Ibrahim Jabbari
For a beach-based Songkran, the mountainous and rainforest-covered island of Phuket is your best bet. Here, the festival is a day-and-night affair and the biggest of its kind in the south of Thailand, with Patong Beach throwing the wildest, most hedonistic parties and Bangla Road the most intense water fights. The streets are filled with trucks loaded with ice-cold water, with revellers unleashing water guns, cannons and buckets upon each other. If you need a timeout, the celebrations in areas like Rawai beach or even the island’s capital – Phuket City – tend to be more local-oriented, with fragrant water spritzed on shrines and traditional Thai dance performances.
