The Thai New Year, or Songkran as it is more popularly known, is an annual festival held on the days surrounding April 13 and is celebrated everywhere from small rural villages to large, teeming cities. Famous for its pitched water battles, where hordes of revelers cool off in the scorching summer heat by throwing copious amounts of water over each other, it’s truly an experience not to be missed and a once in a lifetime opportunity where nearly anything wet and wild goes.
At Chatrium Hotels and Residences we’ve created this essential Bangkok Songkran Survival Guide to ensure you have the most fun during your Songkran in the City of Angels!
Prepare for Battle!
Everyone from small kiddies to grown adults has a fantastic time at Songkran but remember one thing, there’s no way to avoid getting wet so just succumb and join in the fun. Many vendors sell water guns during this time ranging from small pistols to massive cannons but take our advice – bigger is certainly better so make sure you purchase one which can shoot long distances with a big reservoir. You don’t want to run out of water when you least expect it!
As we mentioned there’s no way to avoid a soaking at Songkran so make sure you either purchase a disposable waterproof camera to take some memorable snaps or carry your expensive camera or smartphone in a waterproof pouch. If you don’t have one to hand many shops sell them for a few baht each.
Even though the main roads and thoroughfares will be jam-packed with people having a good time this may seem a bit daunting for the first-time Songkraner or those wanting a slightly more peaceful time but remember the side streets and alleys will be enjoying the celebrations too and can be just as much fun.
Songkran doesn’t have a dress code so a rule of thumb is make it simple. T-shirts, shorts and flip flops are ideal and as you won’t stay dry for long leave those jeans, shirts, skirts and shoes at home. A tip for the ladies- remember some items of clothing become see-through when wet so dress accordingly.
It’s best not to wear items of jewelry or carry expensive electronic devices with you during Songkran as they may get lost or damaged in the fray and you wouldn’t want to spoil your fun hunting for a missing necklace or fretting over a broken iPad.
We hope this Bangkok Songkran Survival Guide has provided some useful tips on how best to enjoy Thailand’s most spectacular and splash-tastic time of year.
Come and join the fun- it’s the perfect opportunity to truly Live the Remarkable during your stay with the Splash & Dash Songkran Deals at Chatrium Hotels & Residences.
Simply book online with the promo code: SONGKRAN. Enjoy your stay in Bangkok at Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok, Chatrium Residence Sathon Bangkok, Emporium Suites by Chatrium and Maitria Hotel Sukhumvit 18 – A Chatrium Collection
or in Yangon at Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon.
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