Bangkok Special · April 2026

Songkran
Bangkok
2026

Everything you actually need. Where to go, what's on each day, how to get around, and what to bring. No fluff.

See daily schedule
11
Saturday
Festivals open. Music kicks off.
12
Sunday
Streets filling. Silom starts.
13
Monday · Public Holiday
Peak day. All areas going.
14–15
Tue–Wed · Public Holidays
Full Songkran. The city loses its mind.
16
Thursday
Winding down. Some areas still going.
13–15 April Official Holiday UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Khao San Road · Silom · Siam Square 36–39°C · Getting wet is a feature BTS & MRT over taxis Floral shirt required 13–15 April Official Holiday UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Khao San Road · Silom · Siam Square 36–39°C · Getting wet is a feature BTS & MRT over taxis Floral shirt required
Where to go 01

Pick your battlefield.

Most intense

Khao San Road

13–15 Apr · 10:00–23:00

Loudest, wettest, most chaotic. Tourist-heavy but relentlessly fun. Non-stop water fights, street food, music. Come here if you want total immersion with no gaps.

  • Best for first-timers wanting full immersion
  • Go before noon for slightly more space
  • Nearest BTS: Victory Monument, then taxi in
Party + Culture

Silom Road

12–14 Apr · 10:00–00:00

Runs until midnight, the latest of any zone. Strong LGBTQ+ scene around Soi 2 and Soi 4. One of the best all-day areas with good food on the side streets.

  • MRT Silom or BTS Sala Daeng. Walk straight out
  • Parade on the 14th down the main road
  • Good nightlife options when the water stops
Organised

Siam Square

12–15 Apr

More structured than Khao San. Stage performances, cultural shows, and contained water zones. Better for families or anyone who wants Songkran without full chaos.

  • BTS Siam. Direct.
  • Ticketed zones for main stage events
  • Good for daytime, quieter by evening
Music Festival

RCA / S2O & Siam Songkran

11–14 Apr · Ticketed

Two major ticketed festivals. S2O at Ratchadaphisek: Steve Aoki, Zedd, Kygo. Siam Songkran at Bravo BKK: Martin Garrix, Marshmello, John Summit. Both combine massive water battles with festival stages.

  • Buy tickets in advance. Both sell out.
  • MRT Thailand Cultural Centre for S2O
Cultural

Benjakitti Park

11–15 Apr · Free

The Maha Songkran World Event. More curated and spacious than Khao San. Good for the cultural side: performances, traditional ceremonies, lakeside setting.

  • MRT Queen Sirikit Convention Centre
  • Most free-entry areas
  • Good option if you want space to breathe
Local

Neighbourhoods

13–15 Apr

Ari, Thonglor, On Nut. Residential areas have their own smaller street celebrations. Locals, families, kids. Worth an hour to see what Songkran actually looks like without 10,000 tourists around you.

  • BTS Ari, Thong Lo, On Nut
  • Small water gun, join in respectfully
Day by day

What's on each day

Festival opening day

Saturday 11 April

The festival technically begins today. Most street water fights haven't kicked off yet but the big ticketed music events open. Good day to sort your gear, pick up a water gun, and ease in before the main event.

Morning

Temple visit

Head to a local temple early. Wat Pho or Wat Phra Kaew. Quieter than peak days, genuine cultural atmosphere, traditional water pouring ceremonies.

Afternoon

Buy your gear

Pick up a water gun from 7-Eleven or any street vendor. Get a waterproof phone case if you haven't. ฿50–200 for both.

Evening

S2O or Siam Songkran opens

Both ticketed music festivals open tonight. S2O at Ratchadaphisek (Steve Aoki, Zedd), Siam Songkran at Bravo BKK (Martin Garrix). Ticket required.

Best area today

Benjakitti Park or RCA

Streets not yet fully active. Head to Benjakitti for free cultural opening events, or RCA/S2O if you have tickets.

Events today
S2O Songkran Music Festival opens Music
Siam Songkran at Bravo BKK opens Music
Maha Songkran — Benjakitti Park Free
X Festival (Pepsi) — Warehouse Stadium Music
Streets start warming up

Sunday 12 April

Water fights begin in earnest today. Silom opens. Khao San starts getting busy in the afternoon. Still slightly more manageable than the Monday–Wednesday peak. A great day to get your first proper soak and find your rhythm.

