SONGKRAN IN CHIANG MAI: PAWENI PI MAI MUANG 2017 Date: 1 – 15 Apr 2017

Date: 1 – 15 Apr 2017

Venue:  Chiang Mai Town, Chiang Mai

Telephone: +66 5324 8604, +66 5324 8607, +66 5330 2500

Website: http://www.tourismthailand.org

Detail : In the North, where Songkran Lanna is celebrated, it is also called the ‘Paweni Pi Mai Muang’. The celebration begins on April 13, which is called ‘Sangkhan Long’ day. The day is considered as the last day of the year in the Northern region. In the morning, firecrackers will be lit because of the belief that evil from the past year will be chased away by the noise of the firecrackers. In the evening, a parade for Chiang Mai’s significant Buddha statue will be organized around the city. Locals and tourists join the ceremony both for fun and to make merit. On April 14 or ‘Nao’ day, it is believed that swear words and rude manner are prohibited on this particular day. Anyone who breaks the rules will have bad luck for a whole year. On April 15 that is either called the ‘Phya day’ or ‘beginning of the new era’. On this day locals usually start their morning early and go to a temple to make a merit, listen to monks’ preachment. And later in the day they will go respectfully to their parents and older relatives to pour water on the hands and ask for blessing. On the 16, ‘Pak Pi’ day people will go to pour water on the hands of the abbots from different temples. On the 17April ‘Pak Duen’ day, the last day of Songkran celebration here, locals will clean themselves by brushing their body to symbolize cleaning bad luck away. This tradition is the uniqueness of the North of Thailand only.

 

Activities :

- Join the parade and pour water on Chiang Mai and Lanna’s prominent Buddha statue ‘PhraPutthaSihing’

- Join the parade and bring sand and ‘Salee (Bodhi tree) Clutches’ to the temple

For more information : Tourism Authority of Thailand, Chiang Mai - Tel. 0 5324 8604-5

 

Credit: http://thai.tourismthailand.org/, http://chiangmaitips.com/