Elephants spray water on tourists for luck

Water fight has become tradition to mark Thai New Year

Colourfully painted elephants in the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya sprayed people with water yesterday in a water fight that has become tradition to mark the country’s New Year festivities.

“It’s indescribable, it’s amazing. You come out, you get in the tuk-tuk and you start having a water fight with the elephants,” said David Gray, a British tourist sporting a bright Hawaiian shirt. Ayutthaya, a Unesco World Heritage city, is home to one of the country’s most popular elephant camps.

This year, Thailand celebrates the annual water festival, called Songkran, from April 13 to 15, to mark the traditional New Year.

The Songkran festival is often referred to as the world’s biggest water fight — a time when revellers splash water on each other under the scorching sun. Thais believe water washes away bad luck and helps usher in prosperity.