A full slate of Songkran festivities

The Dusit Winter Festival (Oon Ai Rak) may be over, but initiatives from His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn to spread the good grace of Thai culture continue. From today until Sunday, a number of activities relating to Songkran festivities will be hosted at the Royal Plaza and nearby Sanam Suapa. Tonight, at 6pm, members of the public are invited to join in a Buddhist chant along with 239 monks to pay homage to Queen Sirikit and the past monarchs. An important Buddha statue will be enshrined there for visitors to worship and sprinkle water on for blessings and good fortune. This is the very original statue that King Rama I brings along to accompany his battles, all of which lead to victorious outcomes. At this occasion, HM King Vajiralongkorn has also arranged for prayer books to be given to those who have attended the event. The merriment is tomorrow and runs from 2-9pm. Besides an area that will be organised for the public to sprinkle water on Buddhist statues and to ask for well wishes from their elders, many activities both educational and fun will be running. There will be exhibitions featuring the history of Songkran and Songkran Goddess. There will also be khon performances and cultural shows demontrsating how royalty of the past entertained themselves. Hard-tofind Thai dishes and sweets will also be on show, along with a demonstration of how to make Thai fragrances. There will be many traditional Thai foods and desserts on sale. If you’re feeling competitive, a sand pagoda contest will be running during the weekend too, with winners awarded a royal trophy. Visitors are invited to dress in Thai-traditional, polite or flower-patterned attire. Avoid shorts, tank tops, powder and water guns.