Independent guide. No tour company, hotel or ticket seller owns this site. Facts last checked 12 Oct 2026
Thai New Year · Songkran 2027
Songkran 2027 is Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 April
Where to splash, where to stay dry, what is allowed, and what has not been announced yet. City by city, day by day, with a source and a check date on every fact.
How wet do you want to get?
Pick one and we will show you the streets, events and times that suit you.
178 days to go until 13 April 2027
Tue
13
Maha Songkran
Wed
14
Wan Nao
Thu
15
Wan Thaloeng Sok
Confirmed Public and bank holidays Tue 13 to Thu 15 April 2027. They do not join a weekend. Bank of Thailand notice 37/2569, Royal Gazette 25 Aug 2026.
Not announced An extra bridge day (Mon 12 or Fri 16 April). In past years the cabinet decided this between January and March.
Not announced Bangkok’s main TAT festival venue, S2O 2027 and the 2027 Nang Songkran.
Checked 12 Oct 2026. We check again every week until April.
When is Songkran? The official holidays by year
The national holiday is always 13 to 15 April. Water play in each city can start earlier and end later, so check the day planner below.
2027 Tue 13 – Thu 15 April · No weekend link. Bridge day not announced. Confirmed
2026 Mon 13 – Wed 15 April · Five days off, Sat 11 – Wed 15 April Past
2028 13 – 15 April (Thu – Sat) · Depends on substitute days Not announced
Only on this site
Day planner: where the water is, 10 to 19 April
Each city has its own days. Pattaya’s biggest day comes four days after the national holiday. Until a city announces its 2027 programme, we show the dates it used in 2026. Holiday
Sat 10 Apr
Chiang Mai: festival season under way
Hat Yai: Midnight Songkran starts
Sun 11 Apr
Bangkok: TAT festival opens
Chiang Mai: moat splashing starts
Phuket: Phuket Water Festival
Khon Kaen: Bueng Kaen Nakhon festival
Hat Yai: Midnight Songkran
Mon 12 Apr
Bangkok: Silom opens
Chiang Mai: moat
Phuket: Phuket Water Festival
Hat Yai: Midnight Songkran
Tue 13 Apr
National holiday
Bangkok: Silom, Khao San, TAT festival
Chiang Mai: Phra Singh procession
Phuket: Bangla Road closed from noon
Khon Kaen: Khao Niao Road opens
Hat Yai: last night
Wed 14 Apr
National holiday
Bangkok: Silom’s last day, Khao San
Chiang Mai: moat
Khon Kaen: Khao Niao Road
Thu 15 Apr
National holiday
Bangkok: Khao San’s last day, TAT festival ends
Chiang Mai: last official day
Khon Kaen: Khao Niao Road ends
Fri 16 Apr
Chon Buri: Bang Saen Wan Lai
Sat 17 Apr
Chon Buri: Bang Saen Wan Lai, Pattaya beach festival
Chiang Mai: season ends
Sun 18 Apr
Pattaya: Naklua Wan Lai, beach festival
Mon 19 Apr
Pattaya: Wan Lai: Beach Road closed
Shown on the dates each city used in 2026 until it announces 2027. Sources: TAT, the Ministry of Culture, the Government Public Relations Department, Pattaya City and city municipalities. Some 2026 times are still being checked against a second source.
Ask Songkran
Ask anything about Songkran 2027
The answer comes only from the facts on this site. Every number links to its source and shows when we last checked it. If we have not checked something yet, it says so.
Try:
Example answer
Is Songkran 2027 a long weekend?
Not as things stand. The official holidays are Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 April 2027 [1], and they do not join a weekend [1]. The cabinet sometimes adds a bridge day; for 2027 none has been announced yet [2]. If Monday 12 or Friday 16 is added, you would get a five-day break.
[1] Songkran holidays 2027: 13–15 April. Bank of Thailand notice 37/2569. Checked 12 Oct 2026.
[2] Extra holiday for Songkran 2027: not announced. Checked 12 Oct 2026.
General information, not legal advice.
The big events: what happened in 2026, what we know for 2027
Each card shows the 2027 status. When a programme is announced, the card switches to 2027 and the alert list hears first.
Hotel links go to Klook. We may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
Some splash 2027: not announced
Maha Songkran World Water Festival
The government’s flagship festival in Bangkok, run by TAT: a water zone, food from every region, concerts and a drone show.
