Every April, Thailand bursts into life with Songkran, the country’s most exuberant celebration of the New Year. What begins as a gentle ritual of water blessings quickly transforms into a nationwide splash‑fest, with streets turning into playful battlegrounds of buckets, hoses, and water pistols. Yet beneath the fun lies something deeper. Songkran is about cleansing, renewal, and paying respect to elders, temples, and tradition. From Bangkok’s buzzing avenues to Chiang Mai’s old town lanes, the festival blends reverence with revelry, offering travellers a chance to dive headfirst into the joyful spirit of Thai culture.

Banyan Tree Krabi

Banyan Tree Krabi, a beautiful beachfront resort located on tranquil Tubkaek Beach, some 35 minutes’ drive from the town of Krabi, introduces their Songkran International BBQ Dinner from 6:30pm on 13 April featuring authentic Thai cuisine, sizzling barbecue bites and spectacular live entertainment to welcome in the Thai New Year. Highlights include a live carving station with slow-roasted Angus spare ribs and a live barbecue station with fresh local lobster, tiger prawns, mussels, veal sausage, BBQ beef skewers and grilled turmeric chicken. Daytime activities for guests at Banyan Tree Krabi include a traditional Buddhist alms-giving ceremony and for kids there will be free coconut ice cream in the afternoon. The evening peaks with live entertainment on the beachfront lawn. For reservations or more information, contact +66 075 811 888 or email naga-krabi@banyantree.com

MAI Restaurant & Bar

On Meliá Chiang Mai’s 21st floor, signature MAI Restaurant & Bar marks the Thai New Year with a ‘Songkran Special Edition’ menu from April 11-17, 2026. Dishes range from spicy grilled scallop salad and baked black pork with Thai oregano to grilled Australian beef ribeye with fermented shrimp paste curry sauce. One level above, MAI The Sky Bar, will host “Skykran Festival” from April 13-15 with free entry. Perched on the 22nd floor, the 360-degree rooftop bar, with a glass bridge connecting its highest vantage points, will concoct Songkran-inspired cocktails accompanied by live music. Call the restaurant on +66 (0) 52 090 603 or email mairestaurant@meliachiangmai.com and the sky bar on  +66 52 090 600 or maiskybar@melia.com

Banyan Tree Samui

Tiered into a lush hillside and hosting its own secluded beachfront, Banyan Tree Samui’s 88 pool villas – each with a private infinity pool – provide a haven of calm and quietness during this carnavalesque week. Every evening from April 11 to 15, award-winning restaurant Saffron, which was listed in last year’s MICHELIN Guide, will feature a Songkran set menu. On April 13, the resort will host a Streets of Samui BBQ Buffet Food Market from 7pm, which will also include a traditional Thai dance performance. And every evening from April 13 – 15, The Edge restaurant will offer a special Floating Breakfast buffet. For reservations or more information, email samui@banyantree.com or phone +66 077 915 333.

INNSIDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit

At INNSIDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit, festivities this Songkran range from a traditional water-pouring ceremony and a long-drum parade to mango bites and temple-style ice-cream. The hotel will offer a complimentary ‘Songkran Fun Flow’ corner for in-house guests with mango bites and local dips such as sweet fish sauce dip and sweet shrimp paste dip, from April 13-15 at The Kites Eatery. The hotel will host the ceremony and parade and offer ice-cream, made by shaking metal tubes filled with flavoured drinks in a container of ice and salt, on April 15 from 1-4pm. Employees will also don creative Songkran styles as part of a contest. For more information, call +66 2 340 5499 or email reservation.innside.sukhumvit@melia.com.

LAY Beach Club

Meliá Pattaya Hotel’s LAY Beach Club will usher in the Thai New Year with pool parties, live DJs, a foam cannon, dancers, fire shows and more. The Songkran Pool Party will be held from April 13-15 from 3-9pm. The Lay Beach Club Foam Pool Party on April 16 and 19 from 2-11pm will feature a foam cannon, dancers, and a fire dance show. Day bed and cabana deals on April 13, 14, 15 and 19 and table drinks packages ranging from cocktail towers to beer buckets on April 16 will be on offer.  Entry to all of these events is free except for April 16, with online tickets priced at 250 THB or 500 THB per person at the door inclusive of one drink. The parties will be held in collaboration with sponsors Chang and Mekhong, with Dreamland’s DJs spinning the decks on April 16 and 19. For more information, call +66 33 168 599 or visit https://www.laybeachclub.com/