Laos celebrates a closely related New Year festival called Pi Mai Lao.
Pi Mai Lao and Thailand’s Songkran are part of a wider mainland Southeast Asian New Year tradition shaped by Theravada Buddhist culture and the seasonal solar transition. Both festivals commonly involve temple visits, water rituals, family gatherings, merit-making, and public celebrations.
The festivals are related but are not identical national events. Thailand uses the name Songkran, while Laos uses Pi Mai Lao, meaning Lao New Year. Cambodia and Myanmar also have related New Year traditions with their own names and regional customs.
The shared water symbolism is often explained through cleansing, blessing, and renewal. Modern tourist imagery can make these festivals look interchangeable, but their languages, ceremonies, calendars, and local practices remain distinct.