Elephants join in Songkran festivities with locals and tourists in Ayutthaya

Elephants splashed water, painted, and danced at Ayutthaya’s city pillar shrine on Friday to mark the start of Songkran, the 2026 Thai New Year. The event, co-organised by Ayutthaya Elephant Palace and Royal Kraal, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the provincial municipality, was held to preserve and promote Thai culture and to boost tourism.