Songkran ( Thailand ) - wikipedia Songkran ( Thailand ) For other related new year festivals of South and Southeast Asia, see Songkran. For the related Lao festival, see Lao New Year. For other traditions of celebrating the lunar new year, see Lunar New Year. Songkran New Year celebration, Rot Nam Dam Hua, a traditional celebration of elders. Official name Songkran Festival Observed by Thai and Malaysian Siamese Significance Marks the Thai New Year Begins 13 April Ends 15 April Date 13 April 2017 date 13 April, Rooster 2018 date 13 April, Dog 2019 date 13 April, Pig 2020 date 13 April, Rat Frequency Annual Related to South and Southeast Asian New Years Water fights, Chiang Mai Songkran ( Thai : เทศกาล สงกรานต์, pronounced ( thêːt. sā. kāːn sǒŋ. krāːn ) ; Khmer : សង្រ្កាន្ត ; Burmese : သင်္ကြန် ; Lao : ສົງການ ) is the Thai New Year 's national holiday. Songkran is 13 April every year, but the holiday period extends from 14 -- 15 April. In 2018 the Thai cabinet extended the festival nationwide to five days, 12 -- 16 April, to enable citizens to travel home for the holiday. The word `` Songkran '' comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti ( Devanāgarī : संक्रांति ), literally `` astrological passage '', meaning transformation or change. The term was borrowed from Makar Sankranti, the name of a Hindu harvest festival celebrated in India in January to mark the arrival of spring. It coincides with the rising of Aries on the astrological chart and with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia, in keeping with the Buddhist / Hindu solar calendar. In Thailand, New Year is now officially celebrated on January 1, Songkran was the official New Year until 1888, when it was switched to a fixed date of April 1. Then in 1940, this date was shifted to 1 January. The traditional Thai New Year Songkran was transformed into a national holiday. Contents 1 Meaning 2 Computation 3 Origin 4 New year traditions 5 In Thailand 6 Elsewhere 7 In other calendars 8 Controversies 8.1 Accidents 8.2 Arrests 8.3 Intellectual property 8.3. 1 Celebrate Singapore 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External links Meaning Songkran derives from Sanskrit meaning ' shift ' or ' movement '. It derives from the movement of the sun from one position to another in the zodiac. According to its literal meaning in Sanskrit, a songkran occurs every month. However, the period that Thai people refer to as songkran happens when the sun moves from Pisces to Aries in the zodiac. The correct name for this period should actually be Maha Songkran ( ' great songkran ' ) because it coincides with the arrival of a New Year. The songkran festival is, therefore, a celebration of the New Year in accordance with the solar calendar. The celebration covers a period of three days : 13 April is regarded as Maha Songkran, the day that the sun moves into Aries on the zodiac or the last day of the old year. The next day, 14 April is called Wan Nao, the transitional day between the old and the new years, and 15 April is called Wan Thaloeng Sok ( Thai : วันเถลิงศก ' to begin a new era or year ' ), New Year 's day itself. Computation In 1989, the Thai cabinet fixed Songkran at 12 -- 14 April, despite the correct starting date ( 13 April at 20 : 57 ). Songkran, however, was traditionally computed according to the method described in Suriyayart ( Thai : สุริย ยา ต ร์ ), the Thai version of Surya Siddhanta. The celebration starts when the sun enters Aries according to the sidereal zodiac system. This is called Maha Songkran day ( Thai : วัน มหาสงกรานต์ ). The final day marks the new solar year and is called Wan Thaloengsok ( Thai : วันเถลิงศก ). The astrologers, local or royal, then make predictions about the economy, agriculture, rainfall, and political affairs according to observations between both