April 13 is the traditional Thai New Year's Day, which is celebrated by the Thai people throughout the country from the old to the young and from the royalty to the ordinary people. Apart from water splashing, which is the best-known symbol of the Songkran Festival, Thai people also celebrate the festival with many other joyous activities. It is indeed the country's merriest festival.
Although this festival covers one week or more in some rural areas, the highlight of the festival is between April 13 and 15. Renowned as the most fun-filled festival, Songkran is thus a great time for foreign tourists in Thailand to enjoy the water fights and experience distinctive cultural activities in a delightful atmosphere.

Background of the Festival
Thailand adopted this tradition from the ancient Brahmins in India who believed that the sun re-entered Aries and finished its orbit round the Earth on April 13. In northern India, April is the beginning of spring when the trees start to bud and bloom and the hibernating animals come out to find food. So, for the ancient Indian people, April was a sign of new life and marked the beginning of a new year. That is why they observed (some still do) their New Year's Day on April 13.
The Thais, who began their cultural relations with the Indians even before their recorded history, readily inherited this tradition partly because they were free from farm work during this period. This occasion is called "Songkran" by the Thais and "Songkranti" by the Indians, a Sanskrit word meaning the sun's re-entering the first sign of the zodiac.

How the Thais Celebrate Songkran
In Thailand, this festival is generally celebrated for three days from 13 to 15 April. Before the celebrations, people will clean their houses in the hope of casting away any bad luck of the old year, so that good fortune will slip into their new lives instead. Food and sweets will be prepared in advance for merit making and for entertaining guests.
In some northern rural areas, explosive sounds and loud noises will be made to chase the ghosts away. Candles will be lit and piles of wood will be burned in front of the houses on New Year's Eve to shine the way for the spirits, which old people believe will come out of their places on that night.
The Songkran celebrations will begin with food presentation to the monks who will walk along the streets in the early morning to receive food and other offerings. But some people will bring food to the temples nearby for the monks. And after that they may free birds or fish as a way of merit making too.
In big cities like Bangkok or Chiang Mai, the most revered Buddha image will be carried in a procession along the streets to an open space for people to sprinkle scented water on to show their veneration. In many places, the highlight of the festival is a grand procession of floral floats carrying Miss Songkran (the beauty queen) and other beautiful girls dressed in traditional Thai costumes.
One of the activities for young people to do is to visit and convey their best wishes to their elders by pouring water on them or their palms, and the elders will give blessings to them in return. After this, it is time for children and young people to have a good time in water throwing, dancing and folk games.

The Significance of Water
Some readers may wonder why water is used as a means of greetings, blessing and showing respect in the Songkran Festival. In fact, water is used for such purposes not only at the Songkran Festival, but also at other Thai traditional rites, such as weddings and funerals. The reason is that the Thais in olden times held that water was a pure thing which was able to wash all kinds of evil and misfortune away and bring good luck and happiness with it. From what appears on the surface, the Songkran Festival is called the Water Festival by some foreigners.

Songkran as a Family Bond
In former times when transportation was difficult, Songkran Day was specially significant to the Thai people. Because, in addition to its importance as New Year's Day, when boys and girls had a chance to meet one another and children had a lot of fun, Songkran, like Christmas Day of the Westerners and the Spring Festival of the Chinese, means the day when members of a family, usually scattered in far away places, have a chance to stay, enjoy and celebrate together in a family reunion.

Where to Celebrate
The Songkran Festival is celebrated nationwide from 13-15 April. But in some areas they celebrate the festival later than normal. Major places famous for their grand celebrations are:

Bangkok
Khao San Road, a mecca for backpackers and budget travelers, is one of the most popular places in Bangkok to enjoy the Songkran Festival. Throngs of Thai people, especially teenagers, come here to enjoy the water battle with foreign tourists, carrying water guns of all shapes and sizes and shooting at each other joyfully and tirelessly.
Silom Road is another place that celebrates Songkran on a grand scale. During the Songkran Festival, Silom Road will be closed from late afternoon till night for water splashing activity. Splashing water at Silom is exceptionally cool because there is a BTS train track above, acting as a large sun shade. Like Khaosan Road, it is very crowded with both Thai and foreign visitors. One advantage of this place is that you can easily go to Silom by getting on the BTS Sky Train or the MRT subway.

Samut Prakan (19-21 April)
Phra Pradaeng is adjacent to the outskirts of Bangkok. It is easily accessible by buses No.82 and No.506. During the Songkran Festival, the city provides tourists with local entertainments like a beauty contest, cultural performances, a demonstration of traditional desserts and the saba game.
Ancient City is where you can experience Songkran celebrations amidst the replicas of important and beautiful tourist attractions of Thailand.

Chon Buri (16-17 April)
There are two main places in Chon Buri where you can enjoy the festival. They are along Bang Saen Beach and Bang Phra Beach. Here this event is called 'Wan Lai' Songkran Festival. The Wan Lai Festival at both places feature making merit at temples, building sand pagodas, watching cultural performances and beauty contests, as well as the water-throwing sessions.

Pattaya (18-20 April)
The festival includes offering alms to monks, pouring scented water on the Buddha image and elders, enjoying folk plays, entertainment, and getting a refreshing fun splashing water on each other along the beach.

Chiang Mai
In Chiang Mai town, a grand-scale celebration is held annually. The festival includes a procession of Phra Phuttha Sihing, a highly revered Buddha image, around the city. People on both sides of the road sprinkle fragrant water on the Buddha image. Other main activities are pouring water onto the elders' hands, building sand-pagodas at the temples, and watching cultural performances and folk games. Of course, the most fun part is water throwing.

Khonkaen
The most famous Songkran celebrations in the Northeast takes place in Khon Kaen. The festival features ox-cart processions decorated with flowers and beauty pageants. It is grandly celebrated on Khao Niao Road (Sticky Rice Road), similar to Bangkok's Khao San Road, where you can throw water as well as join in folk dances with the local people.

Phuket
Here the celebrations are mainly held at two areas -- Patong Beach for enjoyable water splashing and the Phuket town area for flowers parades, dancing and cultural shows, and the Miss Songkran Contest. The most enjoyable activity is splashing water at Patong Beach.