From childhood in the life of every person, the New Year has been associated with a new stage in life, new expectations and dreams. New Year's Eve is awaited by both adults and children all over the planet. I would like this holiday to be bright, memorable, unusual, and under the chimes, everyone made his most cherished wish. If you really want to spend it in an unusual way, then think about a New Year's tour to hot countries. How wonderful it is to change a traditional tree for a palm tree, a sofa for a chaise longue, and winter for summer!
The Kingdom of Thailand is perhaps the most popular destination among tourists from the CIS countries during the New Year holidays. And for good reason. You can talk for hours about the beauty and sights of Thailand. The air temperature does not drop below + 25 ° С, and the water in the sea warms up to + 27 ° С and remains comfortable for swimming even at night. Do not deny yourself, change the harsh winter for a carefree summer and go to a real tropical fairy tale!
How New Year is celebrated in a European way in Thailand
New Year in a European way in Thailand began to be celebrated relatively recently. This tradition dates back to the 40s of the last century. Thais are happy to decorate trees with toys, houses with bright garlands and balls, arrange sales fairs, and prepare gifts for family and friends.
The Christmas tree is the main attribute of the New Year. True, real Christmas trees do not grow in Thailand, they are replaced by artificial forest beauties made of PVC. The Thais themselves have not yet completely got used to a relatively new tradition, therefore, out of habit, they celebrate the New Year three times: together with the Chinese, according to the Buddhist calendar and the European one. Lucky, what can I say ...)
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New Year's Eve is held with the family. All household members gather at the festive table, have dinner, and after midnight they go for a walk in bars and nightlife. On the night of December 31 to January 1, Thailand hosts a large number of entertainment shows, parties, at the end of which a traditional festive fireworks are launched.
In Thailand, they believe that if you collect small things: coins, orange skins, pieces of cloth and throw it all into the wasteland, then all the bad things will remain in the past year.
Even the Thais took care of the snow on the trees. Photo: © flickr / empty007
In the morning, all Thais must visit the temple, and then with gifts and treats go to visit relatives or friends. The best gifts are talismans and oranges, which are given to each other from year to year.
What tourists need to know - features of the New Year in Thailand
In large resort centers New Year is celebrated on a grand scale. At this time, Thailand is overwhelmed with tourists, Russian, English, German speech is heard everywhere. If you are planning to celebrate the New Year in the land of "smiles", then try to book the tour in advance. Due to the high demand, low prices or "last minute tours" during this period there are no. However, if you take care in advance and buy a tour in September-October, there is a high chance of saving a little.
If you are relaxing in a hotel in Thailand for the New Year and Christmas holidays, be prepared for the fact that dinner on a festive night is included in the program by default. That is, they try to sell “tour packages” that do not include dinner in the hotel itself as an additional paid option. It is beneficial for the hotel to know in advance the number of guests on New Year's Eve, in order to correctly calculate the amount of food, a festive show and fireworks.
Only 5 * hotels make a full show with an unlimited buffet and drinks. The pleasure is not cheap - from 20,000 rubles per person per evening. You won't be able to refuse dinner or receive compensation from the hotel or agency! Pay attention to this and specify in advance the availability of this surcharge, so that later there will be no unpleasant surprises!
By the way, the same applies to Christmas Eve on December 25th. You will hardly be able to refuse to pay for dinner at the hotel, even if you do not plan to visit it.
Despite the fact that such a dinner can be very expensive (up to 10,000 baht per person in a 5 * hotel), you should not expect much. The usual New Year's show program with animators in Thai hotels, as a rule, is absent, or very weak and in English. Therefore, after dinner with the usual "buffet" sometimes with portions of alcohol, after 23 hours it is better to go to the city to have fun. Moreover, by this time the whole show program, as a rule, ends, and the Thais themselves go to sleep ...!
If you want to spend New Year's Eve in style, then go to one of the restaurants. It is worth noting that such a celebration will not be cheap - about $ 350 per person with 2-3 meals a la carte, alcohol and a show program. The unlimited buffet is even more expensive.
If the New Year in Thailand in an expensive establishment is not in your plans, then there are numerous street cafes and bars on the waterfront at your service. In general, the embankment is a great idea for those who decide to celebrate the holiday away from the hype. The sound of the surf, snow-white sand, flickering lights are a mix of exoticism and romance.
New Year in Pattaya: where to celebrate
All roads that lead to entertainment seem to converge in Pattaya. Locals have long understood that New Year's Eve is the most important event of the year for tourists. At this time, it is not customary to bargain and save, so prices for everything will be inflated several times. This applies to prices for rental housing, banquets, services, and especially excursions.
