Which animal is often featured in Songkran parades?

Which animal is often featured in Songkran parades? Elephants are often featured in Songkran parades, especially in areas where elephant culture is an important part of local identity.

Songkran is Thailand’s traditional New Year festival, usually celebrated around 13–15 April. Parades may carry Buddha images, feature traditional costumes, music, floats and a Songkran goddess procession. In elephant regions such as Ayutthaya, Surin and parts of northern Thailand, decorated elephants can join ceremonies, carry religious images or participate in water celebrations.

Elephants are not present in every Songkran parade, so this answer refers to a familiar regional feature rather than a nationwide requirement. Dragons, lions and tigers may appear as decorative figures or parade themes, but they are not the animal most characteristically associated with Thai Songkran events. Thailand’s long cultural relationship with elephants helps explain their recurring place in festival spectacles.