Songkran — Thai New Year (April 13–15)

Songkran is Thai New Year, celebrated April 13–15 each year (sometimes extending into the 11th–17th depending on official holiday declarations). It's the country's biggest holiday — and the world's largest water fight. Streets fill with people armed with water guns, hoses, and buckets; getting drenched is the entire point.

The shape of the festival: - Day 1 (April 13): religious morning — pouring scented water on Buddha images and elders' hands as a blessing. Afternoon: streets get wet. - Day 2 (April 14): peak water fights, especially in Khao San, Silom, RCA, Sukhumvit, and Chiang Mai. - Day 3 (April 15): continues but slightly tamer; many businesses reopen.

For travelers:

If you want to be in it: - Khao San Road, Silom Road, RCA, Sukhumvit Soi 4, and Chiang Mai's old city moat are the biggest party zones in Thailand. Plan your hotel near (not on) one of these for easy access. - Wear quick-dry clothes (or just swimsuit + flip-flops). Everything you carry will get wet. Use a waterproof phone pouch (sold at every 7-Eleven during Songkran for ~50 baht). - Carry minimal cash in a sealed plastic bag, or rely on tap-to-pay where possible. Wallets, phones, and cameras get destroyed. - It's a friendly festival — water is thrown with a smile, often paired with handfuls of white menthol-paste smeared on your face ("good luck"). Embrace it.

If you want to avoid it: - Don't book April 13–15 for a quiet trip. Even if you stay in your room, getting from hotel to airport is an obstacle course. - Hotels in Asok, Phrom Phong, Ari, Riverside (away from the water-fight epicenters) are quieter but traffic is brutal city-wide because of holiday crowds. - Many restaurants close or run reduced hours. Many small shops shut for the full 3 days. - Tourist sights (Grand Palace, Wat Pho) close on the public-holiday days. Verify each year's exact closures.

Practical: - Hotel rates surge by 30–80% during Songkran. Book 6+ months ahead if you want a specific hotel. - Flights into BKK and DMK are packed with Thai people returning home — book early. - April is also the hottest month of the year (35–38°C, 90% humidity). The water fight is partly a cultural response to the heat. Songkran without the water would be unbearable.

For specific traveler types: - Families with young kids: the water fight is fun but overwhelming. Stay slightly outside the epicenter (Asok, Sathorn) and dip in for an hour during the daytime, then escape. - Wellness solo travelers: most spas and yoga studios close. Reschedule the trip if possible; the city is not in wellness mode this week. - Foodies: street food becomes scarce as vendors join the festival. Restaurants reopen earliest on Day 3. - Business travelers: government and most offices closed. Expect April 12–17 to be effectively non-business.

When the agent should reference this: any plan that overlaps April 11–17 dates. Surface proactively — it materially changes the trip. Either suggest leaning into Songkran (Khao San hotel + waterproof gear) or shifting dates if the user wanted a quiet wellness trip.