2026: 11–15 April, Benchakitti Park. Free. Water zone 16:00–22:00. BTS Asok or MRT Queen Sirikit.
Source: TAT News · Checked 12 Oct 2026
Full splash 2027: not announced
Silom Road
Bangkok’s official water street in the business district, closed to traffic, with screening at the entrances.
2026: 12–14 April. Free. Water play 13:00–21:00. No alcohol, powder or high-pressure guns.
Some details on this card are being checked against a second source.
Source: Khaosod English · Checked 12 Oct 2026
Full splash 2027: not announced
Khao San Road
Packed, loud and very wet. It became Thailand’s first official Songkran street in 1992.
2026: 13–15 April. Free. Roads closed 12:00–24:00 and the water stops at 22:00. One-way crowd flow.
Some details on this card are being checked against a second source.
Source: Thairath · Checked 12 Oct 2026
Full splash 2027: not announced
S2O Songkran Music Festival
Bangkok’s big ticketed EDM festival, with water cannons over the crowd.
2026: 11–13 April, S2O Land, Ratchadaphisek. Day pass from 2,100 THB. Age 20 and over.
Some details on this card are being checked against a second source.
Source: S2O, Time Out · Checked 12 Oct 2026
Get ticket alerts below ↓
Full splash 2027: not announced
Chiang Mai old city moat
Buckets from the moat around Tha Phae Gate. The moat water was tested in 2026 and declared safe for skin contact.
2026: Official days 13–15 April; splashing starts around 11 April. Alcohol-free zone.
Some details on this card are being checked against a second source.
Source: Time Out Chiang Mai · Checked 12 Oct 2026
Some splash 2027: not announced
Phra Phuttha Sihing procession, Chiang Mai
The revered Buddha image is carried through the city so people can pour water on it for luck.
2026: 13 April, from Wat Phra Singh. Free.
Source: Thai PBS World · Checked 12 Oct 2026
Some splash 2027: not announced
Elephant Splashing Festival, Ayutthaya
Painted elephants splash the crowd in the old capital, an easy day trip from Bangkok.
2026: 13–15 April, Sri Sanphet Road. Free.
Source: Government Public Relations Dept · Checked 12 Oct 2026
Full splash 2027: not announced
Wan Lai, Pattaya
Pattaya’s own Songkran comes after everyone else’s, with Beach Road closed for the day.
2026: Peak day 19 April. Beach Road closed 12:00–24:00. Bang Saen 16–17, Naklua 18 April.
Some details on this card are being checked against a second source.
Source: Pattaya Mail, Khaosod · Checked 12 Oct 2026
Full splash 2027: not announced
Khao Niao Road, Khon Kaen
About three kilometres of Si Chan Road given over to water play.
2026: 13–15 April. Free.
Source: Thairath · Checked 12 Oct 2026
Full splash 2027: not announced
Midnight Songkran, Hat Yai
Water play from midday to midnight in the south’s biggest city, with crowds from Malaysia.
2026: 10–13 April. Niphat Uthit 3 and Thamnunvithi roads.
Some details on this card are being checked against a second source.
Source: Pattaya Mail · Checked 12 Oct 2026
Stay dry 2027: not announced
Saneh Art by Songkran
An outdoor art trail on the Songkran theme: a calm way to see the festival in Bangkok.
2026: Through April in a Bangkok park; sources disagree on which park.
Some details on this card are being checked against a second source.
Source: TAT, The Nation · Checked 12 Oct 2026
Very few events are dry by design. Temples in the early morning, shopping malls and indoor shows are your best bet.
The official 2026 calendar listed 66 major events across Thailand. We are adding them to the site one by one, with sources.
Where to celebrate
The places with the biggest or most distinctive Songkran. Dates shown are the 2026 ones until each city announces 2027.
Hotel links go to Klook. We may earn a commission if you book; it costs you nothing extra and never decides what we list.
Chiang Mai
from about 11 Apr
The most traditional big-city Songkran, around the old city moat.
Hua Hin
12–13 Apr
A smaller seaside Songkran with a 200-metre water tunnel (being checked).
Rules and fines
What applied in 2026, with the source for each line. Rules for 2027 are usually set in the weeks before the festival; we update this list as each one is announced.
No powder or paint Verified
Safe zones and main water streets, such as Khao San and Silom. Penalty: No fine amount found yet.
