Songkran — the Thai New Year — is the highest-demand week in the Thai calendar. Held on 13–15 April every year (with city events often spilling a day either side), it turns whole districts into joyful water fights and fills temples with merit-making. For agents it's a guaranteed seller, but also the hardest week to source: hotels go on minimum-stay, transfers surge, and the wrong neighbourhood can mean either too much chaos or none at all. Here's how Explera packages it.
## Where to send which client - Bangkok — Silom and Khao San Road are the epicentres of the water fights; high-energy, best for younger FIT and groups. For families and luxury clients, we base them on the riverside or Sukhumvit and bring them to curated, safer zones. - Chiang Mai — the old-city moat is the country's most atmospheric Songkran, blending water play with beautiful temple processions. Books out earliest of all. - Pattaya — runs the longest celebration (the "Wan Lai" extension in mid-to-late April), useful when April dates are tight elsewhere. - Phuket & islands — a gentler, beach-side version for clients who want sun with a splash of festival.
## Lead times — book two seasons ahead April is peak season und Songkran, so it's the first week to sell out. We recommend contracting accommodation two seasons in advance; Chiang Mai old-city hotels and Bangkok riverside suites are the first to go. Explera holds Songkran-week allocations with honest release dates.
## What we build in - Family-safe Songkran — curated water-play zones, daytime temple visits for the meaningful side (merit-making, Buddha-image bathing), and air-conditioned downtime. - Waterproofed logistics — transfers timed around road closures, dry-bag briefings, and guides who know which sois to avoid at peak hours. - Cultural depth — many clients don't realise Songkran is rooted in cleansing and respect for elders; we add the context that turns a water fight into a story. - 24/7 duty desk — essential during a week when streets, traffic and timings all change hour to hour.
## Looking to 2027 Songkran 2027 is again 13–15 April. UNESCO's recognition of Songkran has only increased international demand, so 2027 inventory tightens even earlier — lock allocations the year before.
Send your April dates and client profile to the Explera trade desk and we'll return a costed, net-rate Songkran program — accommodation, transfers, guiding and the experience itself — built for the exact kind of traveller you're selling.