Our writer flew to Bangkok mid-April for the annual Thai water festival, Songkran, and now he's back to tell you about his cultural (and wet) experience
In the beginning of the month, I told myself that I wanted to experience Songkran in Bangkok for the first time ever. And I can positively tell you now: I’m still reeling from the post-Songkran blues, and am already planning to visit the next one! Here’s my take on Songkran, and why I think everyone should give the Thai traditional festival a try.
In case you don’t know what Songkran is…
Typically held in April, Songkran is an annual festival celebrating the traditional Thai New Year. It is also seen as a mass exodus or festival of unity, where, during this period, locals would return to their hometowns for family reunions, visit local temples and offer food and alms to Buddhist monks. It also involves the iconic practice of performing water pouring on Buddha statues to signify the purification and washing away of sins and bad luck. But today, Songkran has taken a modern spin – becoming a mad water spectacle with people splashing tonnes of water on you while you’re simply strolling down the streets (I kid you not).
Just like any other festival, I always believe it’s best to get yourself informed beforehand, and even more so if it’s a cultural and religious festival like Songkran.
So I did my due diligence, arming myself with the festival do’s and don’ts and familiarising myself with the history of Songkran – thank you, Internet! But still, there’s no better way to truly find out more about Songkran than to immerse yourself in it. Here’s why I’ll do it all over again.
It’s an absurd, wacky way to cool down during the hot months…
As you’ve probably already gauged from the weather, April’s been one unforgiving month weather-wise, with merciless heat and ruthless humidity. That’s why I deemed Songkran a viable option to chill from the crazy hot weather here… and besides, how often do you get to act like a kid again and splash about without a care in the world?
But before you start nitpicking about water wastage, fret not! In lieu of the recent drought season, this year, I noticed that Thai officials implemented several regulations. One measure taken to reduce wastage of water is the allocation of specific durations for water play. Songkran used to be an all-day, all-night event, but this time around, Thai officials limited the splashing of water from 6am to 9pm. Further action was also taken where they restricted the fun to several famous streets only.
But even with the tighter measures in place this year, the general vibe I got from the locals was that they collectively understood the rationale of such measures and graciously adapted to the changes. With that said, while the rules might have changed, the fun still remains – the Thais continued to enjoy themselves tremendously during this year’s Songkran.
It is where you truly feel the love of the Thai people
It being my virgin experience, Songkran was most definitely an eye-opening cultural experience for me. What I’ve gathered from my experience is that Songkran is indeed a vivid depiction of the strong sense of community that exists within the Thai society. People of all ages, be it young or old, are merrily celebrating the festival together. What’s more? The Thai society is uber friendly and very welcoming; it’s not just a Thai-exclusive festival. It’s not uncommon to see them welcoming people from different countries to join in the joyous celebration. You’ll mingle with Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Singaporeans and Malaysians, and also bump into folks from Europe, The States and even South America! At Songkran, the Thais really know how to enjoy themselves; everyone seemed to be carefree, and the positive spirit that emanates from the streets during Songkran would definitely rub off on you.
But is the purity of Songkran being drowned by saturated tourism?
Undeniably, this cultural event today might have caught some hedonistic influences from around, opening the floodgates for critics to question the true intention of the festival and the issue of commodification of such festivals. When I first stepped onto the street in Silom, I was rather sceptical about the whole situation. There was booze, loud EDM music playing at different corners of the street, and countless of pop-up stalls selling super soakers and water guns. It made it seem as if Songkran was just a debaucherous party of self-indulgence.
But as I slowly immersed myself into the event, I found myself subconsciously breaking down the walls of my preconceived biases as I gradually grasped the commotion better and clearer. Besides, at the end of the day, you’ll realise that cultures and festivals evolve with time, and it’s all about finding the right balance. I could see younger generations of Thais adopting this cultural festival to a way where they could appreciate the intention behind it, and yet, enjoy it the way they know how, all without tarnishing the traditions of their elders. Just remember: while fun is most definitely welcomed, we must also not completely disregard the righteous meaning of the festival and still respect it as what it is meant to be – so don’t go too crazy there.
Ultimately, I’m truly glad that I took some time off to experience Songkran. What seemed to be a potentially uncomfortable situation turned out to be a blessing in disguise – a change in perspective, which I think is the best takeaway you can receive from any getaway! I highly recommend you have the privilege of attending a cultural festival someday; not only will you learn more about other cultures and ways of life, you’ll also learn more about yourself and how worldly you can be (and should be).