Pattaya is a place for recreation of youth companies and families without small children. For the youngest tourists, Pattaya will seem too noisy with a crazy rhythm, so parents will have to look for a quieter place.
If you are relaxing at the hotel, be prepared to pay extra for New Year's Eve dinner. The price of the banquet can vary from $ 50 to $ 350. Please note that all hotel festivities begin at 6pm and end at midnight. After 24 hours, it is forbidden to make noise on the territory of the hotel, so everyone goes for a walk in the city, since numerous clubs will work until dawn:
Do you want to independently organize your leisure time on New Year's Eve? Then take care of booking a table at one of the restaurants. It is best to book a table at the beginning of December, otherwise there will simply be no free seats. In Pattaya you can find restaurants with Russian, Thai, Uzbek, Armenian cuisines, as well as taverns serving only seafood.
You can spend an unusual holiday in Pattaya, you should pay attention to the following objects:
- The Pattaya Park hotel has a restaurant with the self-explanatory name "Panorama". The restaurant's three floors revolve and offer stunning views of the city.
- Mark Land's rooftop restaurant located on the 27th floor.
- The roof of the Hard Rock Hotel is a place loved by Russian-speaking tourists. Songs, dances, free strong drinks and fun until the morning are guaranteed.
- A yacht or boat on the high seas is a great place to spend a holiday. It is best to rent a boat in advance, its price depends on the size and capacity.
- Beach Road, where sun loungers are transformed into impromptu party tables bursting with snacks brought along. At midnight, a disco begins, which lasts until dawn. Perhaps this is the cheapest and most fun way to have fun!
New Year in Pattaya is always bright, eventful, memorable, so you will not regret if you find yourself here under the chimes.
New Year in Phuket
Phuket Island is the second most popular resort in Thailand; there are numerous entertainment venues for every taste. New Year in Phuket will definitely be unforgettable!
Where to go and what to see on New Year's Eve:
- Open-air parties on one of the resort's beaches, accompanied by DJ performances and a disco until dawn.
- A themed holiday in one of Phuket's establishments: a fun night in Italian or French style, a German holiday or an Irish beer festival.
- Feast in the Russian style. It is conducted by Russians - the owners of drinking establishments. Familiar cuisine, familiar music and fiery dances are waiting for you.
- Party with city tours, visiting all entertainment establishments where the holiday is celebrated.
- Celebration at the hotel with dinner and minimal entertainment until midnight.
New Year's holidays in Thailand is a wonderful exotic fairy tale with festive discos, themed parties, treats and incendiary dances until the morning. Here you want to stop time and stay here forever!
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In Thailand, New Year's celebrations are held three times! True, the New Year's Eve, familiar to Russians and Europeans, is celebrated from December 31 to January 1 exclusively to please the visiting foreigners. Thais celebrate their "own" New Year on April 13 on a grand scale. In addition, the inhabitants of the kingdom celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. The date is "floating", i.e. changes every year, but fits in the period from January 20 to February 20.
The seaside, the measured sound of the surf, warm, caressing sand, the lights of unusual handicraft lanterns in the pacifying night sky ... On New Year's Eve ?! Yes, it's an exotic New Year in Thailand! In Russia, the most favorite holiday is celebrated twice - from December 31 to January 1 and from January 13 to 14. Of course, the second date - the Old New Year - is celebrated without much scope and according to individual wishes. But all the same, it is present in the holiday calendar of Russians. And in Thailand, tourists from the Russian Federation can celebrate the New Year four times - at night from December 31 to January 1 and from January 13 to January 14, April 13 and according to the Chinese calendar.
Russian New Year with Thai flavor
Since Soviet times, we have been used to celebrating the New Year on the night of December 31 to January 1. But New Year's Eve in Thailand will completely change your ideas about this holiday. Only crowds of people on the street, where you can see representatives of different countries, grandiose fireworks in the night sky, lanterns, explosions of firecrackers and loud polyphony "Happy New Year" will remind you of the change of years.
Do you want a bright exotic bordering on extreme? Do you wish on New Year's Eve to sit on the seashore, burying your palms and feet in the soft sand, and look at the night sky, and not freeze on a snow-covered (and somewhere slushy) street, dancing around the Christmas tree with champagne and in the company of a cheerful Santa Claus or Santa Claus? Then Thailand invites you!
