Soaring costs for fuel and ice fail to dampen the mood as a wave of ‘revenge travel’ provides a much-needed economic boost
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenAidan JonesPublished: 3:50pm, 13 Apr 2026The world’s largest water fight erupted across Bangkok on Monday as the three-day annual Songkran festival drew a surge in tourists to a country whose bruised economy badly needed a reason to celebrate.
It also provides an excuse for street parties on a grand scale. Bangkok hosts some of the most raucous celebrations, from music festivals with fireworks and high-pressure water jets to parades where revellers’ minimalist approach to clothing runs the risk of incurring 5,000-baht (US$156) fines.
Visitors flock to the Thai capital’s S20 Songkran Music Festival, Khao San and Silom party districts and major shopping centres including Central World and Icon Siam, steered by social media posts on the likes of Instagram to RedNote.
Around 1.8 million passengers are expected to arrive at Bangkok’s main Suvarnabhumi Airport from Friday last week through to next Sunday – slightly less than last year, but still roughly 182,000 arrivals a day.
Some 11,000 flights are due to land over the same period, a 4.6 per cent year-on-year increase, amid a wave of so-called revenge travel by holidaymakers who had shelved plans after the Iran war caused airports across the Middle East to close.