days. The king, or chief royal astrologer on his behalf, issued an official notification on the new year to the public. The announcement, called Prakat Songkran ( Thai : ประกาศ สงกรานต์, Songkran notification ), contained the information on Maha Songkran, Thaloengsok, lunisolar calendar, and religious and royal ceremonies. The government strictly adhered to the announcement and arranged some ceremonies according to the computation made by the royal astrologer. According to the scripture, 800 years equals 292,207 days. In other words, each solar year lasts 292,207 kammaja ( Thai : กั ม มัช, lit. one produced by karma ), where 1 kammaja equals 108 seconds and 800 kammaja corresponds to 1 day. Timekeeping began as Kali Yuga started in 3102 BCE ( -- 3101 CE ). At the start of each year, it is possible to compute the number of days since Kali Yuga commenced using following formula S D = 292207 × ( K E ) 800 = 292207 × ( C E + 3101 ) 800 = 292207 × ( B E + 2558 ) 800, ( displaystyle SD = ( \frac ( 292207 \times left ( KE \right ) ) ( 800 ) ) = ( \frac ( 292207 \times left ( CE + 3101 \right ) ) ( 800 ) ) = ( \frac ( 292207 \times left ( BE + 2558 \right ) ) ( 800 ) ), ) where K E ( displaystyle KE ), C E ( displaystyle CE ), B E ( displaystyle BE ) denote Kaliyuga, common and Buddhist era respectively. S D ( displaystyle SD ) is Suriyayart day number, which can vary according to the calendar era being used. The integer result is the count of days at New Year 's Day, while the remainder ( in kammaja ) suggests when the new year will start, which can be other time than midnight. Owing to huge number of kammajas in calculation, new calendar eras were devised to solve this problem, including Minor Era ( ME ). 0 ME corresponds to 1181 BE, 638 CE or 3739 KE. Following equation above, it follows that there were 1,365,702 days since the start of Kali Yuga. The remainder of the division suggests that the new year started at 373 kammaja after midnight. This corresponds to 373 / 800 day or 11 hours 11 minutes and 24 seconds. In other words, 0 ME started at 11 : 11 : 24 of Sunday, 25 March 638 CE in proleptic Gregorian calendar. To compute Julian day at new year, following formula is computed, J D n e w y e a r = ( 292207 × M E ) + 373 800 + 1954167.5 = ( 292207 × ( C E − 638 ) ) + 373 800 + 1954167.5, ( displaystyle JD_ ( mathrm ( newyear ) ) = ( \frac ( left ( 292207 \times ME \right ) + 373 ) ( 800 ) ) + 1954167.5 = ( \frac ( left ( 292207 \times left ( CE - 638 \right ) \right ) + 373 ) ( 800 ) ) + 1954167.5, ) then the number is converted back into date using Julian day algorithm ( see Julian day ). Maha Songkran day is computed either by lengthy process or by subtracting J D n e w y e a r ( displaystyle JD_ ( mathrm ( newyear ) ) ) by 2.165 days ( 2 days 3 hours 57 minutes 36 seconds ). This can be rewritten as J D s o n g k r a n = ( 292207 × M E ) − 1732 800 + 1954167.5 = ( 292207 × ( C E − 638 ) ) − 1732 800 + 1954167.5. ( displaystyle JD_ ( mathrm ( songkran ) ) = ( \frac ( left ( 292207 \times ME \right ) - 1732 ) ( 800 ) ) + 1954167.5 = ( \frac ( left ( 292207 \times left ( CE - 638 \right ) \right ) - 1732 ) ( 800 ) ) + 1954167.5. ) Solar year lasts 292,207 kammajas or 365.25875 days every year. However, Gregorian year lasts, on average, 292194 kammajas respectively. The difference of 13 kammajas ( 23 minutes 24 seconds ) accumulates every year, causing the shift of Songkran towards the end of calendar year. In 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900 and 2000, Maha Songkran was on 7 April, 9 April, 10 April, 12 April and 13 April respectively. Nowadays the royal palace ceased to issue Songkran notification ; they replaced it with a small calendar booklet given to the public on New Year 's Day. Government Savings Bank still prints a one - page lunisolar