“2008 Songkran Splendours” (13 locations)
1. Bangkok Songkran Festival Date: 12 – 15 April 2008
Venue: at 9 royal temples and around Rattanakosin Island
Hi-Light:
* Songkran Celebration of the 4 Regions   more...(southern section of Sanam Luang near Wat Phra Kaeo)
Bathing of Buddha images from the 4 regions, local food and dessert making demonstrations, and cultural shows from various regions.
Open Ceremony on 12th April 2008 18.00-21.00 hrs. at Wat Arun (Wat Chaeng)
* Paying worship at 9 royal temples around Rattanakosin Island. On 12-15 April 2008 09.00-18.00 hrs. : Wat Phra Sri Rattanasasadaram (Wat Phra Kaeo), Wat Chetaphon (Wat Pho), Wat Suthat, Wat Saket, Wat Bowonniwet, Wat Chanasongkram , Wat Rakung, Wat Arun (Wat Chaeng), and Wat Kalayanamitr. Participants will receive a Passport of the 9 temples at each public relations point of each temple. After receiving the stamp from all the temples, a coupon for a lucky prize will be given.
* Fun-filled splashing in traditional Thai dress, Khao San Road with various forms of Songkran fun, on 12-15 April 2008 at 07.00-18.00 hrs.
* Banglamphu community at Santi Chaiprakarn Park, Phra Athit Road and Wisut Kasat., on 12-13 April 2008
Further Information : Events Planning Division, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Tel. 02 250 5500 ext. 3470. TAT Call Center 1672 website : www.songkran.net  less

1. Bangkok Songkran Festival
Date: 12 – 15 April 2008
Venue: at 9 royal temples and around Rattanakosin Island
Hi-Light:
* Songkran Celebration of the 4 Regions (southern section of Sanam Luang near Wat   more...Phra Kaeo)
Bathing of Buddha images from the 4 regions, local food and dessert making demonstrations, and cultural shows from various regions.
Open Ceremony on 12th April 2008 18.00-21.00 hrs. at Wat Arun (Wat Chaeng)
* Paying worship at 9 royal temples around Rattanakosin Island. On 12-15 April 2008 09.00-18.00 hrs. : Wat Phra Sri Rattanasasadaram (Wat Phra Kaeo), Wat Chetaphon (Wat Pho), Wat Suthat, Wat Saket, Wat Bowonniwet, Wat Chanasongkram , Wat Rakung, Wat Arun (Wat Chaeng), and Wat Kalayanamitr. Participants will receive a Passport of the 9 temples at each public relations point of each temple. After receiving the stamp from all the temples, a coupon for a lucky prize will be given.
* Fun-filled splashing in traditional Thai dress, Khao San Road with various forms of Songkran fun, on 12-15 April 2008 at 07.00-18.00 hrs.
* Banglamphu community at Santi Chaiprakarn Park, Phra Athit Road and Wisut Kasat., on 12-13 April 2008
Further Information : Events Planning Division, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Tel. 02 250 5500 ext. 3470. TAT Call Center 1672 website : www.songkran.net
2. Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Songkran Festival
Date: 13 – 14 April 2008
Venue: Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park, Wihan Phramongkhon Bophit, and around the island city, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Activities : Making merit to the monks, releasing of birds and fish, paying homage to the elderly.
Hi-Light: on 13 April 2008
06.00 hrs. : Making merit to the monks at the front of Wihan Phramongkhon Bophit
14.00 hrs. : the grand procession of the Songkran tradition, enjoying splashing water with elephants at the old city.
Further Information : Education Division, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Municipality. Tel. 0 3525 2168. TAT Central Region Office : Region 6 (Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya), Tel. 0 3524 6076-7, 0 3532 2730-1
3. Chonburi Province
(3.1) Pattaya Songkran Festival (Wan Lai Fair)
Date: 18 – 19 April 2008
Venue: Pho Na Kleua Public Park, Chon Buri
Activities : Procession of the Buddha image for the people to bathe, along the Pattaya beach, local games, various arts and cultural performances, piling rice tradition, paying homage to the elderly, Miss Songkran Beauty Contest and enjoy splashing water along the beach of Pattaya.
Hi-Light: on 19 April 2008 at 08.00 hrs. : Procession of the Buddha image for the people to bathe and enjoying splashing water along the Pattaya beach.
Further Information : Pattaya City, Tel. 0 3837 1116-9, TAT Central Region Office : Region 3 (Chonburi), Tel. 0 3842 7667, 0 3842 8750
(3.2) Bangsaen Wan Lai Tradition
Date: 16 – 17 April 2008
Venue: Bangsaen Beach, Meuang District, Chon Buri
Activities : Giving alms to monks, paying homage to the elderly, local games competitions, sand Chedi building, and enjoying splashing water along the clean and white Bangsaen Beach.
Hi-Light: on 16 April 2008 : Sand Chedi building contest
Further Information : Saen Suk Municipality. Tel. 0 3838 5353-5, TAT Central Region Office : Region 3 (Chonburi), Tel. 0 3842 7667, 0 3842 8750
(3.3) Si Racha Songkran Festival and Piling Rice Ceremony
Date: 19 – 21 April 2008

Venue: Ko Loi Public Park, Si Racha District, Chon Buri

Activities : See a piling rice ceremony, a procession of bathing the Buddha image, procession and decoration of the piling rice vehicles, Thai arts and cultural show, demonstrations of various local sports and games, sand Chedi building contest, as well as splashing of water.

