13th April, Tuesday to end on 15th April, Thursday Each year, 13th of April marks the beginning of the celebration of the coming New Year. Is Songkran Replacement Holiday a Public Holiday? HI there. Traditionally, priests used to set the dates of Songkran but now-a-days, the festival is held on fixed dates. Save. The Vernal (Spring) Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is the Autumnal (Fall) Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. What to get in the spirit and wish the locals a “Happy New Year?” Here’s how you do it. The Thai’s pour scented water over the statues of Buddha and the shoulders of each other and on the hands of their elders in a symbolic gesture of this belief. 2020 Thailand Jul 27, Sep 4, Sep 7. Songkran in 2020. Celebration\ Observance Tradition for this time is to throw water stemming from the cleaning of Buddha images and using this water to soak other people is a way of paying respects and or good fortune. Why do many countries set the clocks back and forth an hour twice a year? Tourism Authority of Thailand 1600 New Phetchaburi Road, Makkasan, Ratchathevi , Bangkok 10400, THAILAND Tel: 662 250 5500 , TAT Call Center 1672 Thailand background and overview A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Re: songkran Pattaya 2020. Songkran is one of the most popular festivals in Thailand for locals and tourists alike. Songkran 2020 Dates: April 13 – 15, 2020. The official dates for Songkran are April 13-15, 2021. For foreigners, Songkran is best known for being the biggest water fight in the world, when locals and foreigners alike splash water at … © Time and Date AS 1995–2021. (The dates vary depending on the regions of Thailand, so please keep checking this page as we will confirm as event approaches). Pi Mai Lao or Songkran—Lao New Year & Water Festival Featured in. While people are getting wet almost everywhere there are certain areas in each city where the action is at it’s peak. Something wrong? Thailand Fri, Sep 4 National Holiday. Songkran is the largest celebration in Thailand and is notorious as the wildest water fight in the world. Don’t forget to discover the traditional side of Songkran with our timeless guide by locals, Songkran Festival: The Ultimate Guide to Thai New Year and Thai Water Festival . Report inappropriate content. As much as we’re saddened to make this announcement, we know that it’s the socially responsible thing to do. The moat is drained shortly before the holiday begins and is filled with clean (‘ish) water as it is a major source for reloading buckets and water guns. Songkran 2020 Do’s and Don’ts – A Farang’s Guide. If you do not know what Songkran is, you can read our article before: Songkran, the Thai New Year and water fights. You can expect to be splashed with water as soon as you start walking down the street. writer: Post Reporters 7.5K 57 Revellers and water fights are absent from Silom Road, one of Bangkok’s top destinations for the Songkran festival, on April 13, 2020, due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Bangla Road is closed off to cars and people walk up and down dumping water on each other while being shot at with water guns from patrons at the bars lining the streets. The Songkran festival started out as the traditional Thai New Year’s celebration. The festivities end on Wan Lai, which means ‘Flowing Day’. Due to the Coronavirus Outbreak, the public holidays for Songkran will be postponed until later in the year. The Songkran festival is the traditional Thai New Year's Day and is celebrated from April 13th to April 15th. Some take it to another level and get dressed up in costumes and masks. If you are Thai, Songkran day (April 13th) is spent with family, honoring your elders, and heading to the Buddhist temple for merit making. Buy Tours & Tickets. As mentioned earlier, Songkran in Pattaya last an entire week and ends on April 19th, which in Wan Lai day. Save. Songkran is the Thai New Year's national holiday. How does the 12-hour clock system work? The holiday was originally postponed-but not cancelled-in March of this year due to fears of possibly spreading the Covid-19 Coronavirus. Thailand holidays 2022. The ‘Songkran Shirt’ is a colorful flower print reminiscent of Hawaiian shirts, and many people will be wearing them. Songkran. Only occurrence is Monday, July 27, 2020. asia Laos. In Phuket, Patong Beach is where the action is. Date Day Holiday; 2020: 13 Apr to 16 Apr: Mon to Thu: Songkran Festival (Cancelled) 27 Jul: Mon: Songkran Holiday: 4 Sep: Fri: Songkran Holiday: 7 Sep: Mon: Songkran Holiday: 2019: 13 Apr to 16 Apr: Sat to Tue: Songkran Festival: 2018: 12 Apr to 16 Apr: Thu to Mon: Songkran Festival: 2017: 13 Apr to 17 Apr: Thu to Mon: Songkran Festival There are many bars serving alcohol and DJ’s pumping out tunes. While most people are familiar sights of the water fights raging on the city streets and the festivities and revelries associated with today’s festival, the origins are from more stoic Buddhist traditions that date back hundreds of years and still practiced today. It is a huge celebration and national holiday in Thailand and great fun. Dates April 13–15, 2020. Buy tickets. Chiang Mai is