Morning

Temple & cultural morning

Last genuinely calm morning. Some temples around Khao San area hold traditional ceremonies. Go before 10am.

From noon

Silom Road opens

Head to Silom for the first full day of street water battles. MRT Silom or BTS Sala Daeng, walk straight into it.

Afternoon

Drag Let's Play Water Festival

Song Wat Road. LGBTQ+ celebration, one of the most colourful events of the whole festival. Worth the trip.

Evening

Music festivals night 2

S2O night 2 (Lost Frequencies, Don Diablo), Siam Songkran night 2. Both ticketed. RCA area.

Best area today

Silom Road

Opens today, quieter than peak days, runs until midnight. Good intro to street-level Songkran before the Monday crowds arrive.

Events today
Silom Road water festival opens Street
Drag Let's Play Water Festival Street
S2O Night 2 — Lost Frequencies, Don Diablo Music
Siam Songkran Night 2 — Bravo BKK Music
Maha Songkran — Benjakitti Park Free
Public holiday · Peak day

Monday 13 April

Official Songkran. First public holiday. All zones open simultaneously. Khao San Road is at its absolute peak. Every area running full tilt. This is the centrepiece of the whole week. Pick one zone and commit to it all day.

08:00–10:00

Temple time if you want it

Still possible to get to a temple before the streets go completely crazy. Wat Pho, Wat Suthat. Traditional water pouring, elder blessing ceremonies.

10:00 onwards

All zones open

Khao San, Silom, Siam Square, Benjakitti all running. Pick your zone, get in position. Don't try to move between areas midday. Traffic is gridlocked.

All day

Bangkok Water Festival — 10 locations

Official city-wide event spanning ten destinations across Bangkok. Free entry to most areas.

Evening

S2O Final Night — Kygo, Gryffin

Last night of S2O. Ratchadaphisek Road. If you haven't been to any ticketed festival, tonight is the headline show.

Best area today

Khao San or Silom

Both fully open and running all day. Khao San for maximum chaos, Silom if you want to stay out past midnight. Choose one. Don't attempt both.

Events today
Khao San Road — 10:00–23:00 Street
Silom Road — 10:00–00:00 Street
Bangkok Water Festival — 10 locations Free
S2O Final Night — Kygo & Gryffin Music
Siam Square festival Cultural
Monster Water Fest — Fashion Island Street
Public holiday · Parade day

Tuesday 14 April

Second full public holiday. Energy is still very high but there's a slightly more relaxed rhythm than the 13th. The Amazing Bangkok Songkran Parade runs down Silom today, one of the most visually impressive things you'll see all week.

All morning

Streets fully active everywhere

All main zones still running at full capacity. Good day to explore slightly beyond your usual zone. Crowds are high but the energy is more settled.

Afternoon

Amazing Bangkok Songkran Parade

Silom Road. Traditional floats, cultural performances, ceremonial procession. Well worth watching. Find a spot along Silom early to get a good view.

Evening

Siam Songkran final night

Siam Songkran Music Festival closes tonight at Bravo BKK. K2O Songkran Music Festival also runs today at S2O Land Ratchada.

Best area today

Silom Road

The parade makes Silom the standout destination today. Running until midnight as always. Position yourself along the road by early afternoon for the procession.

Events today
Amazing Bangkok Songkran Parade — Silom Cultural
K2O Songkran Music Festival — Ratchada Music
Siam Songkran final night — Bravo BKK Music
Khao San Road — 10:00–23:00 Street
Monster Water Fest — Fashion Island Street
Public holiday · Last full day

Wednesday 15 April

Final official public holiday. The main street zones are still running but you can feel the energy beginning to ease slightly, which actually makes it one of the more enjoyable days. Less frantic, still fully active.

All day

Last full day of street water fights

Khao San and Silom both running until close. Bangkok Water Festival running across its ten locations. Good day to do things you might have missed earlier in the week.

Afternoon

Siam Square closes out

Final day of Siam Square festival. Stage performances and cultural programming through the afternoon.

Evening

Last night. Make it count

Head to Silom for the final midnight close. The last night tends to have a good atmosphere. People know it's ending.

Best area today

Your choice. All still running

All main zones open for the last full day. Slightly less crowded than the 13th. A good day to revisit a favourite area and stay out late.

