2nd April 2023 – (Hong Kong) Kowloon City, also known as the “Little Thailand” of Hong Kong, will host the SongKran HK 2023 festival for the first time since 2019. This festival commemorates the Thai New Year and will take place on 9th April at the football pitch in Carpenter Road Park. Tickets for the event will be available at 19 locations across the city. The organisers have prepared over 20 booths at Carpenter Road Park, offering activities such as Thai massages, live Muay Thai, dance performances and other experiential activities. There will also be a catwalk show, a concert, and Thai food on display.
As part of SongKran HK 2023 festival at D2Place One in Lai Chi Kok from 5th to 10th April, several street water-splashing activities will be available for families, dogs, and the general public. Registration for these events will open shortly. The festival was last held in 2018.
The festival will feature a Thai-themed market, a Thai food exhibit, and Thai tarot card readings. There will also be several pet-themed attractions, such as pet supply stalls, traditional Thai outfits for pets, a pet-playing area, and special pet photo spots.
According to the organisers, admission tickets have already been distributed at various locations, with a limited number of tickets available on the day of the event. The expected turnout is predicted to be double that of pre-pandemic levels, with an estimated 10,000 visitors.
The festival’s convenor, Calvin Tse Hoi-fat, announced that this year’s event will provide free admission to 8,000 visitors. Citizens can obtain tickets from various community centres and district councillors’ offices. On the day of the carnival, hundreds of tickets will also be distributed, and the expected turnout is predicted to be 10,000 people. This year’s event will also feature a Miss Songkran Beauty Content, with 12 contestants from different regions of Thailand participating. Tse emphasised that the pageant is open to people of all ages and genders.
Kowloon City District Officer, Alice Choi Man-kwan, stated that the event aims to promote Thai culture and strengthen social and cultural exchange. Additionally, she hopes that the festival can attract tourists and boost the local economy. From now until the 21st of April, about 100 businesses in the Kowloon City area will offer discounts, including Thai restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, meat shops, seafood shops, and car wash shops. The business network convener in Kowloon City hopes that the discounts will boost the local economy.
The Songkran Festival is an important event in Thailand and is celebrated across the country for three days in mid-April. The festival is marked by water-splashing, which symbolizes washing away bad luck and welcoming a new year of good fortune. Thai residents in Hong Kong celebrate the Thai New Year (Songkran) every year with the Nang Songkran Parade, Chatuchak-Style Market, traditional Thai dance performances, photo shooting opportunities in traditional Thai costumes, water-splashing, and traditional Thai crafts workshops. Let’s enjoy Thai hospitality and Thai-Hong Kong traditions together!