Water gun spray and festive parades have taken to the streets across Thailand for the Songkran Festival, the annual celebration of the Thai New Year that has attracted swaths of visitors from China and around the world.

During the Songkran Festival, celebrated from April 13 to 15 every year, it is traditional to greet others with splashing water.

Over 1,000 performers and dozens of floats amazed visitors in a major parade in Bangkok that showcased the diverse traditional cultures of the Southeast Asian country.

The holiday has become better known internationally since it was listed as part of the country's intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) last December.

To better accommodate an influx of global tourism, Thai authorities prepared Songkran songs in four languages, namely Thai, Chinese, English and French, to mark the grand occasion.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the country hopes to receive more Chinese tourists especially after the mutual visa exemption policy between China and Thailand came into force on March 1.

"The mutual visa exemption agreement between the governments of China and Thailand officially took effect on March 1 this year, and the favorable policy has brought large numbers of Thai nationals to travel to China, resulting in the full booking of almost every flight. It has effectively facilitated the exchanges between the two countries, and the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand ranks the top among all international tourists," said the prime minister.

Data from the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports showed that Thailand received over 9.37 million foreign tourists in the first three months of 2024, including 1.75 million visitors from China being the largest source.

SHOTLIST

Bangkok, Thailand - April 10, 2024
1. Various of people splashing water to mark Songkran Festival;
2. Various of float parade, other celebration activities for Songkran Festival in progress;
3. SOUNDBITE (Thai) Srettha Thavisin, Prime Minister of Thailand (partially overlaid with shot 4):
"The mutual visa exemption agreement between the governments of China and Thailand officially took effect on March 1 this year, and the favorable policy has brought large numbers of Thai nationals to travel to China, resulting in the full booking of almost every flight. It has effectively facilitated the exchanges between the two countries, and the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand ranks the top among all international tourists.";

[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
FILE: Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, south China - March 1, 2024
4. Various of travelers queuing at immigration inspection area;
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]

Bangkok, Thailand - April 10, 2024
5. Various of celebration activities for Songkran Festival in progress.

[RESTRICTIONS: No access Chinese mainland]