Revellers dressed in colourful shirts and goggles fired water guns at each other at the start of the Thai New Year on Sunday, a festival that is marked with water as a symbol of renewal, cleansing and a fresh start.
Some sprayed water from the back of pickup trunks, and everyone expected to get soaked as the Songkran festival got underway.
“Today I came well-prepared. I have my weapons – four (water) guns. I’ve got goggles and a hat for protection, and a waterproof phone pouch ready to go,” said Teera Rachapol, 50.
The celebrations are a bright spot for the country’s tourism industry, with the government expecting an 8% increase in foreign visitors for the week.
“This is totally different. And we didn’t know what to expect, but it’s very fun. I love it. I love the water,” said Tinke Stockman, 20, from the Netherlands.
The festivities are taking place just weeks after a powerful earthquake rattled neighbouring Myanmar in March, killing more than 3,500 people and flattening communities. The quake also caused the deadly collapse of a building under construction in Thailand.
Some revellers in Bangkok said they were hesitant to join large crowds, but others said it felt safer than they had expected.
