the houses, schools and other public areas. Buddhists will visit the temples and bathe the Buddha images by pouring water over the Buddha (but not over the head) to represent purification and good fortune.

Before COVID-19, you would see huge friendly water fights on the street with water guns, balloons, and buckets of water. In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the government cancelled it for the 3rd year in a row. Instead, the city built a “water splashing tunnel” by the Thapae Gate to sprinkle cars and scooters driving by. Upon entering the gate, you will also be sprinkled with mist installed in the entrance, which was very welcomed in the hot April weather.

Three Kings Monument

On the morning of April 12, we set out to see the Bathing ritual for the Phra Setangkhamanee buddha. Being lost, we instead stumbled upon a huge parade in front of the Three Kings Monument. Rows and rows of fingernail dancers dressed in Thai traditional outfit slowly moved towards the monument in unison motion.

The group consisted of both young and old. There were even little girls included in the parade.

Following the dancers, large amount of locals lined up holding their proud offerings to be presented at the square at the end of the parade.

Golden Buddha Parade

The next day, we were on our way to our favourite template in Chiang Mai – Wat Chiang Man. Once again, we stopped by the Three Kings Monument as a crowd was gathering and the roads around it were closed to traffic. We weren't sure what was going on so we stopped to watch.

This time, there were also fingernail dancers, men dressed in red pulling the Golden Buddha forward by hand and 2 men beside the Buddha accepting water presented by locals which they then poured over the Buddha image.