Thai New Year: 11 things to know about Songkran

In a nutshell – Songkran is the Thai new year. Make a quick study of the water festival, and start looking forward to April’s celebrations.

1. Thai New Year falls in April, the hottest month in Samui’s climate.
2. It has always been a time to return home, visit loved ones and to wash away bad luck for a new beginning. Traditionally, this involved water.
3. What’s in a name? ‘Songkran’ comes from a Sanskrit word that denotes the sun’s movement into the zodiac
4. International equivalents – a mixture of western & Chinese new years, with aspects of April Fool’s Day, Easter, India’s Holi and China’s Ching Ming. It’s indeed a highlight of Samui’s events calendar.
5. Home for the holidays – many of Samui’s residents hail from Thailand’s north and will return home for up to a month during the Songkran period.
6. Despite its soggy reputation, Sonkgran is still very much centred on food and family.
7. Start with chores – Water’s quotidian uses make Sonkgran’s basics clear: it’s all about cleanliness and new beginnings.
8. As any good new year should, Songkran starts with a top-to-bottom home cleaning.
9. Traditional aspects – during the holiday, elders and monks receive visits from those offering gifts and well wishes.
10. What to expect of Samui’s Songkran – Super soakers, water canons and gallon buckets have replaced the gentle water-pouring of yore.
11. Songkran is an energetic, country-wide water fight

Learn how to enjoy the festival (& what to bring) if you’re lucky enough to visit Samui in April.