calendar, which is different from multiple - page solar calendar commonly seen. The calendar features the image of Songkran goddess with her vehicle and subordinates, led by Chinese zodiac animal holding a flag with Thai script for that zodiac. It also contains a comprehensive information on the correct Songkran day and religious days. Some astrologers, especially in northern Thailand, still issue their own Songkran notif ication containing predictions and other information. In 2013, Chiang Mai provincial council decided to defy the government - set holiday by rescheduling the ceremony according to the correct calculation. Following table lists start and end dates of Songkran festival obtained from the formulae discussed above. Chinese zodiac for each year is also given since it is also used in Thai astrology. However, Chinese zodiac in Chinese astrology changes on Lichun, just before the Chinese New Year, in February, while Thai astrology uses the first day of fifth lunar month ( roughly new moon in late -- March to early -- April ). Before the cut off date, astrologer uses zodiac of the last year. Maha Songkran and Thaloengsok Table Year Chinese zodiac Maha Songkran Songkran starts Thaloengsok Songkran ends 2013 Snake 14 April 2013 01 : 58 : 48 16 April 2013 05 : 56 : 24 2014 Horse 14 April 2014 08 : 11 : 24 16 April 2014 12 : 09 : 00 2015 Goat 14 April 2015 14 : 24 : 00 16 April 2015 18 : 21 : 36 2016 Monkey 13 April 2016 20 : 36 : 36 16 April 2016 00 : 34 : 12 2017 Rooster 14 April 2017 02 : 49 : 12 16 April 2017 06 : 46 : 48 2018 Dog 14 April 2018 09 : 01 : 48 16 April 2018 12 : 59 : 24 2019 Pig 14 April 2019 15 : 14 : 24 16 April 2019 19 : 12 : 00 2020 Rat 13 April 2020 21 : 27 : 00 16 April 2020 01 : 24 : 36 2021 Ox 14 April 2021 03 : 39 : 36 16 April 2021 07 : 37 : 12 2022 Tiger 14 April 2022 09 : 52 : 12 16 April 2022 13 : 49 : 48 2023 Rabbit 14 April 2023 16 : 04 : 48 16 April 2023 20 : 02 : 24 Origin According to the Buddhist scripture at Wat Pho, Songkran originated from the death of Kapila Brahma Thai : กบิล พรหม ( lit. reddish Brahma ). In the past there was a wealthy man and his heavy drinking neighbour. The drunkard, who had two sons, belittled the rich man for being childless. The rich man was humiliated and beseeched the Sun and the Moon gods to grant him a son. His attempts failed until he offered cooked rice to the tree god living in a banyan tree. The tree god asked Indra grant the man 's wish. The child, named Thammabal ( Thai : ธรรมบาล, or Dhammapala ), ' one who protects righteousness ', was born. Thammabal was a clever child who learned three vedas and bird language and also taught people to avoid sin. A god named Kabillaprom learned of the child and wanted to test the child 's cleverness. The god asked, `` Where is the glory of men ( sri ) located in the morning, during the day, and in the evening ? '' The loser would have his head chopped off. The boy thought in vain for six days, but could not find a solution to the riddles. He lay beneath a sugar palm tree and overheard a conversation between a pair of eagles. `` What are you going to eat tomorrow ? '', female bird said. `` We are going to eat a dead body of Dhammapala, who will fail to answer three riddles ? '', the male bird replied. The female eagle asked her mate whether he knew the answer. He answered, `` In the morning, the sri appears on the face, so people wash their faces every morning. At noon, the sri is at the chest where people spray perfume every noon. In the evening, the sri goes to the feet, so people wash their feet every evening. '' The boy remembered everything. On the seventh day, the god met the boy and demaned an answer. The boy repeated what he had learned from the eagles, the correct answer. Kabillaprom summoned his seven daughters and told them that he must cut his head