Chinese New Year in Thailand
Many people from China live in the former Siam, over the centuries the traditions of the Thai and Chinese peoples have intertwined with each other. Traditional attributes of the Chinese New Year in Thailand are lions, a sacred dragon, red paper lanterns and, of course, firecrackers on New Year's Eve. Moreover, the louder the explosions, the better. Thais are convinced that the roar of firecrackers and fireworks scares away evil spirits. New Year's Eve is followed by three holidays - Chui, Chuer, Chusan - when it is customary to visit and give gifts.
Legend of the Thai New Year
Real Thai New Year is celebrated from 13 to 15 April. Why mid-April? This is explained by an ancient legend.
Once upon a time there lived an unusual boy who could understand the language of animals and birds. Once the God of Fire, incited by a feeling of envy, came down to earth and offered the boy the following deal: if within seven days the boy does not answer the three riddle questions that God will ask him, he will lose his head; if the boy gives the correct answers, the God of Fire himself will lose his head.
Hearing riddles, the boy was desperate. At the end of the seventh day, in sorrow, already saying goodbye to life, he wandered through the forest and stopped to rest by one tree. And suddenly I heard a conversation between an eagle and a chick - she was talking about the dispute between a human calf and the God of Fire and told the curious chick the correct answers.
The delighted boy hurried to God and gave him answers to tricky questions. The God of Fire had no choice but to lose his head. So that a drought did not come, the sea did not dry up and the whole world did not burn, the boy placed the head of God in a basket and hid it in a cave. And since God is considered the center of the universe to pay tribute to him, on the first day of the solar year, the daughters of God take out the basket, make three circles, and bring the basket back. That is why in the early days of the Thai New Year it is so hot (up to + 40 ° C in the shade).
Preparation for Songkran
The official Thai New Year is called Songkran (Sangkran), which means moving from one place to another or the rotation of the Earth around the Sun. A full circle marks the onset of another year.
Songkran is a celebration of expressing love and respect. It is customary to meet him in the family circle. Three days before the solemn date, khurals, or New Year's Eve prayers, are read in Buddhist temples. On the eve of the holiday, a lama invited to the house conducts a ritual of purification, "throwing away" the failures and all the bad things that have accumulated over the year from the life of each family member. After the meal, the remnants of food with coins, rags, a candle, a hadak (a scarf given to guests as a sign of respect) and a tormoi (a figurine made of dough and painted red) are placed in a bowl. In the evening, these objects are carried to the wasteland and thrown away, saying to the evil: "Get out of here!" After that they quickly return without looking back.
Two days before the holiday, a rite of symbolic destruction of the enemies of faith is held. For this, litter is made - a pyramid crowned with a skull made of laths, dough and paper. Under the prayers, the bad karma of the community is “put” into the rubbish and burned at the stake. There is also a linga rite, during which the torma is cut into 12 pieces and burned as a sacrifice to the lord of death Yama.
Songkran Celebration Traditions
On the streets, people can tie special strings on your wrists for good luck. Each hand should have 25-30 cords from different people, which are customary to wear until they themselves untie or break.
Another ancient custom is associated with smearing with clay. Clay paste symbolizes protection from evil spirits. Smear it on the face and neck. According to tradition, you cannot wash clay - you have to wait until it is erased by itself.
During the celebration of the Thai New Year, people of all ages come out onto the streets of cities and villages with buckets of water and cups from which they water passers-by. For Thais, water is a symbol of life, renewal, physical and spiritual purity. The streets are full of real water madness. Young people are putting barrels of water on cars and watering everyone with a hose. Water pistols, bottles, cans, cups, spray guns are used ... Some elephant owners go out with them and use their trunk as a large hose.
Water is sometimes mixed with powder or scented talcum powder. No one will be offended if you roll him from head to toe. Everyone tries to show their skills and have fun so that they can remember this with a smile all year round. The water extravaganza continues during the day. But in order for tourists to enjoy it in different cities, the dates of the celebration vary from 11 to 20 April.
If you decide to join the crowd of celebrating Thais, it is worth dressing in clothes that you do not mind throwing out later. It is advisable to leave documents in the hotel room, and wrap your wallet, mobile phone and other valuables in plastic. It is better not to go outside with digital equipment (if it is without a waterproof case).
Unlike local residents, not all tourists are ready to experience the "cleansing power of water". Therefore, you can purchase cellophane document wrappers, raincoats, shoe covers and head caps - all of which are sold everywhere.
A special item on the Thai New Year is the festive feast. Everyone gathers at the table to congratulate each other, discuss current affairs and taste homemade wine.
