FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Online sites offer satisfaction of virtual water splashing to celebrate Songkran

Online sites offer satisfaction of virtual water splashing to celebrate Songkran

Amidst fears of a Covid-19 outbreak after the Songkran festivities, a number of websites are offering safer online alternatives to celebrate the Thai New Year from the comfort of your home.

At least four websites have been available for people to virtually mark the occasion, which traditionally involves splashing water at others.

Water splashing has been banned since the Covid-19 virus struck across the world in 2020 although travels during the long holiday have been allowed over the past two years.

The government has maintained its ban this year on water splashing by Songkran revellers, especially at popular tourist areas like Bangkok’s Khaosan Road, where water splashing is an irresistible way of marking Songkran.

Sanook.com portal website is offering a virtual way to celebrate Songkran at https://season.sanook.com/songkran, where celebrants can choose their cartoon character and “targets” for water splashing among their friends in social media.

They can choose funny messages to display and a virtual location for the water fight, including popular real world sites like Bangkok’s Silom Road, Chiang Mai’s Tha Pae Gate, Surat Thani’s Samui Island, and Khon Kaen’s Khao Niao Road.

At www.สงกรานต์ออนไลน์.com until Sunday, Songkran celebrants from anywhere in the world can take part in its virtual cultural and traditional activities that include water splashing, pouring water on the hands of elders to show respect and gratitude, and bathing Buddha images.

They can choose a location for their online water fight, including Khaosan, Khao Niao, Tha Pae Gate, and Phuket’s Patong Beach.

The Songkran Metaverse Festival 2022, accessed through the website https://bit.ly/3EctKCp, offers a virtual alternative for water splashing to mark the Thai Nw Year at two virtual locations — Khaosan and Silom.

The celebrants can choose their three-dimensional avatar to take part in the virtual water fight, as well as chat with other Songkran revellers and listen to music online.

There are also colourful animations featuring a fountain, dancing car, and flying saucer.

The website can be accessed from a computer, smartphone and VR goggles.

A website run by Prince of Songkla University’s Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Cultural Studies and supported by the Ministry of Culture’s Department of Religious Affairs, https://songkranonline2565.weebly.com, is also offering online Songkran celebrations.

On the website, people can send electronic cards, take part in online prayers and listen to Buddhist sermons.

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