Songkran attendance in Bangkok surges 93.4% year-on-year

Dhaka: Bangkok's Songkran celebrations attracted nearly 5 million people this year, marking a 93.4% jump from 2025, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).

Cumulative attendance across 94 venues citywide reached 4,958,965 people between April 10 and 15, up by 2,394,302 from the 2,564,663 recorded over the same period last year, BMA spokesman Ekwaranyu Amrapal said on April 16.

Siam Square was the most popular venue, drawing 1,535,638 visitors. Iconsiam followed with 1,471,162, and Silom Road ranked third with 652,974.

Road safety remained a concern during the six-day period. Bangkok recorded 18 fatal accidents, unchanged from last year, though total deaths rose slightly to 20 from 19. A total of 2,554 people sustained injuries.

Motorcycles accounted for the majority of fatalities at 17 deaths, or 85% of the total. Of those, nine victims were not wearing helmets. Thung Khru district saw the highest fatality count with three deaths, followed by Prawet with two.

Waste generation at major celebration sites also increased notably. A total of 336 tonnes of waste was collected between April 11 and 15, compared with 250.5 tonnes last year. Khao San Road generated the most at 102.46 tonnes, followed by Silom Road at 86.17 tonnes and Iconsiam at 58.7 tonnes.