off. However, if his head fell to earth, it would create an inferno that would engulf the world. If his head was thrown into the air, the rains would stop. And if his head was dropped into the ocean, all seawater would dry up. To prevent these calamities Kabillaprom told his daughters to place his head on an elevated tray. Thungsa, his eldest child, stored her father 's head in the cave in Mount Kailash. Every year when the Sun enters Aries, one of Kabillaprom 's children, called Nang Songkran Thai : นาง สงกรานต์, and other angels form a procession. One of them takes a phan with Kabillaprom 's head. The lady stands, sits, reclines or sleeps on the back of the animal depending on the time. From the dawn to midday, the lady will stand on the back of her conveyance. After midday until the sunset, she will sit down. Between the sunset and midnight, the lady lies down on her vehicle but leaves her eyes open. After midnight, she sleeps. These postures and other details were previously drawn as part of Songkran notification and now being part of the lunisolar calendar. The procession lasts for 60 minutes around the Mount Meru. This event is subsequently called Maha Songkran in order to distinguish from other Songkrans that occurs when the Sun moves from one to another zodiac. For simplicity, the name was later shortened as Songkran. Following table lists names of Lady Songkran and her characteristics. Day of Week and corresponding colour Name Flower Jewellery stone Food Right hand Left hand Conveyance Sunday Dungsha Devi / Thungsa Thewi Pomegranate flowers Ruby Fig Discus Conch Garuda Monday Gōrāgha Devi / Khorakha Thewi Cork tree flowers Moonstone Oil Sword Staff Tiger Tuesday Rākshasa Devi / Raksot Thewi Lotus flower Agate Blood Trident Bow Pig Wednesday Maṇdā Devi / Mantha Thewi Champak flowers Cat 's eye Butter Stylus Staff Donkey Thursday Kiriṇī Devi / Kirini Thewi Magnolia Emerald Nuts and sesame seeds Hook Bow Elephant Friday Kimidā Devi / Kimitha Thewi Water lilies Topaz Banana Sword Lute Buffalo Saturday Mahodharā Devi / Mahothon Thewi Water hyacinth flowers Blue sapphire Hog deer meat Discus Trident Peacock New year traditions The Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. Mornings begin with merit - making. Visiting local temples and offering food to the Buddhist monks is commonly practiced. On this specific occasion, performing water pouring on Buddha statues and the young and elderly is a traditional ritual on this holiday. It represents purification and the washing away of one 's sins and bad luck. As a festival of unity, people who have moved away usually return home to their loved ones and elders. Paying reverence to ancestors is an important part of Songkran tradition. The holiday is known for its water festival. Major streets are closed to traffic, and are used as arenas for water fights. Celebrants, young and old, participate in this tradition by splashing water on each other. Traditional parades are held and in some venues `` Miss Songkran '' is crowned. where contestants are clothed in traditional Thai dress. Songkran at Wat Thai, Los Angeles Water fights along the west moat, Chiang Mai People in a tuk - tuk getting soaked during Songkran, Chiang Mai The use of chalk ( Thai : ดินสอพอง ) is also very common having originated in the chalk used by monks to mark blessings. In Thailand This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( April 2018 ) Monks receiving blessing at a temple in Ban Khung Taphao Central Region People in this region clean their houses when Songkran approaches. All dress up in colorful clothing or Thai dress. After offering food to the monks, people will offer a requiem to their ancestors. People make merit offerings such as giving sand to the temple for construction or repair. Other forms of merit include releasing birds