What is the traditional name for the Thai New Year celebration?

The traditional name for the Thai New Year celebration is Songkran.

Songkran is Thailand’s traditional New Year festival, whose name comes from the Sanskrit word saṅkrānti, referring to movement or transition. In the Thai calendar tradition, it marks the Sun’s passage from Pisces into Aries and the beginning of a new solar year.

The festival is strongly associated with water. Water symbolizes cleansing, renewal, and the washing away of misfortune, while modern public celebrations often feature large-scale water splashing. Traditional observances also include visiting temples, making merit, cleaning homes, and respectfully pouring water over the hands of elders.

Songkran is not the same as Loy Krathong, which is a separate Thai festival involving floating decorated baskets, usually held later in the year. Chinese New Year follows a different calendar and is celebrated across many countries, while Ok Phansa marks the end of Buddhist Lent.