€£$
по-русскиen Español (pronto)
enter
1511things to do
in the world
240things to do
in Thailand
114things to do
in Phuket

Celebrate Songkran New Yearin Phuket, Thailand

#3of 114 things to doin Phuket

Oddviser

adventure's step-by-step
recipes & lifehacks
How to ride a board on volcano in Nicaragua?How to walk inside the active volcano in Greece?How to feed flying dogs in the jungles of Thailand?How to cycle along the Great Wall of China?How to swim in the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome?How to ride a kayak along the canals of Venice?How to walk on the roofs of skyscrapers in Dubai?
Join usit's more fun together :)
The tradition of impetuous water splashing during this holiday not only cheers up but is believed to purify souls.
How to celebrate Songkran New Year in Phuket
Once in Thailand, somewhere in the middle of April, an uninitiated traveler might think that he witnesses the grandest Neptune's day in his life. In fact, this is how the Thai people celebrate Songkran. This holiday marks the transition from the hot to the rainy season – hence the tradition in these days (usually from 13 to 15 April) to pour water on all and sundry.

In the past, people used to take bowls of water, go outside and lightly spray all passers-by. Nowadays this custom has turned into a water madness! The Thai splash water from water pistols, woks and even buckets! Pickup trucks with whole water tanks in their baskets drive along the streets! To make the fun even more thrilling they sometimes add paint or ice in the water.

As a variation of the tradition of water splashing the Thai people sometimes coat passers-by with talc, which leaves a pleasant coolness on the skin. It is believed that pouring water purifies the soul and brings good luck, whereas coating with talc (they used to use white clay before) is a way to protect people from all dirt and filth.

Thus, Songkran is not just an insanely happy holiday, but also a good training for the mind and body!

Tips and hints

if you are caught in water splashing, hide all your electronic devices in waterproof packages, otherwise your mood will be spoiled because of a broken camera or phone.

Reviews

Guest08 December 2024

More things to do in Phuket

DMARC CheckGet instant DMARC check on DmarcDkim.comadvertisement

DMARC allows you to discover, monitor, and fix weak spots in your email setup, prevent email spoofing, and increase email deliverability. Is your domain vulnerable?

#16Walking on the ceiling in the upside down house in PhuketWalking on the ceiling in the upside down houseoddviser

Here you can walk on the ceiling of the house capturing this on the most unusual photos!

340Upside down house
#11Ride a quad bike in the jungle in PhuketRide a quad bike in the jungleoddviser

Extreme quad biking in the jungle will be a bright flash back of Thailand.

800Phuchada Safari Park
#27Feed the tiger cubs in PhuketFeed the tiger cubsoddviser

Here you can pet the adult tigers, play with the cubs and even give them milk.

1000The Tiger Kingdom zoo
#2Feed the Megabat in PhuketFeed the MegabatEugene Krasowski

Find the flock of megabats and get the fruit snacks ready (their favorites are mango, papaya and avocado).

FREE
#8See cockfights in PhuketSee cockfightsАй Хантер

Fierce battles of bellicose birds are not meant for everyone’s eyes, but the stakes in these battles reach incredible heights.

FREE
#17Find a tridacna in PhuketFind a tridacnaEugene Krasowski

Tridacna is a giant clam that produces pearls, and will impress the most experienced adventurers with its outstanding size.

FREE
#76Staying in the haunted hotel in PhuketStaying in the haunted hotelАй Хантер

Have a walk through the haunted hotel which will soon succumb to the wilderness of the jungle.

FREEThe Haunted Peninsula Hotel
#75Pay for a tile to support the construction of Big Buddha in PhuketPay for a tile to support the construction of Big Buddhaoddviser

Write a good message for your darlings on a marble tile that one day will become part of the magnificent temple.

300Big Buddha
#10See a mudskipper in PhuketSee a mudskipperoddviser

All fish swim and don't show off. But these fish are an exception - they run, jump and even climb trees. Try to find it!

FREESirinat National Park
#68Try Yadong liquor in PhuketTry Yadong liquoroddviser

This is a very rare and exotic national Thai herb liqueur with a pleasant taste and aroma.

#21Try fried ice cream in PhuketTry fried ice creamoddviser

In Phuket you can try out an unusual, but very tasty dessert that will impress any sweets lover.

20Sam Kong Ice-cream Cafe
Know more things to do?Guest

Share your ideas of what to do in Phuket with other travellers — together we'll make our travellings more interesting!