Songkran’s water wars return to Pattaya in April, with the city sponsoring an official “wan lai” celebration a year after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the Thai New Year party last year.
Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome said March 5 that planning got underway for this year’s Songkran activities after the government gave the green light to festivals nationwide. The government cited a controlled epidemic and the start of the Covid-19 vaccination drive as justifications for proceeding with Songkran, despite it being a driver for mass gatherings and interprovincial travel.
In addition to the April 18-19 “wan lai” days, the city will host Seniors Day at Chaimongkol Temple, the kong khao festival at Lan Po Public Park in Naklua and another kong khao ceremony at Nong Yai Temple.
Pattaya officials optimistically envision that there will be lots of soggy face masks, as Songkran revelers would be “required” to wear them, but the reality likely will be far different.
Songkran typically runs an insane nine days in Pattaya, but this year the government is adding an additional official holiday April 12 to the existing April 13-15 holiday schedule. That will allow for a six-day weekend April 10-15.