and fish. Nowadays, people also release other kinds of animals such as buffaloes and cows. South Southerners have three Songkran rules : Work as little as possible and avoid spending money ; do not hurt other persons or animals ; do not tell lies. North In northern Thailand 13 April is celebrated with gunfire or firecrackers to repel bad luck. On the next day, people prepare food and useful things to offer to the monks at the temple. People have to go to temple to make merit and bathe Buddha 's statue and after that they pour water on the hands of elders and ask for their blessings. East The eastern region has activities similar to the other part of Thailand, but people in the east always make merit at the temple throughout all the days of the Songkran Festival and create the sand pagoda. Some people, after making merit at the temple, prepare food to be given to the elderly members of their family. Elsewhere Songkran is celebrated by the Malaysian Siamese community, particularly in the states of Kedah, Kelantan, Penang, Perak, Perlis and Terengganu where most Siamese are located. The festival is celebrated as Sangken in northeastern areas of India and as Bizu, Boisuk, Shangrai, and Boisabi in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, which is the traditional New Year 's Day by the indigenous people and Buddhist community. The Sangken festival is celebrated by the people of the Khampti tribe. The festival is also celebrated by Singpho, Khamyang, Tikhaks ( Tangsa ) and Phakyal community of Arunachal Pradesh, and Tai Phake community of Assam. Sangken generally falls in the month of ' Naun Ha ', the fifth month of the year of the Khampti Lunar calendar coinciding with the month of April. It is celebrated in the last days of the old year and the lunar new year begins on the day just after the end of the festival. Vishu, a Hindu religious festival, celebrated mainly in the South Indian State of Kerala ( and some parts of Tamil Nadu ), also falls during the same timeframe. It is predominantly a harvest festival. In some villages in south India, especially Karnataka, a festival called `` Okhali '' or `` Okhli '' is celebrated in which every household keeps a barrel of water mixed with chalk and turmeric to throw on passers - by. The date of Okhali coincides with that of Songkran in Thailand and Thingyan in Myanmar, not with the dates of Holi, which is a north Indian festival. Songkran is celebrated annually on the U.S. territory of Wake Island by Air Force members and American and Thai contractors. In other calendars Songkran occurs at the same time as that given by Bede for festivals of Eostre -- and Easter weekend occasionally coincides with Songkran ( most recently 1979, 1990, and 2001, but not again until 2085. ) Controversies Accidents `` Thai people should think about what we want and how we want to promote the image of our country. Do we want to be known as the hub of the water party with booze and a high death toll ? Or do we want to be known for having a beautiful culture that no one else has ? '' -- Prommin Kantiya, director of the Accident Prevention Network ( APN ) Police statistics show that the death toll from road accidents doubles during the annual Songkran holiday. Between 2009 and 2013 there were about 27 road deaths per day during non-holiday periods and an average of 52 road deaths per day during Songkran. Thailand has the second - highest traffic fatality rate in the world, with 44 deaths per 100,000 residents. Approximately 70 -- 80 percent of the accidents that occur during the long holiday period are motorcycle accidents. About 10,000 people per year die in motorcycle accidents. The National Council for Peace and Order ( NCPO ) says a total of 110,909 people were arrested and 5,772 vehicles impounded at road safety checkpoints across the