Via Wikipedia: The Songkran festival from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti or literally “astrological passage” is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year’s Day. The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water upon others. Thais roam the streets with containers of water or water guns. In addition, many Thais will have small bowls of beige colored talc sold cheaply and mixed with water which is then smeared on the faces and bodies of random passerbys as a blessing for the new year. Read more here.
Ambassador Kristie Kenney and the staff of US Embassy Bangkok celebrating the new year below.
–DS
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