What is the traditional first day of Thailand’s Songkran festival called?

The traditional first day of Thailand’s Songkran festival is called Wan Maha Songkran.

Wan Maha Songkran is generally associated with April 13, when the sun’s movement marks the traditional New Year transition. The Thai word maha means “great,” so the name identifies this as the major or principal Songkran day.

The traditional calendar describes Songkran as a sequence of important days rather than only a single water festival. Wan Maha Songkran is followed by Wan Nao, a preparation day, and Wan Thaloeng Sok, the day marking the beginning of the new year. Modern public celebrations often blend these distinctions together.

A common mix-up is to treat April 13 as Thailand’s civil New Year’s Day. Thailand’s official civil New Year is January 1, while Songkran remains the country’s traditional and cultural New Year celebration.