Updated 02.03. Views 188 Comments 74
Today I attended an enchanting event - all Thailand, including Phuket, began to celebrate the Thai New Year, whose name Songkran (Songkran). Translated, this means "transition", and thus marks the transition to the new year according to the ancient Indian astrological calendar and the change of the current hot season to the coming rainy season. That is why it is customary to pour water on everyone on this day, this is like a call for abundant rainfall later, so that there is a good harvest of rice. But how does it all happen!
What is going on here, words simply cannot convey !!! General insanity, but from a good point of view! It's a pity, it is very difficult to photograph this madness, forgive for the quality of the photo, I had to wrap the camera with cling film and save it from water in every possible way.
Thais and farangs, like little children, screeching and laughing, pour water on each other, who can use what they can, and cover them with talcum powder! For example, huge barrels of water are placed along the roads near Rawai Beach in Phuket, around them a cheerful group gathers, which, dancing and shouting, desperately pouring buckets, buckets and water pistols on everyone passing by, for which they are always abundantly rewarded with a good portion of water in return.
Pickup trucks with large tanks in the back drive along the roads, from where numerous wet and happy passengers scoop up water and water everyone in their path. Often paint is added to this water and, what is most unexpected, when you are watered - ice! When you are repeatedly doused with just warm water, suddenly getting a portion of an ice bucket is, to put it mildly, an unexpected positive shock! But because of the intense heat and increased mobility on this day, you do not have time to freeze or feel that the water is flowing from you all day in streams.
Pickup attack 
It's funny that earlier this tradition was a little different, they just walked the streets with a bowl and modestly sprinkled a little on each passer-by. Everything is progressing and developing, as practice shows.
It is believed that all these waters cleanse the soul and give the doused one good luck for the whole next year!
Many Thais have chosen a different strategy and smear the face of everyone they meet with fragrant talcum powder, which then makes a slight chill on their cheeks. At the same time, these smears themselves are almost half in this talcum powder, from head to waist. This custom also has an explanation - talcum powder (and before it was white clay) is used as a means of hygiene, and ritual smearing and sprinkling with talcum powder is cleansing and repelling all kinds of dirt.
Here they are - the same talcum smears! 
And the sweetest fun in all this is that when pouring water over your collar or smearing with talcum powder, Thais smile so sincerely and often ask for forgiveness or wish Happy Songkran!
In the celebration, slightly or not slightly tipsy farangs take an active part, dancing destructively to the music. Their main difference is that they do not pour water as carefully as the Thais, but beat it right in the face, which is not always pleasant for bikers passing by them - after all, it is very easy to lose control.
In general, this is a dangerous action. We saw one injured Thai, who, apparently, after another portion of water lost control and crashed into a car. Thank God, he's alive, but he was seriously injured.
I made it easier, next to each of these dousing points, I stopped and, with my mutual and their joy, let me pour all the prepared water on myself and turned my cheeks for talcum powder, and then with a calm soul went to the next water treatment point.
And now we know that water pistols are bullshit! Thin streams are not scary! And he is cool who has a bucket! :)
In general, I noticed with surprise that not all Thais are amused by this, and there are people who travel with sour or even displeased faces, which is surprising. But there are not many of them.
Dissatisfied Thais are rare 
Sometimes, this discontent is understandable The Thai New Year is celebrated not for 10 days, as we have, but for only three (from April 12), and the new year itself begins on April 15, and watering usually lasts from April 13 to April 15, but in some places they can continue until 17 or even April 19. This, by the way, must be borne in mind when you, no longer suspecting anything, leave the house with unprotected documents or wallet.
I returned home only in the evening, wet, smeared with talcum powder and received a lethal dose of positive! That's what I understand - a holiday! Happy New Year everyone! Savat di Songkran! ??????????????!
Replenishment - he was doused with this 
P.S. An article from Phuket Songkran 2011 :) Since then, little has changed.
Hello dear readers - seekers of knowledge and truth!
Thais are a very cheerful and friendly people, so they know a lot about holidays. And today we want to tell you about the New Year in Thailand.
In the article you will find the answer to the question of how Thais celebrate the most important event of the year. Looking ahead, let's say it's fun, observing traditions, and besides, the celebration itself happens more than once. About when the New Year begins here, what customs and Buddhist rituals are associated with it, what is worth remembering when traveling to the Land of Smiles on a New Year's Day, read below.