Hi-Light: A Procession and decoration of the piling rice vehicles.
Further Information : Si Racha Municipality. Tel. 0 3878 7947, TAT Central Region Office : Region 3 (Chonburi), Tel. 0 3842 7667, 0 3842 8750
(3.4) Ko Si Chang Songkran Festival
Date: 13 – 19 April 2008

Venue: Ko Si  less

walk to join the wettest party in the world, only stay at Lub d hostel, Silom, Bangkok

Deriving from the Sansakrit language, the word "Songkran" means to pass or to move into. In this context, the meaning implies to the passing and the moving of the sun, the moon and the other   more...planets into one of the zodiacal orbit. And the Grand Songkran Festival which falls on the Aries indicates the new era of the Thai New Year. Owing to the ancient Indian belief, the Grand Songkran Festival is most appropriate to be the Thai New Year due to the timing of the best season which is known as the spring of India which comes right after the cold season of winter. Also, there are other aspects supporting this belief such as the blooming flowers, the fresh atmosphere of the nature and the livelihood of all the living creatures.


With the great influence from the Indians, the Songkran Festival portrays the typical ways of life of the Thais which involve the agricultural aspects. Free from their regular routine work, the Thai citizens will find time to perform their annual rites of showing respect to their ancestors. The highlight of the festival will include the younger Thais paying respect to their elders by sprinkling their hands with scented water. And in order to welcome the New Year, the celebration will include the delighted colourful local entertainment which, in fact, suitably unite the mutual relationship between members of the family, the society, the nature and surrounding. Therefore, this Songkran Festival has proved to be the most important and grandest festival of the year. Moreover, our neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos have also organised this type of festival.


Since the old days during the Sukhothai period, the Songkran Festival had been practised both in the royal court palace and among the ordinary citizens. However, the size of the celebration had not been as elaborated as of today. Back in those days, civil servants and other government officials would pay homage to the king, and would drink the oath of allegiance to the king or the government, while the king would provide annual salary to all officials. Later on in Ayutthaya period, the festival had been expanded by including  less

Songkran or as it is now known as the Thai New Year started in Lanna around 700 hundred years ago. Then the Lanna Kingdom comprised of North and Northeast Thailand, parts of Laos, Burma and southern Yunnan   more...Province China. Songkran today is still celebrated in these areas except Burma where it has been banned by the military government there.
Songkran was not celebrated in the rest of Thailand until around the 1950’s. In Bangkok then most of the workers, as today, came from the north or northeast part of Thailand. When Songkran came around, April 13 – 15, most of the workers just left work and went to their villages for the New Year. For this reason the government and most businesses had to shut down for Songkran. For this reason this is now an official holiday in Thailand.
The meaning of water during Songkran is very important. Pouring water on each other and Buddha statues is to wash away the past and a cleansing for the future year. This started as just pouring water on the hands or on the shoulder of others with a small cup of water. This has now grown into the largest water fight on the planet.
Here is a short streaming video of the festival over a two day period. The first day, April 13, is the Songkran parade, which takes place on Muangchareon and Thapae roads at 2 PM and lasts around 3 hours. We then hit the streets to join the water fight mostly concentrated along the moat in the city center.  less

Songkran Festivel in Ubonratchathani.

snow festival

If u wanna know how Songkran heal Nick, come to join them at Silom Rd. Bangkok.

The Songkran Festival is by far the largest water fight on the planet. This was taken in Chiang Mai Thailand and happens every year April 13-15. You have to see this to believe it.

One of the best places to experience Songkran is in Khao San Road,Bangkok,Thailand,where it is celebrated on a grand scale with a flavour uniquely and entirely its own,attacting visitors from far and   more...wide.This year,Songkran Thai New Year festivities scheduled fro April 12-15,will be held at Khao San Road,in the vicinity of the city's gates and around the city moat.One of the highlights of the festival is the "Songkran Khao San Road Beauty Queen Procession" that takes place on Songkran Day itself-April 13.It is here that the visitor gets to see various aspects of Khao San Road,first hand,-its culture,cuisine,arts, and crafts as well as the friendly  less

cool

Songkran Festivel 2007 in Thailand,Ubonratchathani.

Songkran Feativel in Thailand,Ubonratchathani

get detail at http://uddee.spaces.live.com/

They were great. I love outdoor concerts.

http://www.unseentv.tv unseentv checks out the future music festival and gets down with the crowd and some wicked beats .... check out this awesome clip

Slaithwaite Moonraker Festival

Slaithwaite Moonraker Festival

moonraker festival 2009 paper lanterns through the streets music

Last Dance

Lynne and the musicians

Lynne (my daughter) dancing to the music

Last act of the day. It was then I noticed that Lynne was dancing. She's being blocked by her friend, so I moved to get more images.

The Three Sillies: A Children's Tale