Songkran Festival - Silom Road (Part 5) - Bangkok, Thailand

People out in the streets for the Songkran Water Festival to celebrate the Thailand New Year. The festival in Thailand kicks off on April 13 and usually lasts three days, though festivities can start early or end later in some cities. The holiday’s main focus is about moving forward - in fact, the word Songkran comes from a phrase in the Sanskrit language that means “passage of the sun.” Water plays a major role in the festival. Symbolically it washes away the previous year so people can get ready for the next one. During Songkran, it’s traditional to sprinkle water on the hands of elders to mark the new year but festivities in Thailand have also evolved into huge water fights that draw tourists from across the world.