No high-pressure water guns Being checked
Nationwide guidance, 2026. Penalty: Up to 4,000 THB fine or up to 2 years in prison.
No alcohol in official zones Being checked
Silom, Khao San Road, Chiang Mai moat (2026). Penalty: Set by each zone.
Drink-driving limit 50 mg% Verified
Nationwide (20 mg% under 20 or on a temporary licence). Penalty: First offence: up to 1 year in prison and/or 5,000–20,000 THB.
No splashing moving vehicles Being checked
Nationwide (Royal Thai Police, 2026). Penalty: If it causes a death: up to 10 years in prison.
Sources: Royal Thai Police, Bangkok city hall, Thairath and The Nation (2026 guidance), and the Land Traffic Act. Checked 12 Oct 2026.
The roads are the real danger
Thailand counts road accidents over the “seven dangerous days” of Songkran every year. Most crashes involve motorcycles. Wet roads, water thrown at riders and drink-driving make it worse.
Don’t ride a scooter during the festival days, especially after dark.
Never throw water at anyone on a moving bike or in a moving car.
Seal your phone and passport in a waterproof pouch.
April is the hottest month: Bangkok’s normal daily high is 35.6 °C.
242
deaths, 2026
1,242
accidents, 2026
1,200
injured, 2026
2026 10–16 Apr · 1,242 accidents · 1,200 injured · 242 deaths
2025 11–17 Apr · 1,538 accidents · 1,495 injured · 253 deaths
Source: Road Safety Command Center, final seven-day totals. In 2025, 83% of accidents involved motorcycles (being checked). Checked 12 Oct 2026.
Songkran without the soaking
Travelling with small children, older parents, a wheelchair or a camera? You can still enjoy the festival.
With kids
Daytime events, shaded spots, and how to keep little ones out of the crush.
With older parents
13 April is also National Elderly Day. Temple ceremonies where elders are honoured, not splashed.
Staying dry
The quiet streets, the hours when the water stops, and getting from your hotel to dinner dry.
What Songkran means
A solar new year, not a water fight
Songkran comes from the Sanskrit word for a passage. It marks the sun moving into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac. Pouring water stands for cleansing, respect and good luck for the year ahead.
UNESCO added Songkran to its list of the world’s intangible cultural heritage in 2023.
Say “Sawasdee Pi Mai”: Happy New Year.
13 April · Maha Songkran Day
The sun enters Aries. Also National Elderly Day.
14 April · Wan Nao
The day in between. Family Day. People carry sand to temples and avoid harsh words.
15 April · Wan Thaloeng Sok
The new year begins. Merit-making, and Rod Nam Dam Hua: pouring scented water over elders’ hands to ask their blessing.
Sources: UNESCO, Thairath and the Thailand Foundation. Checked 12 Oct 2026.
Beyond Thailand
The same new year is celebrated across the Mekong region, and Thai communities hold Songkran events around the world.
Myanmar · Thingyan
Holidays 13–16 April in 2026 (being checked)
Laos · Pi Mai
14–16 April in 2026 (being checked)
Cambodia · Choul Chnam Thmey
14–16 April in 2026 (being checked)
Sri Lanka · Aluth Avurudda
13–14 April in 2026 (being checked)
Songkran near you
Los Angeles, USA Thai Town, Hollywood Blvd · 26 April 2026 · free 2027 not announced
London, UK Buddhapadipa Temple, Wimbledon · 11–12 April 2026 (being checked) 2027 not announced
Brisbane, Australia Wat Thai Buddharam, Forestdale · 26 April 2026 2027 not announced
More cities are added as organisers announce their 2027 dates and we check them.
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Questions people ask
When is Songkran 2027?
The official holidays are Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 April 2027. Some cities start water play a day or two earlier, and Pattaya’s Wan Lai comes later, around 16 to 19 April.
Is Songkran a lunar new year?
No. Songkran follows the sun: it marks the sun moving into Aries. That is why it falls on the same dates every year.
Where is the biggest water fight in Bangkok?
Silom Road and Khao San Road are the official water-play streets. In 2026 the main government festival moved from Sanam Luang to Benchakitti Park.
Will I get wet if I just walk around?
In the main water areas, yes: anyone on the street is fair game. Away from them, and early in the morning, you can stay mostly dry.