Chanthaburi ignites night-time Songkran with spirited water fights

Chanthaburi’s Khao Thip Road was awash with festivities as the first night-time Songkran celebration in Thailand commenced at 8pm yesterday.

Tens of thousands of tourists flocked to engage in the water-splashing merriments, marking the start of the country’s traditional New Year.

The event, taking place along the Tha Chalaeb Road and encircling the public park lake of Somdet Phra Chao Tak Sin Municipality in Chanthaburi, saw a massive turnout of locals and visitors from all directions. They arrived to partake in the joyous splashing, which began with extraordinary vigour.

This year, the festivities were inaugurated by Chanthaburi’s governor, Monasitthi Paisalthanawat, along with government officials, under the banner of Auspicious Water Bathing, Songkran Night Festival, Chanthaburi Way.

As evening fell, the cheerful splashing of water under the night sky, or Night Songkran, continued with high spirits. People from within Chanthaburi, as well as neighboring provinces, began gathering from late afternoon, with many opting to mount large water tanks on pickup trucks, driving around the public park, contributing to the traffic congestion.

Meanwhile, the youth preferred to ride motorcycles and walk, dusting each other with flour on Khao Thip Road. Observations showed teenagers and young adults, dressed casually for the occasion, joining the water-fight festivities from the early evening.

Police officers established a command centre in the heart of Khao Thip Road to facilitate order and convenience for visitors, enforcing strict regulations against the consumption of alcoholic beverages within the event premises. Rescue workers from the Sawang Got Tanyu Tamathan Association in Chanthaburi set up points around the area, ready to assist in any incidents on both land and water around Thung Na Chey Lake.

Due to the water activities, traffic leading to the Prapokklao Hospital thickened, prompting the hospital to open an emergency route at the back entrance to cater to any urgent accidents.

The tradition of nighttime water splashing on Khao Thip Road in Chanthaburi was revived for the first time since the halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic, reported KhaoSod.

This year, attendance was expected to reach tens of thousands, possibly surpassing a hundred thousand, given the additional night of celebrations planned for tonight, promising a grand continuation of the festivities.