Every,[object Object], ,,April,,, ,,Thailand,, ,,comes,, ,,alive,, ,,with,, ,,one,, ,,of,, ,,the,, ,,world,,’,,s,, ,,most,, ,,vibrant,, ,,and,, ,,joyful,, ,,celebrations,,—,,Songkran,,, ,,the,, ,,Thai,, ,,New,, ,,Year,, ,,festival,,, ,,best,, ,,known,, ,,globally,, ,,as,, ,,the,, ,,biggest,, ,,water,, ,,fight,, ,,on,, ,,the,, ,,planet,,. ,,Spanning,, ,,from,, ,,April,, ,,13,, ,,to,, ,,15,, (,,though,, ,,festivities,, ,,often,, ,,stretch,, ,,longer,,), ,,Songkran,, ,,is,, ,,both,, ,,a,, ,,cultural,, ,,and,, ,,spiritual,, ,,event,, ,,that,, ,,blends,, ,,tradition,, ,,with,, ,,pure,, ,,fun,,. ,,Rooted,, ,,in,, ,,Buddhist,, ,,customs,, ,,and,, ,,family,, ,,values,,, ,,Songkran,, ,,originally,, ,,centered,, ,,around,, ,,rituals,, ,,of,, ,,cleansing,, ,,and,, ,,renewal,,. ,,People,, ,,would,, ,,gently,, ,,pour,, ,,water,, ,,over,, ,,the,, ,,hands,, ,,of,, ,,elders,, ,,and,, ,,monks,, ,,to,, ,,show,, ,,respect,, ,,and,, ,,to,, ,,symbolically,, ,,wash,, ,,away,, ,,bad,, ,,luck,, ,,and,, ,,sins,,, ,,welcoming,, ,,the,, ,,new,, ,,year,, ,,with,, ,,a,, ,,fresh,, ,,start,,.

Over,, ,,time,,, ,,this,, ,,practice,, ,,evolved,, ,,into,, ,,large,,-,,scale,, ,,public,, ,,celebrations,,, ,,turning,, ,,entire,, ,,streets,, ,,into,, ,,watery,, ,,battlegrounds,, ,,filled,, ,,with,, ,,laughter,,, ,,music,,, ,,and,, ,,good,,-,,natured,, ,,chaos,,. ,,Today,,, ,,cities,, ,,like,, ,,Bangkok,,, ,,Chiang,, ,,Mai,,, ,,and,, ,,Phuket,, ,,transform,, ,,into,, ,,splash,, ,,zones,,, ,,drawing,, ,,locals,, ,,and,, ,,tourists,, ,,alike,,. ,,Participants,, ,,armed,, ,,with,, ,,water,, ,,guns,,, ,,buckets,,, ,,and,, ,,even,, ,,hoses,, ,,take,, ,,to,, ,,the,, ,,streets,, ,,to,, ,,soak,, ,,one,, ,,another,, ,,in,, ,,a,, ,,playful,,, ,,unifying,, ,,spirit,,. ,,In,, ,,Chiang,, ,,Mai,,, ,,considered,, ,,the,, ,,heart,, ,,of,, ,,Songkran,, ,,festivities,,, ,,crowds,, ,,line,, ,,the,, ,,moats,, ,,and,, ,,streets,,, ,,turning,, ,,the,, ,,city,, ,,into,, ,,a,, ,,water,,-,,drenched,, ,,wonderland,, ,,for,, ,,days,, ,,on,, ,,end,,.

While,, ,,the,, ,,water,, ,,fights,, ,,grab,, ,,international,, ,,headlines,,, ,,Songkran,, ,,also,, ,,holds,, ,,deep,, ,,cultural,, ,,significance,,. ,,Many,, ,,Thais,, ,,begin,, ,,the,, ,,festival,, ,,by,, ,,visiting,, ,,temples,,, ,,offering,, ,,food,, ,,to,, ,,monks,,, ,,and,, ,,cleaning,, ,,their,, ,,homes,, ,,and,, ,,Buddha,, ,,statues,,. ,,These,, ,,rituals,, ,,reflect,, ,,the,, ,,true,, ,,meaning,, ,,of,, ,,Songkran,,—,,renewal,,, ,,respect,,, ,,and,, ,,purification,,. ,,Authorities,, ,,remind,, ,,participants,, ,,to,, ,,celebrate,, ,,safely,,, ,,especially,, ,,as,, ,,large,, ,,crowds,,, ,,wet,, ,,roads,,, ,,and,, ,,alcohol,, ,,consumption,, ,,can,, ,,increase,, ,,the,, ,,risk,, ,,of,, ,,accidents,,.

In,, ,,recent,, ,,years,,, ,,local,, ,,governments,, ,,have,, ,,also,, ,,emphasized,, ,,eco,,-,,friendly,, ,,celebrations,,, ,,encouraging,, ,,the,, ,,use,, ,,of,, ,,clean,, ,,water,, ,,and,, ,,sustainable,, ,,practices,,. ,,For,, ,,visitors,,, ,,Songkran,, ,,offers,, ,,a,, ,,one,,-,,of,,-,,a,,-,,kind,, ,,experience,,: ,,a,, ,,chance,, ,,to,, ,,witness,, ,,Thailand,,’,,s,, ,,rich,, ,,heritage,, ,,while,, ,,joining,, ,,in,, ,,a,, ,,nationwide,, ,,party,,. ,,It,,’,,s,, ,,a,, ,,time,, ,,when,, ,,locals,, ,,and,, ,,tourists,, ,,become,, ,,one,,, ,,united,, ,,by,, ,,smiles,,, ,,splashes,,, ,,and,, ,,the,, ,,spirit,, ,,of,, ,,celebration,,.