Songkran Water Festival 2009

Songkran Water Festival 2009 – Celebrate Thai New Year and get absolutely soaked in a huge water fight to wash away any bad luck from the previous year.

Songkran is a Thai word which means ‘to move’ or ‘to change place’ as it is the day when the sun changes its position in the zodiac calendar. It is also known as the ‘Water Festival’ as people believe that pouring water on their closest friends and relations, will wash away bad luck.

Songkran marks the beginning of the Buddhist New Year and officially lasts from April 13-15, although in some areas the festivities can last up to 10 days. Most business pretty much grinds to a halt during the festival period with schools, government offices and many shops shutting down. Airports, bus stations and train stations are jammed with travelers heading back to their home provinces. If you don’t have a reservation, you’ll find seats very difficult to get hold of and it’s a good idea to confirm hotel reservations well ahead of time.

The throwing of water during the festival originated as a way to pay your respect to people, by gently pouring a small amount of water on your friends and relative’s hands or over their shoulder as a sign of respect. Nowadays, many of the religious aspects of the festival have given way to unrestrained, watery warefare and the emphasis is on fun and water-fighting rather than on the festival’s spiritual and religious aspects. Accepting your watery fate with a smile will win you much better respect and being gentle with older or respected members of the community is a good idea!

Taking part in the festivities is unavoidable if you step onto the main streets in Lanta. Most of the action is concentrated in Saladan, but there are kids, locals and tourists stationed up and down the main road throughout the island, waiting to give you a thoroughly good splashing as you pass. It’s a good idea to take serious measures to protect valuables, telephones, cameras, money and anything that would get damaged in a severe soaking. Wearing white can be a mistake as sometimes dyes are put into the water for good luck. If you want to take photographs during the festival, a waterproof casing for you camera is a good idea, or investing in a cheap disposable waterproof camera is even better. Dry bags are another good investment and can be purchased cheaply all over the island.

Songkran Festival is a great way to cool down during the hottest time of the year. Arm yourself with a water pistol at the very least and join everyone on the streets to celebrate the biggest Thai Festival of the Year, lasting 3-4 days. Remember your sense of humour – this is the most celebrated festival in Thailand and taking part and getting very wet is all part of the fun!