A grand event saw 42 embassies worldwide proudly don traditional Thai costumes, Thai fabrics, and floral shirts to celebrate "Thai Songkran," an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. They created videos to send greetings and best wishes to the Thai people. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture invites everyone to mark five distinctive cities and 13 popular travel destinations across Thailand to awaken the festival spirit."Proudly Wearing Thai Across the Land"Throughout this Songkran festival
Ms. Sabida Thaiset, Minister of Culture, revealed the cultural policy for 2026, stating that the Ministry of Culture (MOC) is committed to promoting the value and significance of Thai traditions, positioning Thailand as a key destination that tourists worldwide must visit, especially during the Songkran festival—a time of happiness, warmth, and showing respect to elders—under the concept "My Home’s Songkran, Thai Colors, Happiness Spreading Worldwide" (Once in a Lifetime: Experience Songkran in Thailand). This emphasizes the beauty of the tradition, recognized by UNESCO as a representative of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. It also aims to elevate Thai Songkran to a World Event that generates vast economic value and pride for Thai people globally.
Ms. Sabida expressed great pride this year in the excellent cooperation from 42 foreign embassies in Thailand from countries including Australia, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Slovakia, Timor-Leste, Turkey, the United States, and Vietnam.
This year, each country created video greetings and sent good wishes to the Thai people, blending their unique national identities with the vibrancy of Thai Songkran in a harmonious way. These videos can be viewed on the YouTube channel of the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Culture.https://youtu.be/LmuTeLjfs8I?si=9HjWfaLpyEqQxSFVThese impressive greetings shared via social media demonstrate international friendship and increase awareness of the true cultural value of Songkran in Thailand among foreigners. Many countries participated by wearing Thai costumes, including Australia, Belgium, Guatemala, Japan, New Zealand, France, and others, donning traditional Thai attire and floral or elephant-patterned shirts as part of the activities.
"On behalf of the Ministry of Culture and the Thai people, I sincerely thank all foreign embassies in Thailand for honoring us by participating in the Songkran celebrations in 2026. Their collaborative creation of video greetings and promotion of Thai cultural heritage not only helps to widely share the beauty of Thai traditions internationally but also stands as a testament to the strong friendships various nations hold with Thailand. The Ministry of Culture believes this spirit of cooperation will be a vital driving force to uphold the value of Thai Songkran, recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, and serve as a cultural bridge to strengthen international relations continuously," said the Minister of Culture.
The Ministry of Culture has also laid the foundation for grand Songkran celebrations across all regions by pinpointing key activities in various areas as follows:
Five distinctive identity cities Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Chonburi, Samut Prakan, and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Thirteen popular travel destinations Including Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Phuket, and Chiang Rai.
Bangkok Hosts cultural activities and a Buddha bathing ceremony for blessings at Wat Suthat Thepwararam Ratchaworamahawihan, alongside activities at 50 temples across 50 districts and events in leading shopping malls.
On this occasion, the Minister of Culture invited Thai people nationwide to act as gracious hosts filled with goodwill by joining the campaign "Proudly Wearing Thai Across the Land" encouraging everyone to wear beautiful traditional Thai costumes, indigenous Thai fabrics, or modern Thai-inspired attire to participate in Songkran festivities and continue wearing them throughout April 2026. This aims to create a new chapter in history reflecting love and cherishing the nation's cultural heritage, with the vibrant colors of Thai costumes blooming across all areas—a beautiful and impressive image to visitors, reaffirming confidence that Thai culture is the bond linking national pride and ready to share happiness widely at the international level.
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