Our first Bangkok Songkran Festival at Dusit Thani Bangkok

Songkran festival which is also the Thai New Year is held yearly from 13 April to 15 April. Similar to our Chinese New Year, most city dwellers will leave back to their home town for the reunion with families.

Traditionally the Thais will start off the day by visiting local temples, offering food to monks & perform water pouring on Buddha statues which signifies purification & washing away bad luck to start a brand new year.

The festival is also well known as water festival. During this period, tourists from far & wide flocked into Thailand to celebrate this annual water splashing celebration together with the Thais.

Dusit Thani BangkokComing home again

After hearing so much fun from friends, we finally get to celebrate our very first Songkran festival in Bangkok. Bangkok is a place we fly into few times a year for to satisfy our food cravings & shopping hence it feels quite like home every time we visit Bangkok.

There are few areas which is specifically condoned off for Songkran Celebration with Silom as the main area & Siam is another hot spot.

What is better than to stay right in front of the celebration venue? The hotel which we stayed, Dusit Thani Bangkok is located right in front of the Songkran venue entrance with both Skytrain (Sala Daeng) & MRT (Silom) right in front of the hotel. You can read our Dusit Thani Bangkok hotel review here.

There are few advantages to stay near the celebration area. First, you dont even bother needing to take transport to the venue, you can just walk into it, avoiding all the jam. Second, after getting all wet, it would be freezing cold to take the train back to your hotel. 3rd some taxi might not want to fetch you back since you are soaking wet or overcharge you. Lastly the best of all, during this period business hotel are much cheaper so you save lots compare to normal period.

Dusit Thani BangkokDusit Thani Bangkok Entrance

Dusit Thani BangkokHotel Lobby

Dusit Thani BangkokFloral Design for Songkran Festival

Dusit Thani BangkokDusit Suite Room

Dusit Thani Bangkok offers a total of 517 well appointed guestrooms and luxurious suites, all features elegant Thai décor and furnishings made of silk and teakwood.

Dusit Thani BangkokSpacious Living Room with Work desk

Dusit Thani BangkokLuxurious & Spacious Bathtub with Separate Shower

The hotel even provided us with Songkran “Survival Kit” that comes with a water gun, plastic cover to protect phones & cash from being wet and mineral water. I will provide more tips on Songkran Travel Planning below if you are planning a next year trip.

Dusit Thani BangkokThai Traditional Dances

Before the water war starts, Traditional Dances are performed as opening ceremony to the much awaited event. So we get to enjoy the ceremony which is held in front of Dusit Thani Bangkok and decided to go back our hotel for a rest before joining the fun in the afternoon.

Dusit Thani BangkokReady for War!

 The video of us entering the venue

Dusit Thani BangkokMet our friend Guillermo Caviglia again, this time in Bangkok after Penang

Songkran festival in Bangkok is really wild & fun! We started off with a reasonable mind that we shouldnt get wet but in less than few seconds everyone will be shooting one another.

Not only during the day, but during this period clubs at RCA will also organize Wet Rave Party which is one of a kind with all rave party goers partying all night long with water splashing throughout the night.

Songkran Travel Tips

  • Songkran festival is held annually 13 to 15 April. It will be best to come earlier & leave after the dates
  • Easier to wear your swim suit underneath if you are expected to get wet all 3 days
  • Be in jovial mode, it is wild & fun, stay chill & allow others to shoot you
  • More convenient to stay near the venue like Dusit Thani Bangkok
  • During Songkran, business hotels are cheaper due to lack of business activities in the city, take advantage on the promotions
  • Buy protective glasses to avoid being shoot in the eye & protective plastic to keep your handphone & valuables.
  • If you run out of water, some vendors are selling them, ask for price before refueling it.
  • Always be aware of your surroundings as it is packed & crowded to avoid being pickpocket.
  • If it is too crowded as in unable to move, get away from the place as fast as possible to avoid unwanted stampede.
  • If you happen to leave between the Songkran period & stay near the venue, make sure taxi can reach your hotel instead needing to walk out to avoid getting all wet to airport.

Mostly importantly, Have a lot hell of fun! It defies logic but that’s one of fun part! Start planning for next year Songkran!

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About Tommy Ooi 509 Articles
Luxury Hotel Reviewer & Destination Blogger. Passionate for travel, exploring new culture & indulging divine food, Tommy has traveled to 42 countries & 140+ destinations.

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