The True Spirit of Songkran: From Respect to Celebration

Songkran finally arrived. The children had already experienced it, as the Karen village celebrates one week earlier. After enjoying the sacred, pure atmosphere of Songkran in the forest, they returned to the small town of Sangklaburi to celebrate in the lively, joyful way people do across Thailand.

The beginning is the most important part. The children honored the elders of the house by offering perfumed water and flowers. This respectful and gentle act marks the true spirit of Songkran. Once this tradition of honoring the elders was completed, the celebration shifted.

Then began the playful chaos—water splashing everywhere. It was now the time of youth: water battles, laughter, and the sudden appearance of water guns all around. The children moved through the town until they found the perfect place for their “battlefield.”

Their headquarters became the house of our staff members, Tangmo, who had just given birth to a baby, together with her husband, Chusak, our first Baan Unrak child. Their home turned into the center of the children’s joyful water battles.

It was especially refreshing on the hottest days of the year. With no rain and temperatures rising to 40 degrees, the water brought relief and energy, a true celebration of youth and vitality.

Passersby became part of the fun, whether they expected it or not. Yet everyone smiled, the ones splashing and the ones being splashed. People stopped, allowed themselves to be drenched, laughed together, and shared moments of connection.

Our little “soldiers” were also rewarded with sweet ice treats, cold drinks, and kindness from the adults.

Three days of this beautiful exchange. Three days to play with one of nature’s most precious elements, water, which gives us life and purity.