Thailand’s seaside provinces have their own version of Songkran

These provinces have their own “big day” called “Wan Lai” or the “day that flows”, with traditions that are quite different from the rest of the country.

The Wan Lai celebrations are mostly held in the eastern seaboard provinces, including Chonburi and its resort city of Pattaya, Rayong and Samut Prakan. The festivities mostly focus on cultural and traditional activities, including giving alms to Buddhist monks, splashing water, building sand sculptures at temples or the beach and playing traditional games.

Wan Lai originally involved the tradition of building sand mounds and carrying them into temples. These mounds were symbolic of sand or soil that they may have unwittingly taken out of the temple grounds in their feet over the year.

This ceremony was originally called “Ko Phra Sai Nam Lai” or “building sand sculpture with water-swept sand”, as residents of seaside communities took sand from waterways. This also provided them with an excuse to dredge the local waterways.

Chonburi is holding its “Wan Lai Bang Saen 2023” festival on Sunday and Monday at Bang Saen Beach. Pattaya City will hold its Wan Lai event on Tuesday at Wat Chai Mongkol and along its beachfront.

Chonburi has scheduled three more Wan Lai events – in the Na Klua area on April 18, at Bang Saray Beach on April 20, and at Ban Bueng District Office and Wat Bueng Bowon Sathit on April 21-23.

Rayong will hold its “Wan Lai Pluak Daeng” festival on Monday in Baan Pluak Daeng sub-district.

Meanwhile, a traditional Mon festival will be held at Samut Prakan’s Phra Padaeng District Office on April 21-23.