Thailand registered the tradition, "Songkran in Thailand", as an intangible cultural heritage item with Unesco in 2023. However, we must know that Songkran is a tradition that derived from India, particularly the southern part, and is shared in Southeast Asian countries. An old poster obtained by this newspaper suggests Cambodia used the word Songkran to describe the new year in the late 1970s. Moreover, the country is in the process of registering Khmer Songkran with Unesco. Thais should learn more about our shared culture to get rid of prejudice and adopt a more open-minded approach to neighbourly relations.

Source: Bangkok Post April 13, 2026 02:06 UTC