Songkran Festival › Songkran water fight guide
The Songkran water fight: rules, fines and what to wear
Everyone on the street is fair game at Songkran, but there are rules, and some carry real fines. Here is what was banned in 2026, what to wear, which water guns are fine, and who not to splash, with the source for each line. The 2027 rules are usually set in the weeks before the festival. Checked 24 Oct 2026.
At a glance
High-pressure water guns
Banned; up to 4,000 baht or up to 2 years in prison under the 2026 guidance (being checked)
Powder and paint
Banned in safe zones and the main water streets such as Khao San and Silom
Splashing moving vehicles
Prohibited; if it causes a death, up to 10 years in prison (being checked)
Drink-driving limit
50 mg%, or 20 mg% for drivers under 20 or on a temporary licence
2027
Not announced Zone rules and fines are set nearer the date
The four things to know
What the police and city halls focused on in 2026. Each card links to the source.
Water guns
Small guns, buckets and bowls
Water pistols, buckets, bowls and hoses are all part of it. High-pressure guns are not, and the 2026 guidance set penalties for them.
2026: Up to 4,000 baht fine or up to 2 years in prison (being checked). Bangkok city hall asked people not to use them in 2024 and 2025 as well.
Getting there: If a gun needs pumping hard to fire, leave it at home.
2027 rules not announced
Sources: Thairath, Bangkok city hall via PRD
Clothes
What to wear
Dress politely: wet, see-through or very revealing clothes in public water zones can be fined. Silom’s 2026 theme asked visitors to wear a traditional Thai shawl (being checked).
2026: Revealing or sexually suggestive dress in public water areas: fine up to 5,000 baht (being checked).
Getting there: A floral shirt or T-shirt, quick-dry shorts and sandals that stay on when wet.
2027 rules not announced
Powder
Powder and paint
Smearing white powder (din sor pong) on faces is a Songkran tradition, but it is now banned in the safe zones and on the main water streets, and Bangkok city hall asks people not to do it.
2026: Banned on Khao San Road, Silom and other safe zones. We have not found a fine amount.
Getting there: If you want to join in, ask first, and only outside the official zones.
2027 rules not announced
Sources: Thairath, Bangkok city hall via PRD
Drinking
Alcohol and driving
Many official water zones ban drinking and selling alcohol: Silom, Khao San Road and the Chiang Mai moat did in 2026. Drink-driving penalties are serious.
2026: Limit 50 mg% (20 mg% for drivers under 20). First offence: up to 1 year in prison and/or a 5,000–20,000 baht fine; refusing a breath test counts as drink-driving.
Getting there: Bangkok’s water streets · the Chiang Mai moat
Law in force
Sources: The Nation, Thairath
Rules and fines
What applied in 2026
These are the rules and penalties reported for Songkran 2026, from the police and city halls. Zone rules for 2027 will be announced closer to April; we will update this list as they are.
Bangkok city hall’s list of things not to do is simple: no high-pressure water guns, no smearing powder on others, no inappropriate clothing, no drink-driving, no getting drunk and causing a scene, and no loud speakers (BMA, 2024).
Water guns
No high-pressure water guns (being checked)
Up to 4,000 baht or up to 2 years in prison
Vehicles
No splashing moving cars or motorbikes (being checked)
If it causes a death: up to 10 years in prison
Clothing
No revealing or sexually suggestive dress in water zones (being checked)
Fine up to 5,000 baht
Harassment
No groping or sexual harassment in the crowds (being checked)
Up to 10 years in prison or up to 200,000 baht
Powder
No powder or paint in safe zones and main water streets
No fine amount found
Drink-driving
Limit 50 mg% (20 mg% under 20)
First offence: up to 1 year and/or 5,000–20,000 baht
Speeding
Speed limits enforced over the holiday (being checked)
Up to 4,000 baht plus licence points
Sources: Thairath (Songkran 2026 guidance), Thairath (Royal Thai Police, 2026), The Nation.
Why the rules exist
Songkran 2026’s seven danger days, 10 to 16 April, from the Road Safety Command Center.
242
road deaths across Thailand
1,242
road accidents
64.55%
of accidents on the last day involved motorcycles
40.65%
of accidents on the last day were caused by speeding
Source: Thai PBS, from the Road Safety Command Center. Deaths were 9.70% below the three-year average.
Etiquette
Who not to splash
Songkran water is a blessing, and most people are happy to be soaked. A few are not.
For what the water and the customs mean, see what Songkran means.
Monks and elders
Never throw water at monks. For elders, the custom is to pour a little scented water gently over their hands.
Anyone on a motorbike or in a moving car
It causes crashes, and it is prohibited.
Babies, and people clearly not playing
Shopkeepers, workers in uniform, anyone who waves you off.
Ice water and dirty water
Ice-cold water in the face is a shock, and moat or canal water is not for drinking. Keep it out of eyes and mouths.
What to bring
Four things that make the day better.
A waterproof phone case
Or leave the phone at the hotel. Time Out Chiang Mai warns that the cheapest 40-baht pouches are known to leak (being checked).
A small water gun or a bucket
Low pressure only. Buckets and bowls are traditional, and vendors refill them along the main streets.
Quick-dry clothes and sandals
You will be wet from the first minute until you go indoors.
Water to drink and sun cream
Temperatures in Thailand usually peak in April and May.
Sources: Time Out Chiang Mai (phone pouches), Selective Asia (heat).
Questions people ask
Are water guns allowed at Songkran?
Small water guns, buckets and bowls are fine. High-pressure water guns are banned; the 2026 guidance set a fine of up to 4,000 baht or up to 2 years in prison, according to Thairath.
What should I wear for Songkran?
Something you don’t mind getting soaked that still covers you: a T-shirt or floral shirt, quick-dry shorts and sandals. Revealing clothes in public water zones can be fined.
Is powder allowed at Songkran?
Not in the safe zones or on the main water streets such as Khao San Road and Silom, where it was banned in 2026.
Can I drink alcohol in the water zones?
Usually not. In 2026 Silom banned drinking and selling alcohol in the event area, and Khao San Road and the Chiang Mai moat were reported as no-sale or alcohol-free zones.
What is the drink-driving limit in Thailand?
50 mg% blood alcohol, or 20 mg% for drivers under 20 or on a temporary licence. A first offence can mean up to a year in prison and a 5,000 to 20,000 baht fine.
Who should I not splash?
Monks, people on motorbikes or in moving vehicles, babies, and anyone who clearly does not want to play.
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