Songkran Well Wishes
By Kathleen Pokrud
HE Ambassador Ángela Jane Macdonald
Embassy of Australia
Happy Songkran from the Australian Embassy in Thailand.
To mark this auspicious occasion, colleagues at the embassy took part in a water pouring ceremony involving the embassy’s spirit house, Buddha image and senior staff. Embracing Thai culture, embassy colleagues also performed a traditional Thai dance and enjoyed a range of festive foods. Songkran is an important time for our Thai colleagues and friends to celebrate with loved ones and an enriching experience for our Australian staff here in Thailand.
May this festive Thai New Year bring you good health, prosperity and happiness. Suk san wan Songkran kha!
_354682587.png)
HE Ambassador Sibille de Cartier d’Yves
Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium
On behalf of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium, I wish each and every one of you a very happy Songkran. May the water of Songkran allow you to start anew. May the new year bring you, your families and your loved ones good health, happiness and love. Let’s fill our hearts with positive energy and Joy and enjoy every moment of the new year to come.
Suk San Wan Songkran
HE Ambassador Ping Kitnikone
Embassy of Canada
Sawasdee ka! On behalf of the Embassy of Canada to Thailand, I am delighted to wish all Thais celebrating Songkran a new year full of happiness, health and prosperity. Songkran provides all of us with a chance to reflect and spend time with our loved ones. It is a wonderful opportunity for people around the world to experience the culture and traditions of Thailand. The Thai New Year is recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, and Songkran traditions reflect honoured practices such as the pouring of water with respect for the elderly. I look forward to a happy Songkran celebration, which is always enjoyed not only by Thais, but also millions of foreign tourists and expats in Thailand, including Canadians. Suk San Wan Songkran!
HE Ambassador Patricio Powell
Embassy of Chile
From all of us at the Embassy of Chile in Thailand, best wishes for a happy Songkran Festival and New Year. As recent arrivals, this will be the first chance for my wife and I to participate in these festivities and to learn more about Thailand’s culture and traditions. We join with the Thai people and all those celebrating in the spirit of peace, joy, respect, inclusion, family and mutual understanding. Suk San Wan Songkran!
HE Ambassador Jon Thorgaard
Embassy of Denmark
On behalf of the Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok, I extend heartfelt greetings to the people of Thailand on the occasion of Songkran 2024.
May this Songkran give you happiness and good fortune for the year ahead. Let this also be an opportunity to give thoughts to the people who are less fortunate to have peace in their home countries and to the urgent need for a healthy and sustainable planet!
We join you in celebrating and extending our sincere wishes for joy, prosperity and good health to you and your families.
HE Ambassador Hala Youssef Ragab
Embassy of Egypt
On behalf of the Egyptian people, I would like to extend my heartfelt greetings and warmest wishes to the Kingdom of Thailand and all Thai people on the occasion of the Thai New Year. As the sun rises on another Songkran, may its gentle warmth remind you of the beauty in life's transitions. May each droplet of water cleanse your spirit and renew your soul for the journey ahead. As you gather with loved ones, may you find solace in shared laughter and cherished memories. Wishing the Thai people a Songkran filled with joy, peace and the boundless possibilities that come with a new beginning. Happy Songkran!
_170030050.png)
HE Ambassador Jean-Claude Poimbœuf
Embassy of France
As we celebrate Songkran, I extend my heartfelt wishes to all Thai people for a year filled with joy, prosperity and success. Let us embrace the rich cultural heritage of Thailand and celebrate the long-lasting friendship between Thailand and France, with the upcoming commemorations of the 340th anniversary of the first contact between France and the Kingdom of Siam in 2025, and the 170th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2026.
Let’s have fun and celebrate together, and as there are unfortunately a high number of accidents during Songkran season, let’s drive safely on the roads!
HE Ambassador Shirley Aguilar
Embassy of Guatemala
On behalf of the Embassy of the Republic of Guatemala and Guatemalan citizens to the Kingdom of Thailand, I extend heartfelt congratulations to the people of Thailand as you celebrate the vibrant and joyous occasion of Songkran. May this auspicious festival usher in a season of renewal, happiness and prosperity for you and your loved ones! May the splashing of water cleanse away the past and bring forth new beginnings filled with abundance and goodwill! As families come together to honour tradition and embrace the spirit of unity, may the festivities be filled with laughter, cherished moments and the warmth of shared traditions. Suk San Wan Songkran! May it be filled with joy, harmony and countless blessings!
