What official UNESCO title describes Songkran’s inscription as Thai intangible heritage?

Songkran’s official UNESCO title is “Songkran in Thailand, traditional Thai New Year festival.”

UNESCO uses this wording for the cultural practice inscribed on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The title emphasizes that Songkran is more than water splashing: it is a seasonal New Year tradition involving family visits, merit-making, temple activities, respect for elders, and community celebrations.

The phrase also distinguishes Thailand’s Songkran from related April New Year festivals elsewhere in mainland Southeast Asia. Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and parts of southern China have their own related customs and names, shaped by overlapping Indic and Buddhist cultural influences.

A common mix-up is treating the modern water fight as the whole festival. Water is important because it symbolizes cleansing, respect, blessing, and renewal, but traditional Songkran practice also includes bathing Buddha images, visiting temples, making offerings, and asking elders for blessings.