A very wet new year! Thailand celebrates Songkran with water fights
Thais braved coronavirus to celebrate the annual Songkran festival — the traditional Thai New Year — with revellers pouring water on one another and smearing coloured powder
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Songkran is Thailand’s most famous festival. An important event on the Buddhist calendar, this water festival marks the beginning of the traditional Thai New Year. The name Songkran comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘passing’ or ‘approaching’. AFP
To mark Songkran, which was celebrated from 13 April to 15 April, people roamed the streets of Thailand throwing buckets of water, using water pistols and just generally soaking anyone in the vicinity. AFP
Foreign tourists and locals take part in water fights to celebrate Thai New Year, locally known as Songkran, at Khao San Road in Bangkok. AFP
The celebrations resumed this year after two years of COVID-19. Khao San Road welcomed only a few foreigners throughout the two pandemic years, and Songkran splashing was muted if it happened at all. AFP
The water fights took place despite the Thai government prohibiting water splashing, powder smearing and foam parties to better contain the spread of COVID-19. AFP