The government persuades Thai and foreign visitors to participate in the Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2024. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin opened ceremony of Rangnam’s Songkran Festival 2024 at Fountain Square, King Power Rangnam, Bangkok.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol invited Thai and foreign visitors to join the Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2024.
The ministry, Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Interior Ministry and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the National Soft Power Strategy Committee are sponsored to organise the festival.
“In Bangkok, from April 11-15 along Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue and at Sanam Luang, there will be the Maha Songkran Parade between April 11-12, featuring 20 grand processions and more than 1,000 performers. The festival is organized between 13.00 PM to 24.00 PM.”
She said the opening ceremony of Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2024 will be launched today at 20.00 PM at Sanam Luang.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said throughout the five days, Sanam Luang will be the main location for the festival with cultural and musical performances, including Khon masked drama as well as contemporary and orchestra performances.
Splash activities will be at the water zone with a musical dancing fountain, water tunnel, gigantic wading pool and water station.
southern regions of Thailand will be on display at a dedicated zone. There are also DIY workshops of local arts and handicrafts from the five regions, including Muay Thai Maha Songkran and Thai summer dishes on offer.
There would be concerts such as MILLI, 4EVE, Sefeplanet, telexTELEX, New Country. Other activities include big water domes, floats and drone flying shows and a fair selling local products from across the country everyday.
On April 13, there will be a merit-making ceremony, including the Song Nam Phra ritual of purifying a Buddha image with scented water and the Rot Nam Dam Hua ritual, where young people will wash the feet or hands of elders with scented water.
The parade will be followed by distinctive Songkran traditions of 16 provinces: Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Chon Buri, Samut Prakan and Nakhon Si Thammarat whose unique traditions Thailand is preparing to enlist as “Intellectual Property Festivals”; Nong Khai, Buri Ram, Nakhon Phanom,Loei, Phitsanulok, Songkhla, Ayutthaya, , Lampang, Sukhothai, Chiang Rai and Phuket.
Other grand processions include KOL Influencer, LGBT Parade and “Soft Power”, which features fashion, games, films and series, and festivals.
The Songkran festival in Bangkok and Chiang Mai is the most popular among foreign visitors that is organised between April 11-15, before wrapping up with the “Wan Lai” festival in Chon Buri from April 19-21, which is known for a later water festival than other provinces.
However, Ms Sudawan said water-splashing during the Songkran festival will not continue for the whole month of planned celebrations, as earlier announced in February that Songkran activities would be organized from April 1-21.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin authorized the ministry to inform Thai and foreign visitors after Chinese visitors showed disappointment that water splashing was not continued through the month.
Today Prime Minister presides over the opening ceremony of Rangnam’s Songkran Festival 2024 at Fountain Square, King Power Rangnam, Bangkok.