country between 9 -- 16 April 2016. In 2018 the number of offenders arrested at 2,029 checkpoints had risen to 146,589. Of these, 39,572 had failed to wear crash helmets and 37,779 carried no driving licence. Reacting to the numbers, the prime minister `` ordered stricter enforcement of the law '' ; the interior minister said he would `` propose greater efforts in raising awareness as an additional measure, insisting that traffic laws were ( already ) strictly enforced '' ; and deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwon said he would `` work harder to ensure motorcyclists wore helmets. '' Date Accidents Deaths Injuries Source 11 -- 17 Apr 2018 3,724 418 3,987 2017 3,690 335 3,506 11 -- 17 Apr 2016 3,447 442 3,656 2015 3,373 364 3,559 11 -- 17 Apr 2014 2,992 322 3,225 Arrests Police arrested a British tourist in Chiang Mai on the first day of the 2016 Songkran holiday, 13 April, for violating the junta 's ban on indecent dress. In a water fight the culprit was topless, wearing only short pants, but no shirt. He was taken into custody, fined 100 baht, then released. Temperatures in Chiang Mai reached 41 ° C that day. A man was arrested during Songkran 2016 for posting a video of a topless woman dancing during the 2015 Songkran festival. Police said Jakkrapatsorn Akkarapokanan, 29, was charged under the Computer Crime Act for posting the year - old video of a woman rolling up her wet shirt to let revelers touch her breasts. Jakkrapatsorn was released on a 100,000 baht bond. Police said they attempted to find the topless woman in the video to fine her 500 baht for indecency, but the one year statute of limitations had expired. Intellectual Property Celebrate Singapore In 2014 `` Celebrate Singapore, '' a large two - day Songkran - style water festival, was planned for Singapore and the event was promoted as the `` largest water festival party in Singapore ''. However, controversy emerged when the Tourism Authority of Thailand ( TAT ) Deputy Governor for Tourism Products, Vilaiwan Twichasri, claimed that Thailand holds exclusive rights to celebrate Songkran and planned to consult with officials at the Department of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Culture to discuss a potential lawsuit. The Deputy Governor 's view was supported by numerous Thai citizens on social media websites. Chai Nakhonchai, Cultural Promotion Department chief, pointed out that Songkran is a traditional festival shared by many countries throughout Southeast Asia, while historian Charnvit Kasetsiri stated that no single nation can claim ownership of a tradition. On 25 March 2014, the Bangkok Post reported that the Singaporean government had intervened in the festival 's content and there would be no water - throwing, no water pistols and no public drinking. The festival was also reduced to a one - day event. See also South and Southeast Asian New Year Notes Jump up ^ The cabinet later fixed this issue by shifting the holiday by one day to 13 -- 15 April, which is still in use today. Jump up ^ In 1896, for example, the ceremony started on 12 April. According to Suriyayart, the sun entered Aries at 19 : 30 on 12 April. The main ceremony started one day later, possibly due to difficulties organising the ceremony at the exact time. In 1949, Maha Songkran was on 13 April at 12 : 35 and the ceremony started that day. Jump up ^ According to Deva Sastri, Bapu ( 1861 ). `` Translation of the Surya Siddhanta '' ( PDF ). CB Lewis and the Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta. Sloka 37, there are 1,577,917,828 solar ( or terrestrial, as the translator chose ) day within one great Yuga, or eon. There are four Yugas, or periods, within the eon. All of them spans 4,320,000 solar years ( Sloka 15 -- 16 ). It follows that 800 solar years correspond to 292,207 days. Jump up ^ Julian year lasts 292,200 kammajas on average References Jump up ^ `` ' Songkran Festival ' extended to five - day holiday ''. The Nation. 