2027 Songkran

Songkran, celebrated April 13–15, is the traditional Thai New Year and the country's most famous festival. It began as a gentle ritual of pouring scented water over Buddha images and the hands of elders to wash away the old year and receive blessings, and has grown into nationwide water fights with buckets, hoses and water guns — Bangkok's Khao San Road and Silom, and Chiang Mai's old city moat, are the biggest party zones. Families also visit temples, build sand pagodas and return to their home towns, making it a peak travel period. Expect to get soaked; keep phones in waterproof pouches. This countdown ticks to midnight Bangkok time on April 13.