Celebration date
Thais are so fond of the anticipation of holidays and solemn processions, festivals that they celebrate the New Year not once, not twice, but three times a year:
- Traditional European - celebrated in the same way as around the world, at night from December 31 to January 1. Despite the not at all winter weather, the main attribute is still garlands, a tree and fireworks.
- or - its date changes depending on the phase of the moon. Each year the number is specially calculated based on the lunar calendar. It usually fluctuates between January 21 and within a month after. The date is considered the first new moon after the winter solstice, which falls just on January 21.
- National Thai, also called Songkran, is always celebrated on April 13 and a few days after that. Several legends are associated with such a specific date. According to one, more mundane, it was calculated by the ancient astrologers, and since then no one has changed this time.
The second legend says that once the God of Fire lost a dispute to a boy and was forced to cut off his own head and then hide it in a cave. Since then, every year the daughters of the Fiery Lord carry out their father's head, circle it three times and take it to the cave again. This is what explains such a high air temperature, reaching forty degrees, on holidays.
European style
The custom of walking on European New Year's Eve and Christmas came to Thailand not so long ago - in the 40th year of the last century. The celebration did not develop into a huge procession throughout the country, especially in traditional families, but many Thais do not mind feeling the spirit of the holiday along with the whole world.
Here, too, they prepare for it in advance - in shopping centers, main squares and houses lush artificial spruces are installed, generously decorating them with toys, garlands and lights are hung everywhere in cities, market streets are prepared with gifts and souvenirs, a festive table and fireworks are planned.
The arrival of the New Year is especially felt in large cities - in Bangkok, Pattaya. On New Year's Eve, music in live performance is heard from everywhere, contests are played out, salutes are fired.
An interesting tradition is that they collect small rubbish such as tangerine peels, coins, pieces of cloth and after midnight they throw it away in a deserted place. So they throw out everything unnecessary from the past, making room for favorable events, things that await over the next year.
In the morning, the locals go to church services, and after that they go to friends and relatives or receive guests themselves. Guests give them small gifts - amulets, fruits.
While we look forward to the New Year 2019, Thailand is entering the year 2562.
If you are planning to celebrate the New Year holidays in Thai resorts, you should decide for yourself where it is best to do it. In northern cities where Buddhist temples are concentrated, for example, in Chiang Mai, pleasant weather is expected without exhausting heat and rains, and on Koh Samui it can be too stuffy and humid.
It is hot, dry in Pattaya and Bangkok, there are a lot of people who will be on the street on New Year's Eve - you will definitely not be bored. Phuket has almost the same climate, but the environment is calmer.
In Chinese
Thais celebrate the Chinese start of the year on a grand scale. This spectacle is no less colorful and atmospheric than the European one.
In January-February, the entire city or village is immersed in a festive atmosphere filled with dragon, serpentine, lion images. Buildings, streets, all corners of the settlement are hung with traditional scarlet paper lanterns.
In the midst of the holiday, people walk along the avenues in national dress, squeezing huge dragons in front of them. Laughter, loud musical accompaniment, squealing of firecrackers and fireworks are heard from everywhere. True, the procession takes place for only three days, and not for half a month, as it takes place in its homeland.
On these days, it is also customary to visit each other, congratulate, smile, celebrate the triumph of life and make presents. In large cities, special shows, large-scale carnivals, concerts, festivities, fairs are held.
In thai
However, the Thais most responsibly and with all their hearts approach, of course, their own national holiday - Songkran. A couple of days' rest is announced throughout the country until April 13 and almost a week after. This is done so that residents have time to prepare for the event and properly meet the new stage of their lives.
Songkran itself is usually celebrated at the family table. Later, mass processions with music and fireworks begin. The most amazing tradition is the habit of pouring cold water on each other.
The drenching lasts several days and overtakes everyone anywhere. There are even special barrels of water installed on the streets, from where you can fill buckets, tubs, basins, bottles - everything that comes to hand to pour over a neighbor.
Even special water pistols are sold everywhere.
It is believed that by pouring water on others, you wish them happiness, prosperity and good luck. Sometimes dousing is accompanied by smearing with colored powder, which, according to the Thais, protects from evil spirits and bad events.
There are several explanations for this tradition. Firstly, the April heat can be unbearable, and people thus try to escape from it. Secondly, during Songkran, the rainy season is just around the corner, and, watering everything around, the Thais call for monsoons, which bring a good harvest.
If your stay in the Land of Smiles happened in mid-April, be careful - try not to wear expensive things, pack your equipment in airtight cases, do not put on a lot of cosmetics - everything is threatened by pouring over, because Thais wish happiness even to strangers in this way.