2018 - 02 - 27. Retrieved 15 April 2018. Jump up ^ Monier - Williams, Monier ( 1899 ). `` Saṃkrānti ''. A Sanskrit - English dictionary : etymologically and philologically arranged with special reference to cognate Indo - European languages. Oxford : Clarendon Press. ^ Jump up to : `` The magic and traditions of Thai New Year ( Songkran ) ''. Tourism Authority of Thailand Newsroom. Retrieved 2015 - 12 - 12. Jump up ^ J. Gordon Melton, ed. ( 2011 ). `` Religious Celebrations : L-Z ''. ABC - CLIO. ISBN 1598842056. ^ Jump up to : Nimmanahaeminda, Prakong ( April -- June 2004 ). `` Myth and Ritual : A Study of the Songkran Festival '' ( PDF ). The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand. 29 ( 2 ) : 345 -- 350. Retrieved 5 August 2018. CS1 maint : Date format ( link ) Jump up ^ ราชกิจจานุเบกษา, ประกาศ สํานัก นายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง กําหนด เวลา ทํางาน และ วัน หยุด ราชการ ( ฉบับ ที่ ๑๙ ) พ. ศ. ๒๕๔๐, เล่ม ๑๑๔, ตอน ที่ ๒๖ ง, ๑ เมษายน ๒๕๔๐ ( Cabinet notification on workdays and holidays, 1997 ) Jump up ^ เส ม เสริมสุข, บาง ( 1961 ). ตํารา พรหมชาติ ฉบับ หลวง. สํานักงาน ลูก ส. ธรรม ภักดี. Jump up ^ For example, ราชกิจจานุเบกษา, ประกาศ สงกรานต์ ร. ศ. ๑๑๐ พ. ศ. ๒๔๓๔, เล่ม ๘, ๑๒ เมษายน ๒๔๓๔ ( 1891 Notification on Songkran ) Jump up ^ ราชกิจจานุเบกษา, ( พระ ราช พิธี เผด็จ ศก สงกรานต์ ), เล่ม ที่ ๑๓, ๑๙ เมษายน ๒๔๓๙, หน้า ๓๕ ( Songkran and cutting off the year ceremony in 1896 ) Jump up ^ ราชกิจจานุเบกษา, กําหนดการ พระ ราช พิธี สงกรานต์ พ. ศ. ๒๔๙๒, ตอน ที่ ๒๒, เล่ม ๖๖, ๑๒ เมษายน ๒๔๙๒ ( Songkran royal ceremony schedule, 1949 ) Jump up ^ Burgess, James. `` ART. XVIII. Notes on Hindu Astronomy and the History of our Knowledge of it ''. Cambridge University. Jump up ^ Deva Sastri, Bapu ( 1861 ). `` Translation of the Surya Siddhanta '' ( PDF ). CB Lewis and the Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta. Jump up ^ มนเทียร ทอง, เอื้อน ; ทอง เนียม, บุนนาค. พระ คัมภีร์ สุริย ยา ต ร์ ศิ วา คม. สํานัก โหร หอคํา. ( Aeur Montianthong and Bunnak Thongniam 's Suriyayat Sivakom for Computer Users, in Thai ) ^ Jump up to : สุริยา อารักษ์, สิงห์ โต. เรื่อง ฤกษ์ และ การ ให้ ฤกษ์ ดวง พิชัยสงคราม. เขษม บรรณ กิจ. ( Singto Suriya - arak 's How to and how not to set ceremonial time and how to compute detailed Suriyayart natal chart, in Thai ) Jump up ^ Chunpongtong, Loy ( October 2012 ). `` Discrepancies in Songkran Days : A Mathematical Research ( ความ คลาดเคลื่อน ของ วัน สงกรานต์ : ผล วิจัย เชิง คณิตศาสตร์ ) ''. 37 ( 4 ). Jump up ^ `` ปฏิทิน สงกรานต์ ''. Kom Chad Luek. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` สกู๊ป หน้า 1... หนังสือ ปี ใหม่ เมือง ล้าน นา ''. Chiang Mai News. Jump up ^ บัว คลี่, บัณรส ( 8 April 2013 ). `` เลื่อน วัน ดําหัว ผู้ ว่า เชียงใหม่ : ท้องถิ่น นิยม ใต้ อํานาจ รวม ศูนย์ ''. Retrieved 30 December 2017. Jump up ^ การ ผูกดวง วาง ลัคนา. ชมรม พยากรณ์ ศาสตร์. 2004. ( On the Formation of Thai Natal Chart ) Jump up ^ `` การ เปลี่ยน ปี นักษัตร ''. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2017. Jump up ^ วิ ริ ย บูรณะ, อุระ คิ นท ร์ ( 1 April 1960 ). พรหมชาติ ฉบับ หลวง. สํานักงาน ลูก ส. ธรรม ภักดี. pp. 512 - 513 Jump up ^ Suksawat, Saranya ( n.d. ). `` Happy New Year Songkran Festival ''. Thaiways. Retrieved 14 April 2018. Jump up ^ `` Legendary of Songkran lady ( Nang Songkran ) ''. Songkran Festival. Retrieved 14 April 2018. Jump up ^ Chadchaidee, Thanapol ( 1994 ). Essays on Thailand. D.K. Today Co., Ltd. ISBN 974 - 834 - 824 - 5. Jump up ^ Lee, Edmund ( 13 April 2017 ). `` Five million Malaysians celebrate Songkran and Good Friday ''. The Sun Daily. Retrieved 14 April 2018. Jump up ^ Nor Ain Mohd Radhi ( 2018 - 04 - 12 ). `` Najib wishes Happy Songkran to Malaysian Siamese ''. New Straits Times. Retrieved 14 April 2018. Jump up ^ Captain Anastasia Schmidt ( April 19, 2017 ). `` Air Force members celebrate Thai New Year and Water Festival at Wake Island ''. Joint Base Elmendorf - Richardson. 