Find Fun Ways to Celebrate and Things to Do in Songkran 2025
Key Takeaway
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Songkran is a festival full of fun and important traditional customs. In this article, we will take you on a journey to explore how to celebrate Songkran in 2025 and the activities you shouldn’t miss. From the exhilarating water fights to meaningful cultural rituals, get ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant spirit of Thailand’s most famous festival!
What is the Songkran Festival?
Songkran is an annual celebration of the Thai New Year, deeply cherished by locals. The festival is officially observed on April 13th each year, but the lively celebrations extend over three days, from April 13th to 15th, across Thailand. Popular hotspots for Songkran festivities include Bangkok, Chiangmai and Pattaya where both locals and tourists come together to revel in the water fights and honor cultural traditions.
This energetic festival is more than just fun—it is a time for communities to unite, pay respect to elders, and welcome the new year with happiness and excitement. Water plays a central role in Songkran, symbolizing the cleansing of the past year and a fresh start for the year ahead.
How to Celebrate Songkran Festival in 2025
Songkran is a unique blend of traditional customs and modern festivities, making it one of the most exciting times of the year in Thailand. Here’s how you can experience both the traditional and modern ways of celebrating Songkran in 2025.
Visiting a Buddhist Temple
Songkran is primarily a Buddhist festival, traditionally observed by visiting temples in the morning to make merit. Many people start their day by taking part in this meaningful custom before joining the lively water festivities in the afternoon.
At some temples, visitors can pour water over the hands of monks to receive blessings, while others may choose to offer food and essentials as a form of merit-making. In Songkran 2025, consider joining special temple ceremonies, participating in community merit-making events, or exploring cultural fairs that showcase Thailand’s rich heritage alongside the festival’s modern celebrations.
Building Sand Pagodas
One of the most unique merit-making traditions during Songkran is bringing sand into temple grounds. Since visitors unknowingly take sand away on their feet throughout the year, returning sand during Songkran symbolizes giving back to the temple. This sand is later used for temple construction.
For Songkran 2025, consider participating in this meaningful tradition by building small sand pagodas, a common practice at many temples. Things to do in Songkran also include joining other cultural activities, such as traditional Thai dance performances, temple fairs, and food offerings, to fully immerse yourself in the festive spirit.
The Tradition of Bathing Buddha
In Songkran 2025, Buddhists will continue to honor Buddha through Song Nam Phra, a ritual where scented water is gently poured over Buddha images and statues to cleanse away bad luck and welcome the new year.
This tradition isn’t limited to temples—it can also be experienced in markets and shopping malls. Many cities will celebrate by parading significant Buddha statues through the streets, giving people the opportunity to participate in this sacred water-pouring ritual as the images are brought out from local museums and temples.
Spring Cleaning and Paying Respect to Elders
How to celebrate Songkran festival is the first day of the water festival by spring-cleaning their homes, schools, offices, and public spaces. This tradition helps to rid their surroundings of negativity and bad luck from the previous year, allowing them to start the new year with a fresh, clean slate.
You can also partake in this custom by cleaning and decorating your home, symbolizing a fresh start. Many Thais return to their villages to celebrate and perform Rod Nam Dam Hua, the pouring or sprinkling of scented water onto the palms and feet of their elders as a gesture of respect. This is traditionally done by younger generations to honor their parents and grandparents. Joining this meaningful practice is a great way to connect with family and tradition during the festival.
Water Fighting
Honoring family traditions and religious practices is an essential part of Songkran 2025, but so is having fun! Outside, the festival comes alive with street parties filled with loud music and a giant, friendly water fight.
People gather with buckets, squirt guns, and whatever they can find to splash each other in playful water battles. And with April being one of the hottest months of the year in Thailand, it’s the perfect way to cool off while celebrating the festive spirit!
Songkran 2025 with Music Festivals
Another popular way to celebrate Songkran 2025 in Thailand, and even worldwide, is by attending a Songkran music festival. Expanding on the excitement of the water fights, some of Thailand’s famous streets transform into vibrant party venues, filled with loud music, water cannons, and foam machines.
The music festivals continue late into the night, so make sure you come well-rested, ready to party until dawn! Show off your best dance moves as you sway to the beats, and enjoy performances by famous DJs and Thai singers. It’s a celebration you won’t want to miss!
Celebrate Songkran with Elephants
What do you do on Songkran Day?
Elephants, the national animal of Thailand, add a unique twist to the celebration! On Songkran Day, most elephant sanctuaries and retirement parks open their doors for visitors to experience something truly special. If you’re a fan of fun water fights, you’ll love these elephants and enjoy them even more!
Celebrate the day by splashing water with these gentle giants, feeding them, and watching their amazing painting shows. It’s a perfect way to create unforgettable memories while enjoying the festivities.
Packing Tips for Songkran
If you’re planning to join in the Songkran 2025, here are some essential items to pack for the celebration.
Hawaiian Shirt
These campy, colorful button-down shirts have become the unofficial Songkran uniform in recent years. Most people will have one ready in their closet specifically for its 15 minutes (or 72 hours) of fame in mid-April. If you forget to pack one, don’t worry during Songkran 2025, you’ll find plenty of these festive shirts available for purchase in the days leading up to the celebration!
Water Gun
When deciding how to celebrate the Songkran festival, don’t spend too much on your water gun. Chances are, it might not survive the water wars to see another day! There are all sorts of water guns available for sale, and most places will let you refill them if you purchase from them. So, pick up a fun and affordable water gun, and get ready to join in the excitement of the festival!
Clear Glasses
When you check in for Songkran 2025 weekend, you should have a pair of clear glasses. These glasses will protect your eyes during the water fights, and they’re also fun to wear!
Waterproof Footwear
Whether you choose rubber slides or good old water shoes, make sure you’ve got footwear that can be waterlogged for the better part of Songkran 2025 festival days. Comfort and practicality are key when you’re out splashing and celebrating!
Dry Bag
At this time, we’d like to observe a moment of silence for the fallen cell phones that have become casualties of Songkran 2025. If you don’t have a dry bag that you’re confident in holding up, leave your phone back at the hostel or risk it becoming waterlogged. I also recommend something like a belt bag, where you can keep it close to your body and protect it from water fights!
The Dos and Don’ts of Songkran 2025
As you gear up for the fun and excitement of Songkran 2025, it’s important to be mindful of both the traditions and safety during the festival. Here are some things to do and avoid in Songkran to make the most of your Songkran experience.
- Do make sure someone is joining in before splashing them.
- Don’t splash water on monks, the elderly, pregnant women, small children, or babies.
- Do dress appropriately. Avoid wearing short shorts, crop tops, and swimsuits, as there are fines and arrests for indecency during Songkran.
- Don’t spray water directly in people’s faces or splash too aggressively.
- Don’t spray water on drivers, especially those on motorcycles. It’s also wise to stay off the roads as much as possible, as Songkran has a high rate of traffic accidents.
Songkran 2025 is a vibrant celebration of the Thai New Year, combining traditional customs and fun activities. Visit temples to make offerings and perform rituals like Song Nam Phra and Rod Nam Dam Huato honor Buddha and elders. Enjoy water fights and music festivals with foam machines and live performances. Celebrate with elephants at sanctuaries and spring-clean your home for a fresh start. Pack a festive shirt, water shoes, and protect your phone with a dry bag. Remember to respect others, avoid splashing the elderly or children, and stay safe on the roads.
For a more relaxed Songkran experience, head to the peaceful areas near Khao Yai. Enjoy the serenity while still celebrating, and unwind at Rancho Charnvee Resort & Country Club, where you can take a break from the excitement and enjoy nature.