On 10 April 2026, the Royal Thai Embassy in Dili organized a celebration of the “Songkran Festival” (Thai New Year) at Timor Lodge, Dili. This joyful event aimed to preserve the cultural heritage of Thailand under the theme “Once in a Lifetime: Experience Songkran in Thailand” while also further strengthening ties between the two countries, particularly at the people-to-people level. The Thai community in Timor-Leste, together with Timorese high-ranking officials, members of ASEAN Embassies in Dili and their families as well as representatives of the Alumni Association of Timorese Students in Thailand (AATST) attended the event.

 

The event featured traditional cultural activities to raise awareness of the Songkran festival and promote Thai identity such as the ritual of pouring water over a Buddha statue for auspiciousness, pouring water on the hands of elders, traditional water splashing, and dinner in a warm and friendly atmosphere. This festive occasion highlighted the unity of the Thai community in Timor-Leste as well as the cordial and long-standing bond between Thailand and Timor-Leste.

 

In December 2023, “Songkran in Thailand, traditional Thai New Year festival” was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

 

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