11th Air Force Public Affairs. Retrieved April 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Ronald M. Mallen ( April 2002 ). `` Easter Dating Method ''. Astronomical Society of South Australia. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2012. List of Easter Sunday Dates 2000 -- 2099 ^ Jump up to : `` Lawless culture takes its toll ''. Bangkok Post. 11 Apr 2014. Retrieved 11 Apr 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Songkran road death toll up again ''. Bangkok Post. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018. Jump up ^ `` Songkran death toll rises to 397 ''. Bangkok Post. 2016 - 04 - 17. Retrieved 17 April 2016. Jump up ^ Sattaburuth, Aekarach ; Nanuam, Wassana ( 18 April 2018 ). `` Prayut vows to overcome traffic accident scourge ''. Bangkok Post. Retrieved 18 April 2018. Jump up ^ `` Songkran 2017 road crashes took 335 lives alongside thousands of non-fatal accidents ''. Coconuts Bangkok. 18 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2018. Jump up ^ `` Road toll soars to record 442 killed over Songkran ''. Bangkok Post. 2016 - 04 - 18. Retrieved 18 April 2016. ^ Jump up to : Barrow, Richard. `` Full Road Accident Statistics for Songkran 2016 ''. Richard Barrow in Thailand. Retrieved 18 April 2018. Jump up ^ Rojanaphruk, Pravit ( 2016 - 04 - 13 ). `` Topless Farang Fined 100 Baht in Chiang Mai ''. Khaosod English. Retrieved 13 April 2016. Jump up ^ Mokkhasen, Sasiwan ( 2016 - 04 - 16 ). `` Man Arrested for Posting Topless Songkran Clip From 2015 ''. Khaosod English. Retrieved 16 April 2016. Jump up ^ `` Tết té nước tại thái lan ''. Jump up ^ Lamphai Intathep ( 18 March 2014 ). `` Suit eyed for Singapore Songkran ''. Bangkok Post. Retrieved 16 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Songkran in Singapore ''. Bangkok Post. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` Only in Singapore : No Songkran ''. Bangkok Post. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014. Further reading E-books Phraya Anuman Ratchathon ( Yong Sathiankoset ). ( 1954 ). `` Amusements During Songkran Festival ''. Journal of the Siam Society ( volume 42, part 1 ). pages 39 -- 43. External links Media related to Songkran in Thailand at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Songkran_(Thailand)&oldid=864453636 '' Categories : April observances Festivals in Thailand New Year celebrations Observances on non-Gregorian calendars Buddhist festivals Religious festivals in Thailand Hidden categories : Articles containing Thai - language text All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from April 2018 CS1 maint : Date format Articles with dead external links from December 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links Use dmy dates from September 2012 Infobox holiday fixed day ( 2 ) Articles containing Khmer - language text Articles containing Burmese - language text Articles containing Lao - language text Articles needing additional references from April 2018 All articles needing additional references Commons category with local link different than on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Български Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français 贛 語 ગુજરાતી 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Magyar मराठी Bahasa Melayu မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt 吴语 粵語 中文 30 more Edit links This page was last edited on 17 October 2018, at 09 : 15 ( UTC ). 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Question: what is the songkran festival and what does it mean
Answer: the Thai New Year's national holiday