You will not find Santa Claus familiar to us in Thailand, except in large cities, for example, in Bangkok, Pattaya, and even then not everywhere. It is not as popular here as here, and in fact is not a symbol of the New Year. By the way, you will see decorated Christmas trees on the streets of these cities.
Customs and rituals
It is difficult to imagine what other holiday Thais celebrate with such reverence and impatience as Songkran. Preparations begin in advance, not only materially, but also spiritually. People know that before entering the new year, they need to cleanse themselves spiritually and take up their own perfection.
A number of Buddhist customs are associated with the celebration of Songran:
- Within a few days, Buddhists begin to attend services in temples, engage in meditation, read, ask the deities for joy, health, happiness.
- They carry out a lot of cleaning in the house, throwing out old things.
- A lot of blissful food is prepared, some of which is given to the monks as alms.
- Donate to temples.
- They carry out special ceremonies - khurals.
- Before the festive evening, a monk is called to perform a cleaning ceremony at home.
- Putting on new light-colored outfits.
- After a family dinner, food leftovers, small rubbish are collected and thrown away in a deserted place.
- The statues of Buddha on the altar are washed with clean water.
Conclusion
New Year is a great holiday for Thais. They celebrate it three times a year: according to European traditions, Chinese and their own. The latter is called Songrana and is celebrated on a special scale, with spiritual cleansing, according to all Buddhist rules.
Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! We hope you were interested in learning about an event we are used to in an exotic land. Join us - subscribe to the mailing list - we will be happy to seek the truth with you.
All the best to you, and may there be as many joyful events in your life as possible!
April 13 is the most important day of the holiday - Maha Songkran. And on the 14th-15th, the onset of the Thai New Year is celebrated (by the way, not only in Thailand, but also in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar). In fact, the celebrations take place all week, starting from the 11th, so if you want a relaxing break, it is best to avoid it during this period.
Traditions and origins of the Thai New Year
The tradition of the celebration comes from India and symbolizes the end of winter and the onset of spring, when nature comes to life. The word "Songkran" in translation means movement. 
Watering is no coincidence that plays a big role in the holiday. It is believed that the New Year must be entered cleansed, both externally and internally. And water is the best way to do this.
In the past, Songkran was celebrated somewhat differently than it is now. There was no crazy pouring over each other. In the Sukhothai period, people went to the royal palace to bring gifts to the monarch and swear allegiance. In the Ayuttai period, this was added to the washing of Buddha statues and the construction of sand pagodas. Also, people went to temples to pray, bring gifts to monks and ask for their blessings.
A very important part took place at home, with the family. The holiday is generally considered a family, home, these days it is customary to visit all your relatives and friends. The younger family members presented gifts and dripped a few drops of clean water into the palm of the elders to express their appreciation and respect. In turn, the older generation gave blessings to the younger family members. Between peers, more direct actions were possible - pouring water over each other from jugs.
The main reason for the exchange of water in Songkran is to give and ask for blessings through the water. Thus, it must be clean, sometimes incense was added there for scent. It is unacceptable to water each other with salt water from the sea, from dirty lakes and rivers. And this must be done very respectfully, avoiding splashes in the eyes, mouth, ears, and generally on the head.
How modern Songkran goes
How much this differs from modern battles with water guns (mainly among foreigners who have no idea about the deep sacred meaning of the Thai New Year), when the main thing becomes to "shoot" any moving object. And it doesn't matter if this moving object wants to receive a stream of water (sometimes salty) into the mouth or eyes. 
What blessings and wishes for happiness can we talk about in this case? Thais are much more respectful "shoot" - and never in the face or dirty water. Often they do not even use pistols, preferring to spray water from buckets (mostly to water their backs), as their ancestors did.
Another external manifestation of Songkran is the application of talc (white powder) to the body and face. This is common among Thais. Here, too, everything is respectful - they will calmly approach you and gently smear your face. If you do not want this, then you can simply say - no one will do it forcibly. True, recently, Thai teenagers like to run up to the girls they like (to Thais, not foreigners) and cover them abundantly with powder.
It is worth recalling that 
It is better for Songkran to have waterproof bags with you - you can buy them on the eve of the holiday everywhere. Hide everything that is undesirable for water - phones, money, cameras, documents. It is better to draw water for pistols in toilets. But in no case in the sea and ponds. Also on this day, on the streets, you can collect clean water from huge tanks for free or for a nominal fee. Remember - dousing with water is not a "war" where you have to "shoot" as many people as possible, but a wish for happiness and joy in the New Year.