The classic Songkran greeting is suk san wan songkran (สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์), "happy Songkran day." You can also say sawasdee pee mai (สวัสดีปีใหม่), "happy new year." Songkran (สงกรานต์) is the Thai New Year, celebrated April 13–15 and famous worldwide as a giant, joyful water fight.
The greetings to know
suk san wan songkran is your go-to. suk san means "happy" and wan means "day," so it is literally "happy Songkran day." For a plain "happy new year," sawasdee pee mai works all season. Add krub (ครับ) or ka (ค่ะ) to keep it warm and polite. You will see and hear them everywhere from mid-April, so it is worth having them ready.
สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์ครับ
suk san wan songkran krub
Happy Songkran (male speaker)
สวัสดีปีใหม่ค่ะ
sawasdee pee mai ka
Happy new year (female speaker)
Wishing someone well: khor hai
To offer a real blessing, Thais use a little formula, khor hai (ขอให้), "may you…". Attach a wish and you have a heartfelt greeting for elders, friends, and hosts.
ขอให้มีความสุข
khor hai mee kwam suk
May you be happy
ขอให้โชคดี
khor hai chok dee
May you have good luck
Cap either wish with krub or ka, and pair it with a smile or a wai. These blessings are especially meaningful said to parents, grandparents, and elders during the holiday.
The heart of the holiday: water and blessings
Long before it became a street-wide water fight, Songkran was a gentle new-year cleansing. Families visit temples, bathe Buddha images with scented water, and perform rot nam dam hua (รดน้ำดำหัว) — respectfully pouring fragrant water over the hands of elders to ask their blessing and forgiveness. The playful splashing you see today grew straight out of that ritual of washing away the old year.
When someone gently pours water over your shoulder or hands and offers a wish, they are sharing the original spirit of Songkran, not just soaking you. A smile, a small bow, and a khop khun are the perfect response.
Where the biggest celebrations are
Songkran is nationwide, but a few places are legendary. Chiang Mai throws one of the country's biggest parties, with days of water-throwing around the old city moat. In Bangkok, Silom Road and the backpacker strip of Khao San Road turn into huge, soaking crowds. Smaller towns keep it gentler and more traditional, centered on temples and family. Wherever you are, mornings tend to be calmer and more ceremonial, while afternoons are peak splash.
Surviving the water fight
During the festival, streets across the country turn into open water battles, and — fair warning — everyone is a target, farang (ฝรั่ง) especially. Waterproof your phone in a plastic pouch, expect to be soaked from morning on, and take it in the joyful spirit it is meant. If a bucket lands on you, laugh it off with a 555 — the Thai way of typing "hahaha," since the number five is pronounced "ha" — and a cheerful mai pen rai (ไม่เป็นไร).
Songkran falls in April, the hottest stretch of the Thai year, which is exactly why a nationwide water fight feels so good — see our Thai weather words for talking about the heat. Keep valuables in a dry bag and wear quick-drying clothes.
Keep learning Thai
Whether you are toasting the new year or dodging a water balloon, a few warm words make you part of the celebration instead of a bystander. Learn the season's greetings, with audio, alongside our free essential Thai phrases, and keep practicing your speaking in the Pretalk app all the way to Songkran.
