Songkran in Bangkok


by AFP/Pornchai Kittiwongsakul, Apr 25, 2003 | Destinations: Thailand / Bangkok
Two Thai woman perform next to naka statues during parade kick off of the Songkran festival in Bangkok. Thailand's famed Songkran water festival, which commemorates the kingdom's traditional lunar new year, usually falls in April.

Two Thai woman perform next to naka statues during parade kick off of the Songkran festival in Bangkok. Thailand's famed Songkran water festival, which commemorates the kingdom's traditional lunar new year, usually falls in April.

Two Thai woman perform next to naka statues during parade kick off of the Songkran festival in Bangkok. Thailand's famed Songkran water festival, which commemorates the kingdom's traditional lunar new year, usually falls in April.
Two Thai woman play water battle during a parade to kick off the Songkran festival in Bangkok. Thailand's famed Songkran water festival commemorates the kingdom's traditional lunar new year.
A young Thai girl rubs talcum powder mixed with water onto the face of a reveller during the Thai New Year or Songkran celebrations. Bangkok residents take to the streets in friendly water battles to start celebrations for the Thai Buddhist New Year (in 2003, we enter the Thai year 2546.)
Women throw water on a Buddha statue as part of the Songkran celebration, the Thai New Year. To mark the Thai Buddhist New Year water is sprinkled on Bhudda statues and on the hands of elderly people on the first day of the five-day holiday, and friendly water battles in the streets are held for the rest of the festival.

A story told with photos.