On 11 April 2025, the Royal Thai Embassy in Dili, in collaboration with the Thai community in Timor-Leste and the Alumni Association of Timorese Students in Thailand (AATST), organized a celebration of the “Songkran Festival” (Thai New Year) at the Embassy. 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 celebration was attended by over 70 participants, including members of the Thai community in Timor-Leste and their families, representatives of AATST, as well as officials and staff of the Embassy and their families. On this occasion, the Embassy had the honor of inviting Phra Kittichai Suvaco as the presiding monk for the alms-giving ceremony, bestowing blessings upon the Thai community in Timor-Leste and all participants. The event also 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, traditional water splashing, and a lunch featuring traditional Thai food and desserts 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 by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.