Songkran or Water Festival is Thai New Year captures the imagination of travellers for both its cultural and fun attributes; the latter being enthusiastic bouts of water splashing between friends and relatives.

In Bangkok, the Songkran Water Festivals 2011 will be held between Date 11 and 18 April around the Rattanakosin Island district.

The main celebrations, in the capital, focus on bathing rites of replicas of revered Buddha images originating from various provinces in the North, South, East and central regions, interspersed with traditional food and dessert-making demonstrations and cultural performances.

The opening ceremony will take place, 11 April 2011, at Phra Chetupon Wimol Manklaram or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.

An occasion for family reunions and temple visits, Songkran begins with the “Rod Nam Dum Hua” ritual which is officially called the National Elderly Day. This ritual involves young people pouring fragrant water into the elders’ palms as a sign of humility and to ask for their blessings. Another important ritual during this water festival is bathing the Buddha, where worshipers pour fragrant water over Buddha statues at the temples and at homes. People in Thailand also splash water at each other to symbolically wash off all misfortunes.

There are also important celebrations through the country at various tourist destinations:
• Old City Songkran Festival, Ayutthaya
• Songkran Festival, Chon Buri
• Amazing Songkran, Suphan Buri
• Phra Pradaeng Songkran Festival, Samut Prakarn
• Songkran Festival, Chiang Mai
• Songkran Festival, Sukhothai
• Fantastic Northeast Songkran, Golden Shower Tree and ‘Kan’ Festival and Sticky Rice Road in Khon Kaen
• Grand Northeast Songkran Festival, Nong Khai
• Songkran Nakhon Phnom and Thai-Lao New Year Celebration
• Hat Yai Midnight Songkran, Songkhla
• Grand Songkran Festival and ‘Nang Dan’ Parade, Nakhon Si Thammarat
• Songkran on the Beach

Budget Hotels in Thailand for This Water Festival 2011