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Thailand is renowned for its culture, and there’s so much to experience where that is concerned. One of the best, and most famous, festivals that happen in Thailand is Songkran.

Takeaway, Songkran 002aa, CC BY-SA 3.0

What is Songkran?

Songkran is derived from the ancient Sanskrit word, Sankranti, and is a reference to the traditional New Year that is celebrated in South Asian countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam.

So it’s an International Thing?

The traditional New Year is celebrated in many ways throughout the world, in nations such as Sri Lanka, for example, it’s the ‘Sinhalese New Year’, in Myanmar it’s called ‘Thingyan’. Only Laos and Thailand refer to the occasion as Songkran.

Songkran in Thailand

Since Songkran is associated with purification and washing away of bad luck and sins, people take to the streets to throw water on one another. This trend has led to the festival becoming extremely popular, to the point that many Krabi resorts with examples such as Anantara Si Kao Resort would experience surges in reservations during the time of the festival.

Things to Keep in Mind

As much as Songkran can be extremely fun, there are also many dangers associated with it. Alcohol consumption tends to increase greatly during this time, and Thailand’s road-based fatalities increase considerably.

Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+

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