HE Ambassador Peter Wells
Apostolic Nunciature
The Apostolic Nunciature in Thailand feels deeply honoured to extend its blessings as the Songkran Festival welcomes the Thai New Year. It is a time we all look forward to embracing the spirit of renewal and the strong sense of unity it brings into our hearts. Let the ceremonial waters not only wash away the sorrows of yesteryears, but also open the gates for a year brimming with health, joy and prosperity for everyone in Thailand. Together, let us dive into the celebrations, enrich the bonds within our families, nurture our communities and mirror the virtues of compassion and kindness. In this time of renewal, our prayers are for peace, abundance and joy.
May the New Year bring fresh beginnings and lasting happiness. Happy Songkran to everyone, from our hearts to yours.
HE Ambassador Nagesh Singh
Embassy of India
On behalf of the Embassy of India and on my own behalf, I extend our warmest greetings and best wishes to the people of Thailand on the joyous occasion of Songkran. May the Thai New Year bring peace, prosperity, happiness and good health for all. Suk San Wan Songkran!!
HE Ambassador Park Yongmin
Embassy of Korea
On behalf of the Republic of Korea, I would like to extend my congratulations and wishes for a Happy New Year for all Thai people. It is more meaningful this year, as Songkran became UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
Korean people deeply appreciate your huge interest in our culture. Any two countries are divided not by geographic distance but by how close the people of those countries feel about each other. By this standard, Korea and Thailand are already two of the closest neighbours. The Embassy will work even harder to make us even closer in all criteria.
HE Ambassador Khamphan Anlavan
Embassy of Laos
On behalf of the Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to the Kingdom of Thailand and on my own behalf, I would like to congratulate the Thai people on the special celebration of Songkran this year, which coincides with the 72nd birthday of His Majesty King Rama X. Thai people, along with the Lao people, continue to preserve the traditional festivities of Songkran, which mark the start of the Lunar New Year, for this generation and generations to come.
On this auspicious occasion, I, Khamphan Anlavan, Lao Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, wish you all happiness, prosperity and greater success in the year 2024.
Thank you.
HE Ambassador Jojie Samuel
Embassy of Malaysia
On behalf of the Embassy of Malaysia in Thailand. I wish to convey to the people of Thailand, a successful year, and may this Thai New Year bring you prosperity and happiness. I look forward to a great friendship and further strengthening of our cooperation. Suk San Wan Songkran!
As 13 April is also marked as National Elderly Day, may we cherish your presence and honour your contributions. We extend our deepest gratitude to those who have journeyed through life's many seasons before us. Happy National Elderly Day!
HE Ambassador Astrid Emilie Helle
Embassy of Norway
Sawasdee Kha, I would like to send my best wishes to all friends in Thailand for a Happy Songkran! This is a wonderful moment for family gatherings to mark a good start of the Thai New Year. The festive part of Songkran celebration also attracts travellers from across the world. As both Norway and Thailand are fully opened for tourism - with additional operation of direct flights, I foresee the exchange of visitors between our two countries will be growing. I also look forward to a greater bilateral collaboration in the year to come. Suk San Wan Songkran!
HE Ambassador Artur Dmochowski
Embassy of Poland
Sawasdee ka!
I wish to extend to all Thai friends my best wishes of Happy Songkran and the whole new year filled with love and good fortune! We’ll all gather on this occasion when we share joy with our loved ones by sprinkling water on each other - exactly like we, as Catholics, do in Poland, celebrating Easter at the same time of year. Let’s pray together that this water washes away all problems and the New Year is a time of new hope to face the challenges of life.
As the Polish ambassador, I am happy to enjoy the beauty and richness of Thai culture and tradition. I also feel proud and privileged to add my efforts to build stronger and deeper ties of friendship between our nations. I wish everyone good health and happiness! Suk San Wan Songkran!
HE Ambassador Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
Sawasdee Krub! On the occasion of Thai New Year and the Songkran Festival, I and my colleagues wish you all big smiles, a bundle of joy and loads of happiness.
May the coolness and positivity of Songkran spread throughout your life, making this coming year more blessed and prosperous for you.
Happy Thai New Year & Happy Songkran Festival 2024.
HE Ambassador Catherine Wong
Embassy of Singapore
On behalf of the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok, I wish everyone in the Kingdom of Thailand a very happy Songkran as we welcome the Thai New Year.
Songkran is a lively and joyous occasion that brings with it new beginnings and the opportunity for families and loved ones to celebrate the new year together. It is also a time for reflection, gratitude and renewal as the Kingdom comes alive during the festivities.
As the new Singaporean ambassador to Thailand, this is my first Songkran, and I look forward to celebrating it with all of you. I also look forward to working with friends and colleagues in Thailand in the year ahead to bring our excellent Singapore-Thailand relationship to even greater heights.
May the new year and the water splashed during the Songkran festivities bring good fortune, joy and good health for all in Thailand! Suk San Wan Songkran!
