Songkran in Bangkok
Bangkok’s Thai New Year moves between temple merit-making, family and elder rituals, and exuberant public water celebrations from 13 to 15 April.
2027 dates
- Venue
- Temples and public spaces across Bangkok; official 2027 programme venue to be announced
- Where to plan around
- Citywide; official 2027 celebration zones to be announced
- Access
- Temple observances and public water celebrations are generally open. Access rules, street closures and ticketed programmes vary by venue and will follow for 2027.
- Official information
- Visit Thailand.go.th ↗
The Banquet note
Songkran takes its name from a calendrical transition and marks the traditional Thai New Year. UNESCO’s 2023 inscription emphasizes reunion, respect for elders and ancestors, merit-making and good fortune. Families clean homes, offer food to monks, bathe Buddha images and perform rod nam dam hua, pouring water respectfully for elders and requesting a blessing. That measured use of water supplies the cultural grammar for the joyous public splashing that now fills parts of Bangkok.
Start dry. Visit a temple in clothing that covers shoulders and knees, make merit if you are invited to, then change before you walk into a water zone. Silom, Siam and Khao San have hosted the big public celebrations; the city’s flagship Maha Songkran stage moved between Ratchadamnoen, Sanam Luang and Benjakitti Park from 2024 to 2026, so do not book a hotel around last year’s map. April heat in Bangkok is serious. Drink water, plan an indoor hour, and treat uninvited soaking of strangers as poor manners even when the street is full of pistols.
Plan it well
Choose refundable lodging near BTS or MRT, not a previous festival street. Pack a dry temple outfit in a waterproof bag. Recheck TAT and Bangkok traffic notices in March 2027 before you promise anyone a specific corner.