Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year and is celebrated from 13th to 15th April. This annual water festival; known in Thai as 'songkran;' and in Burmese as 'thingyan' marks the beginning of the rainy season and is celebrated in Burma; Laos; Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries; usually in April.

Chiang Mai (meaning "new city"); sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai"; is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai in 1296; and it succeeded Chiang Rai as capital of the Lanna kingdom.