Songkran 2019 in Bangkok: Where to Drink, Let Loose and Get Wet!

Heading to Songkran 2019 in Bangkok is an unmissable chance to join Thailand’s biggest party.

If you only take one trip this year, make it to Songkran 2019 in Bangkok. Yes, it’s cultural and you’ll learn a whole lot about Thai culture, but it’s also the world’s biggest water fight with some unintentional wet t-shirt action thrown in. What’s not to love??! This year the holiday falls between the 13th and the 15th April so get your tickets booked now!

What’s the deal with Songkran?

An easy way to describe Songkran would be to call it Thailand’s new year holiday, but it’s much more than just a day off work, it’s also a celebration of new life and the coming of spring. The word Songkran is actually Sanskrit for transformation or change, and the origins of the holiday have been linked to folklore stories involving tree spirits, eagles and decapitated gods!

What will happen at Songkran 2019 in Bangkok?

Even if you’re not a Buddhist devotee, there’s plenty of Songkran for you to get involved in. The early morning is mostly about religious ceremonies, with locals giving alms to monks and praying at the local temples, but visitors are welcome to watch. It’s lovely to start the day listening to the chanted prayers and watching the Buddha statues being washed to signify rebirth and purification.

Later in the day though, the party kicks off! Many of the major streets of the city will be closed to traffic, and the whole place erupts into one huge water fight. Don’t worry if you don’t know anyone- it doesn’t matter. It will only take a couple of random people to douse you in water and run away screaming with laughter for you to realize that it doesn’t matter who you soak as long as you soak somebody! Grab a bucket or a water pistol and get involved!

The Best Water Fight Locations

For a water fight that will involve both locals and tourists, Khao San Road is the place to be. It’s a slightly surreal sight to see the normally alcohol-focused bars turning into aquatic battlegrounds but it can be fun to relive the exploits of your latest Bodega bar crawl in daylight with a Super Soaker.

Silom is the local’s choice of water fight locations. Huge crowds jostle and dance around, trying to avoid being soaked while doing some soaking themselves, and the whole thing is made extra wet by the Thai fire service turning up with their fire hoses!

You might have heard of the RCA district because of the great nightclubs, but that makes it a solid choice for Songkran too. Come here for a water fight that ends in an all-night drinking session, which to be honest sounds like a great combination to us.

A Few Words Of Advice

If your phone’s not waterproof then leave it at home or make sure it’s well protected. It sounds like common sense, but believe us, it’s easy to forget! If you’re out during the day then it’s boring but chuck on some sun cream, and consider wearing a hat (which can act as a protection from unexpected dunkings as well!)

If you’re going on somewhere else after the Songkran craziness then also pack a change of clothes in a ‘waterproof’ bag; it can take hours for your kit to dry out, and it’s a bad look dropping on a nightclub floor while you’re on the pull!

Bodega Is The Place To Be For Songkran 2019 In Bangkok

With a festival this good, you can be sure that Bodega is on the case. We’re planning one hell of a kickass party to help your Songkran be the epic win that you want it to be, so check back here to find out all the details as we announce them. You don’t want to miss this one!