Thailand’s Songkran Festival, which celebrates the traditional Thai New Year, is bringing its celebrations to Hong Kong once again this year. The festival traditionally runs across three days, so hit up Kowloon City from April 11 to 13 to check out ‘Day X Night Vibes @ 18 Districts - Thai Festival: Songkran 2025’.
The football and basketball courts at Carpenter Road Park will host food stands, performances, and several interactive experiences. Expect a market filled with all things Thai, like authentic dishes, drinks, desserts, handicrafts, and even Thai massages. There will also be muay Thai demonstrations and a boxing match on April 12, followed by training sessions on April 13. When dusk falls, festival-goers can also enjoy a show of traditional Thai dance on both days.
And of course, the star of the show is the water-splashing party, which will be held on April 12 and 13. Traditionally, Thai people will don new clothes, bathe their Buddha statues, express their gratitude for the blessings they have received in the previous year, and pray for continued prosperity in the new year. The bathing of the Buddha is usually followed by water fights, when major roads are closed off to make way for this lively activity that everyone takes part in.
You can take part in this Thai festival right here in Hong Kong, and since Kowloon City is home to a large enough community of Thai people for it to be nicknamed ‘Little Thailand’, this is the perfect place to celebrate the Thai new year. Getting splashed with water means you’re being cleansed of negativity, so don’t shy away from the water guns and buckets that everyone will be wielding!
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