If you have limited time during your stay in Thailand and would like to experience the full range of Songkran Thai New Year celebrations, a visit to the Ancient City in Samut Prakan province is ideal.

From April 12 – 16, 2008, Grand Songkran Thai New Year festivities being held at the Ancient City will depict timeless Thai traditions and the traditional Thai way of life in the four regions of Thailand.

This year, the Ancient City Grand Songkran celebrations will focus on the following aspects of customs, traditions and festivities held to celebrate the Thai New Year.

	Grand Songkran Festival activities featuring the observance of the ancient Thai tradition of sprinkling, or pouring, scented lustral water onto Buddha images, or over the hands of monks and elderly folks as a gesture of respect
	Making merit at nine sacred temples
	Traditional stage dramas, folk plays, folk dances and performances

SONGKRAN CULTURAL SHOWCASES
Witness a vast variety of cultural presentations and performances related to the Songkran Thai New Year being staged in its regional context. Traditional Thai houses in the various architectural styles and other key landmarks – ranging from important royal palaces, temples, chedis or stupas, corn-cob-shaped Khmer-style towers called prang and Khmer-style temple sanctuaries constructed in stone – all reflect the changing cultural landscape and way of life of the kingdom’s four regions – North, Northeast, South and the Central Plains. Learn about the history, culture, religion, art, Thai customs, traditions and way of life, including local culinary traditions, past to the present.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

	All photos © Ancient City: Samut Prakan, Thailand

Phra Si Sanphet Prasat	CENTRAL REGION SONGKRAN At Sanamchai Plaza (Laan Sanamchai) in front of the Phra Tinang Phra Si Sanphet Prasart Throne Hall Witness or take part in the ritual bathing of Buddha images. Scented lustral water is poured over Buddha images as a gesture of respect. Visitors might also pay homage to a replica of the Saraburi holy footprint. Admire the fine Buddha images housed in the Haw Phra Kaeow hall. Finally, enjoy live demonstrations of traditional Thai folk games and sports such as ram krabee, ram krabong — the art of self defence, and dances such as the long-drum dance, ram klong yao. LOWER NORTH-UPPER CENTRAL REGION SONGKRAN At Viharn Sukhothai ordination hall Make merit by taking part in the ritual bathing of Buddha images in the Viharn Sukhothai ordination hall. It is believed that auspicious New Year blessings will be bestowed on individuals who take part in this merit-making ritual. Sample a variety of Thai dishes and desserts at the floating market and watch live demonstrations of local folk games such as traditional muay talay, traditional Thai boxing on a log, placed over water.
	THE FLOATING MARKET The lively traditional floating market continues to be an integral element of rural life, particularly in the agricultural communities of the Central Plains of Thailand. The floating market within the Ancient City offers glimpses of the traditional way of life in riverside communities. Vendors in long-tail boats earn their livelihood by plying the rivers and waterways selling an assortment of goods, including food.

NORTHERN REGION SONGKRAN
At the temples of Wat Chong Kham, Wat Chiang Khong, Wat Phumin and the Northern Village at the Ancient City

The Viharn of Wat Chiang Khong temple

Witness Northern merit-making customs and traditions such as the building of sand stupas within temple grounds or the construction of wooden structures to support the branches of the banyan, or pho, trees growing within the temple ground and the release of fishes.

Enjoy traditional Lanna, or the Northern-Thai style music, including a rousing live demonstration of the sabatchai Victory drum performance, stage drama, folk dances such as the Gingkala bird dance, live demonstrations of folk crafts such as the famous Bor Sang umbrella-painting, and a variety of other entertainment, native to the northern region.

I-SAN OR NORTHEASTERN REGION SONGKRAN
At Wat That Phanom at the Ancient City and the elephant plaza

Note the interesting regional variations in Songkran Thai New Year merit-making customs and traditions. Witness or take part in the Northeastern Thai version of the Buddha image bathing ritual and pay homage to the principle Buddha image housed in the viharn or ordination hall.

Merit-making festivities in Northeastern Thailand, or I-San, are a lively affair. As soon as the formal rituals end, the rest of the day is devoted to good-spirited festive fun, particularly song and dance, I-San style. Enjoy a repertoire of popular I-San folk dance performances, especially the pong lang dance performed to the beat of the pong lang or log xylophone, a traditional musical instrument, indigenous to I-San, the soeng and the Phu Thai dance, the rarely seen Sao Kalasin Ram Ploen dance, as well as folk dances that reflect the Isaan way of life such as the rattan harvesting dance. A traditional I-San feast is very much a central element of such festivities.

SONGKRAN IN SAMUT PRAKAN
Songkran festivities celebrated in Samut Prakan province are showcased in the form of a colourful temple fair with games stalls, food stalls and OTOP handicraft and souvenir stalls.

Mon Saba Making kalamae

Mon Saba – a traditional Thai ‘pitch-and-toss’ game played with beans Community participation in the preparation of a traditional Thai dessert called ‘kalamae’. Participants help to stir a pan of molasses.   Temple Fair games and folk games such as skeet shooting, kite-flying, ‘Rap Bua’ lotus-blossoms-throwing contest, game of human chess and other folk games Temple Fair Highlights Cultural performances from the four regions of Thailand A wide selection of delicious cuisine Shopping for OTOP handicrafts, souvenirs and gift items Merit-making activities such as filling oil lamps for luck Floating lanterns

Splendid replicas of all of the key historical landmarks and significant cultural sites found in each of the provinces of Thailand have been reconstructed in a single location thereby presenting visitors with an opportunity to literally tour the famous monuments, places of historic interest and other antiquities found in four regions of the kingdom in a single day. Fortunately, it’s possible to drive from one stop to the next.

At the Ancient City, over 116 attractions are spread out over a vast area of 128 hectares. To facilitate the tour of the various sites in the Ancient City (known as ‘Muang Boran’ in Thai), a mini-rail shuttle service operates in a looped route. It's also possible to drive from one stop to the next.

Contact information:
Ancient City
296/1 Sukhumvit Road, Bangpoo,
Samut Prakan 10280
Tel: 0-2709-1644-5
Fax: 0-2323-9253
E-mail: muangboran@ancientcity.com
Web site: www.ancientcity.com