Events today
Khao San Road final day — 10:00–23:00 Street
Silom Road final day — 10:00–00:00 Street
Siam Square closes — final performances Cultural
Monster Water Fest final day — Fashion Island Street
Bangkok Water Festival — 10 locations Free
Wind-down day

Thursday 16 April

The official festival is over but Bangkok doesn't immediately snap back to normal. Some smaller street celebrations continue in residential neighbourhoods. A good day to recover, explore the city at its calmer post-Songkran pace, and eat well.

Morning

City returning to normal

Most festival zones closed. Restaurants and cafes reopening. A very different Bangkok from the days before. Noticeably quieter.

Afternoon

Some neighbourhood celebrations continue

Smaller areas like Phra Nakhon and some residential streets may have lingering water activity. Nothing organised, just locals extending the fun.

All day

Good day for temple visits

Without the festival crowds, today is actually ideal for seeing Wat Pho, Wat Arun, or the Grand Palace properly. Queues are significantly shorter.

Best area today

Old Town / Rattanakosin

With festival crowds gone, the historic area around Wat Pho and the Grand Palace is genuinely accessible. Worth the trip on a calmer day.

Events today
Main festival zones closed Note
Some neighbourhood activity continuing Local
Temples & city sites — best access of the week Free

"Pick one zone per day. Don't try to move between areas at peak hours. You'll lose hours to gridlock and gain nothing."

The main mistake to avoid
Getting around 03

Move smart, not often.

🚇

BTS & MRT

Your main tool. BTS gets you to Silom (Sala Daeng), Siam, and near Khao San (Victory Monument). MRT hits Silom and the RCA zone. Expect packed carriages on peak days. Use it anyway.

Use this
⛵

Chao Phraya Boat

Underused and underrated. Runs the river and connects to the Khao San area via Phra Arthit pier. Bypasses all road traffic. Significantly faster than any vehicle on the busiest days.

Underrated
🏍️

Motorbike Taxis

Good for cutting through the final stretch where roads close to cars. Find them at orange vest ranks. Helmets provided. Useful for the last 500 metres from a BTS stop to a festival zone.

Last mile
🛺

Tuk-Tuks

Fine for very short hops. Negotiate the price before you get in. During Songkran they know you'll pay more. Not practical for any real distance.

Agree price first
🚕

Grab & Taxis

Traffic in festival zones is extreme from midday onwards. Grab surge pricing kicks in hard and ETAs run 30–45 minutes in busy areas. Don't rely on this between major zones at peak hours.

Avoid midday
🚶

Walking

Within a festival zone, walking is nearly always faster than any vehicle. Build your day around one area and walk internally. Silom, Siam, and Khao San are all navigable on foot once you're there.

Best within zones
What to bring 04

Pack list. Keep it simple.

👕

Floral shirt

Light, quick-drying. Go bold. Avoid white or pale colours, they go see-through immediately.

🔫

Water gun

Buy on arrival. 7-Eleven, Lotus, or any street vendor. ฿50–150. Pick something you can carry all day.

📱

Waterproof phone case

Don't skip this. ฿100–200 at any 7-Eleven. Your phone will be soaked repeatedly.

💵

Cash

Most street vendors and stalls are cash only. Keep it in a dry bag or waterproof pouch.

👟

Sandals

Trainers will be soaked within minutes and stay that way. Flip-flops or sandals you don't mind ruining.

🎒

Small dry bag

For keys, cards, and anything you can't lose. Leave the leather wallet at home.

🧴

Sunscreen

38°C sun for hours. Apply before you leave. Bring a small waterproof tube to reapply.

💧

Water bottle

You're sweating in intense heat all day. Drinks are everywhere but having your own keeps you moving.

Good to know 05

A few things worth knowing.

🙏

Monks, elders, and babies are off limits. You'll naturally read the room on this, just keep it in mind when you're in the zone and getting carried away.

🌅

Start your day at a temple. Go early before the streets kick off. The traditional water pouring and blessing ceremonies are genuinely beautiful and worth getting up for.

🧊

Keep it clean and room temperature. Ice water isn't the move. It's a tradition about renewal, not a prank. Clean water only and everyone has a better time.

👀

Read the room outside festival zones. Someone in a suit with a laptop bag is probably not looking to get drenched. Stay in the zones where it's clearly game on.

💧

Drink actual water too. You're soaking wet for hours in 38°C heat, which makes it surprisingly easy to forget you need to hydrate. Keep a bottle on you.

👗

If you're visiting a temple, dress for it. Shoulders and knees covered. Keep a light layer in your bag. You can always peel it off when you head back to the street.