Chiang Mai enjoys splashing fun amid 40°C heat
Locals and visitors to the northern province of Chiang Mai on Friday celebrated the Songkran Festival, the Thai traditional new year, by splashing water on one another around the Old Town area in Muang district amid scorching-hot temperatures of nearly 40 degrees Celsius.
Traffic in Chiang Mai Old Town was congested intermittently on Friday because of people engaging in water fights, especially at the Sriphum, Katam, Ku Heuang and Hua Lin intersections.
On the road leading to Tha Phae Gate, Thai and foreign tourists were seen setting up water stations to soak passersby and motorists to help cool down on the hottest month of the year.
The Friday celebration is a predecessor to the official “Songkran Chiang Mai Water Fest 2024”, which was to kick of on Saturday at Tha Phae Gate, a tourism landmark in Muang district.
A religious ceremony including the giving of alms started at 7am on Saturday, followed by a procession led by the Phra Buddha Sihing statue from the shrine at Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan.
The revered Buddha statue was to be placed on a floral-decorated parade and circle the city area to allow participants to sprinkle water and ask for blessings.
Chiang Mai will also host several Songkran activities and religious ceremonies at public places and temples around the province until April 16.
