The Festival of Water – Grab your ‘gun’ and get ready to splash ‘em!
Throughout the three days of the Songkran Festival (technically April 13-15, 2010) plus a few days before and after, Thailand sets the stage for what is undeniably the World’s Biggest Water Fight. There is absolutely no way that you will walk the streets of Thailand without getting wet during the festival – and here it comes! …Uh oh!! …SPLASH!!!

Water throwing and splashing and water gunning is a main event during Songkran; almost everyone participates and there are few rules, giving anyone the right to ambush anyone else and completely drench them from head to toe. This could also be accompanied by “Pra-pang” or smearing liquid talcum powder on people’s faces and on vehicles – although the talcum playing is discouraged in some provinces.

Many Songkran water players will carry a water tank and the entire family in the back of their pick-up truck and drive around the town as a full assault vehicle. Most people gather on the streets and in front of their businesses with buckets of water ready cool off anybody that passes by.

Gee that sounds kind of confrontational, right? Wrong!, this all takes place in the burning heat of Thailand’s hottest month; people are in 100% joyous spirits throughout the festival and all you can see is smiles, smiles and more smiles… everywhere!! These people are having the best times of their lives and as a visitor taking place you will feel truly blessed to take part in such an amazing, special event.

Songkran Festival in Different Destinations of Thailand:
Bangkok, Khon Kaen, Pattaya and Koh Samui, Phuket and Chiang Mai

For those planning to join in this water splendor, people in different regions celebrate the Songkran Festival slightly differently and center the event to certain areas. To make the most of your Songkran experience, you should choose your destination(s) and then get a bit of a plan together for how to join in the festivities. I will talk briefly about some of the most popular and favored Thailand destinations for the most ‘outrageous’ Songkran experience: Bangkok, Khon Kaen, Pattaya, Koh Samui, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

Bangkok Songkran Festival is maybe most frenzied on the world-famous Khao Sarn road – the Bangkok center for budget travelers and backpackers. Songkran water fighting along Khao Sarn road has however been less frenzied because you will see many police there to advise some ‘crazy’ revelers on how to ‘sprinkle’ water properly. Yet, it is still safe to say that Khao Sarn Road offers one of the best Songkran experiences in Thailand. Other popular areas in Bangkok are of course Nana Plaza in the Sukhumvit area and Sathorn Road, another popular area for attracting foreigners (near Soi Patpong, one of the most notoriously renowned ‘entertainment’ streets in the world).

In the Northeastern region, we have the spin-off of Khao Sarn Road, which is Khao Niew Road in the city of Khon Kaen. Just like the Khao Sarn Road, a huge number of Songkran celebrants each year will throng into the road to get soaked up and enjoy the music performances. The highlight of the Songkran in Khon Kaen includes enjoying the beautiful yellow blossom of Ratchaphreuk (Dok Koon), a local seasonal flower which blooms during the hot season.

If you prefer beachside Songkran experience, you have three main choices: Phuket, Pattaya, and Koh Samui all rank up there for numbers of people, especially foreign tourists. Songkran in Pattaya is the longest festival since the last and biggest day of celebration is on 19th April so technically the water fight lasts for more than a week! In Phuket, the festival takes place with fervor at Patong Beach. Also, you can enjoy the ultimate “Mid-Night Songkran” at Soi Bang La. In Samui most of the activity takes place in Chawaeng but really the entire circumference of the island is a Songkran zone and a drive of the circumference can take a couple hours longer than usual.

Chiang Mai, in the northern part of Thailand, is the number one destination for Songkran festival in Thailand. The Capital of Northern Thailand is surrounded by an ancient moat that is filled to the brim and surrounded by literally tens of thousands of revelers. The water fighting and splashing in Chiang Mai is on all sides of the moat and there are also large crowds on Huay Kaew Road. Kad Suan Kaew Plaza holds a Songkran event each year with thousands of fun-seekers dancing and playing and just enjoying life. The whole city is drowned in the ocean of fun and joy; the heat seems to matter no more to the thousands of tourists, tens of thousands of Thais all celebrating the frenzy that is Songkran festival.

Songkran splendor in Thailand is absolutely the perfect time to put away all worries and cares of the western lifestyle. It is a time to let loose, wash away your stress and take part in something you can not even imagine. Arm yourself with a water pistol, put on your dry weave, and leave the camera in the room unless it is waterproof. Thailand is a beautiful country full of the most welcoming people in the world and Songkran Festival is without a doubt something that must be experienced in this lifetime. Please come join us in the 2010 Songkran Festival this April and have a wet time!

To view more photos and videos of Songkran Festival, please visit our Thailand Songkran Photo Gallery and Thailand Songkran Video Gallery.