Chinese tourist asks govt when 21-day Songkran Festival begins

When does the 21-day Songkran Festival in Thailand begin? A Chinese tourist raised the question as he launched a video of himself getting ready for a water fight in Bangkok without any Songkran events, asking the Thai government when it would start.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, along with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and the National Soft Power Strategy Committee have joined hands to launch the Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2024. This initiative aims to elevate the status of the Thai festival to one of the top 10 international festivals.

The authorities are intending to prolong the Songkran Festival from its usual three-day duration, spanning from April 13 to 15, to a more extensive 21-day celebration starting from April 1. They anticipate an influx of approximately 510,000 foreign tourists during the festival period, which is expected to contribute over 8.7 billion baht to the country’s economy.

Anticipation among both locals and foreigners is high for the festive water splashing, exemplified by the excitement of a Chinese tourist captured in a video. This footage was shared by the Twitter account SleeplessBKK on April 15.

“This Chinese tourist shared the video to criticise Thailand for over-promoting the 21-day Songkran Festival. He came to the country to join the water splash events, but no events are being held, and no one seems enthusiastic about the festival yet. He would like to ask the Thai PM whether they deceived tourists or not. Think big, act smart… Such a shame!”

The Chinese man in the video is seen getting ready for a water fight. He was adorned in a colourful costume, wearing safety goggles, and holding a water gun. He was standing outside Terminal 21, a popular shopping mall in the city centre, but no events took place.

“Songkran Festival begins! Let’s go! Who should I splash with water? The festival starts from April 1 to 21, right? This is not what I expected. I am getting ready for it. This does not seem like the start of the festival. I hope Thailand can explain this to me.”

Thais question

The Twitter post garnered over 5,700 likes, 11,00 reposts, and nearly 200 comments, mainly from Thai netizens. Some raised the same question as the Chinese man about when and where the 21-day Songkran Festival began, and others complained about the government for their unplanned policy.

However, many netizens shared information from news agencies in the comments, saying the 21-day Songkran Festival began on April 1 in Chiang Mai and will start in Bangkok on April 11. This was why the Chinese man could not see any events.

A local living in Chiang Mai assured in the comment section that some people began gathering and having meals together in their homes, and some enjoyed water fights with friends and families in the evening.

According to the event schedule launched by the TAT yesterday, the very first event took place in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen between April 8 and 15. This event is called Songkran Isaan, Dok Koon, Sieng Khan, and Khao Niew Road.

People will be able to enjoy the festival until April 23 at two festivals, including Songkran in Pra Pradaeng in Samut Prakarn province between April 21 and 23 and Wanlai Festival in Chon Buri province between April 16 and 23.

Based on this recent event calendar, the Songkran Festival in Thailand will be available from April 8 to 23 which is 16 days in total.

นักท่องเที่ยวจีนโพสคลิปประจานประเทศไทยออกข่าวใหญ่โตว่าจะจัดงานมหาสงกรานต์ 21 วัน เขาเลยบินมาเล่นน้ำสงกรานต์ ปรากฎว่ามาถึง ไม่มีใครเล่นสงกรานต์กันเลย เขาฝากถามไปถึง @Thavisin @ingshin ว่านี่คือการหลอกลวงนักท่องเที่ยวหรือเปล่า 😂😂😂
น่าขายหน้าชาวโลกจริงๆ รัฐบาลคิดใหญ่ทำเป็น pic.twitter.com/aflgLqkRVC

— SleeplessBKK (@SleeplessBKK) April 3, 2024