probably the most popular spot for tourists to enjoy the Thailand Water Festival. For visitors to Thailand, you’ll most likely skip the religious events and head straight to the drinking, parties, and water fights. What is Songkran Updated 06/23/19. The Full Moon in March is the Worm Moon. This is the day where Thai and Buddhist traditions are observed. The Thai Water Festival, as Songkran is also known, can last longer than 3 days in areas like Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Pattaya. Songkran is on the 13 April every year, but the holiday period extends from 14 to 15 April. Khao San Road and Silom are the epicenter for Songkran activities in Bangkok. The new date for Songkran 2020 is currently unknown. Known as Pii Mai, it is a time for rebirth and purification. Pattaya does Songkran like no other city in Thailand. 1 year ago. Reply. The Songkran Festival Chiang Mai heralds in the Thai New Year with a mass of religious ceremonies held over 3 days to mark the beginning of the solar year. Bars will have large drums of water setup for people to reload their water guns, and many tourists will park themselves at the bars, drinking and having a good time as they soak passersby with water. Songkran is celebrated throughout Thailand between the 13th and 15th of April, but in Pattaya celebrations continue for even more days! 2. Other activities and events are held including beauty pageants, cultural shows, and parades. During this time, people pray at temples, hold ceremonies, and host parties. To be clear: Songkran 2020 is not cancelled. Thailand holidays 2021. Another common tradition is to spray people with water. Songkran Replacement Holiday is a public holiday. Another Songkran tradition is to wipe a white chalk mixture on people’s faces. If you’ve had enough of being drenched, head over to Bang Saen beach where they craft amazing sand castles and sculptures. Custom. Silom is where you want to go to see how the locals do it. When is Songkran? One of the longest holidays in Thailand, in 2020, Songkran will … Thai people prepare for the festival with seriousness and start to clean their homes and shrine Many local shops will close for several days during the Songkran … There are no upcoming dates for this event. Due to the current bleak situation of the COVID-19 outbreak, GCIRCUIT has decided to make the difficult decision to postpone SK2020 to next year. 1 year ago. Songkran, informally called "the Thailand water festival," is an annual event marking the start of the traditional Thai new year. It spans three days. Dates of Songkran Substitute Day around the world. Chakarin Wattanamongkol / Getty Images. Songkran in Chiang Mai is known to start as early as April 11th and water may still be flying on April 17th. New dates will be later announced well in advance later for the long holiday. Pattaya Bars Shutdown Over Covid-19 Coronavirus, The Best Travel Pillows To Help You Sleep On A Plane, Best Packing Cubes For Travel And Getting Organized. Most travelers to Thailand that want to experience water festival come for the latter. Header Image: NattapolStudiO / Shutterstock.com. History of Songkran People interested +21. The word "Songkran" comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti, … Some people even get started soaking people a little early, so be on the look out a day or two before the holiday officially begins. In 2019, the holiday was observed 12–16 April as 13 April fell on a Saturday. Published: April 13, 2020 Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year that runs over three days from April 13th – 15th. We’re sharing our decade plus worth of experience traveling to and living in Pattaya, so that you can enjoy the city at it’s best. In 1940, Thailand adopted January 1 as it’s official start to the New Year but the Songkran holiday continues to be celebrated as part of the cultural and Buddhist tradition of the country. From Bangkok to Chiang Mai and all places in between, the nation takes a few days off to celebrate and enjoy life. Songkran is celebrated each year from April 13th to April 15th celebrating Thailand's traditional New Years Day. Songkran in Chiang Mai can be enjoyable, in Pattaya it gets crazy, some people enjoy Songkran in Pattaya, I hate it, Songkran is the only time I avoid going to Pattaya. Songkran 2020. It’s a symbolic nod to the chalk used by Buddhist monks for blessing. 5. Songkran: National holiday: 2018: Fri: Apr 13: Songkran: National holiday: 2019: Sat: Apr 13: Songkran: National holiday: 2020: Mon: Apr 13: Songkran: Holiday Postponed: 2021: Tue: Apr 13: Songkran: National holiday: 2022: Wed: Apr 13: Songkran: National holiday: 2023: Thu: Apr 13: Songkran: National holiday: 2024: Sat: Apr 13: Songkran: National holiday: 2025: Sun: Apr 13: Songkran: National holiday: … For three days, up to a week in some areas, people take to the street with buckets of water, super soaker water guns, hoses, and anything else that will help them delight in dousing people with water. It’s only afterward that people take to the streets and start soaking each other with water and celebrating for days on end. The festival dates don’t change year to year it is always April 13th-15th.