Wan Lai Bang Saen is a Songkran celebration in Chonburi Province, Thailand.
Bang Saen is a seaside resort area in Chonburi, east of Bangkok, and its Wan Lai festivities are known for large public water celebrations, sand pagoda building, cultural activity, and crowds visiting the beach. The phrase Wan Lai refers to a later or “flowing” day of celebration in parts of eastern Thailand.
The event is related to Songkran but is not simply another name for the national festival. Local Wan Lai celebrations occur on dates that can differ from the central three-day Songkran period, allowing communities to hold extended festivities.
Chonburi also contains Pattaya, whose famous water festival is often discussed separately. Bang Saen’s Wan Lai should therefore not be confused with Pattaya’s Songkran events, even though both are in the same province.