Thai Community in Ghana Celebrates Songkran (Water Festival) 2025.

This past weekend, the Thai community in Ghana brought the vibrant energy and colors of Songkran—the traditional Thai New Year and water festival—to life right here in Accra at the Mensvic Hotel in East Legon. I chanced upon the festival poster plastered on the wall of a Chinese restaurant in Osu KukuHill. Apparently this is the second time the water festival is being held in Ghana with the first one held in 2024. Personally, I have Thailand on my bucket list of “Asian countries to visit before I die” so once the festival was happening here within a 15minutes drive, why not? I was similarly curious and excited because as a lover of Thai food, here was an opportunity to experience authentic Pad Thai, Thai Tea and other delicacies! And who wouldn’t want to get into a water fight also?

The Songkran festival is a traditional Thai New Year celebrated from 13th - 15th April during which families reconnect and share with the community. The water fights have made the festival more globally recognized and legendary.

It was indeed a day of splashes, bursts of water fights, Fawn Thai dance, and delicious array of thai street foods from Look Chin Moo (Asian pork meatballs to Mango Sticky Rice and sweet thai teas.

The event was a beautiful blend of culture, fun, and spiritual renewal. For many Thais living abroad, it was a moment to reconnect with home and share their rich heritage with their Ghanaian friends and Thai locals in the community. It was quite spectacular seeing that we have several Thai restaurants in Accra and Tema. Personally, I know of only Zion Thai, Bandex and Pantita but on Sunday it was quite a revelation seeing all these other restaurants in their stalls whipping up noodles and scrumptious chicken satay khebabs.

Here’s a photo glimpse into how the celebration unfolded, Thai-style, on Ghanaian soil.

Songkran is a colourful celebration where celebrants wear flowery and colourful outfits and this event was no exception. Garlands of flowers adorned the necks of the Thai natives whilst they busied about cooking, toasting drinks with their friends and taking group photos.

Traditional Thai outfits are characterized by their vibrant colors, stunning & intricate designs, and cultural significance. Women often wear a "chada," a traditional dress that features a fitted top and a long, flowing skirt called a "pha sinh," which is wrapped around the waist and can be made from silk or cotton. Men typically don a "chong kraben," consisting of a long piece of fabric wrapped around the waist, paired with a short-sleeved shirt.

I was simply blown away by the gold accents and painstaking exquisite patterns of the silk brocade dresses called Chakri.

The event held a beauty pageant for both Thai and Ghanaian women who had to dress up in traditonal Thai outfits. Guests were treated to a Thai dance (Fawn Leb) and a mock Thai martial art boxing match known as Muay Thai.

The “ring girl” also stole the show his placard skills and got the crowd roaring with laughter!

I was particulary intrigued with the fawn Thai dance and looked forward to the water fight. I had dressed as lightly as possible knowing very well I was about to get splashed and do some water shots as well! Earlier on i had passed by Palace Mall to buy a water gun and my goodness did I do some great shooting! I love how the children weren’t spared during the water fight which according to Thai religion is a form of blessing and cleansing for one’s sins. Notable also was seeing other Asians like Indians, Chinese and Japanese turning up at the event and it was just positive vibes all round. What a display of water guns! These ladies came prepared in their raincoat jackets and sunglasses to protect their eyes and clothes but by the time I was leaving, they were completely soaked!

The trick with the water fight is never to look directly at oyur target but making sure your water gun is aimed at them and then you fire away!

Some Thai celebrants went round pasting a white talc limestone paste called ‘Din Sor Pong’ on others. This paste is a tradition which is seen to ward off evil and bring good luck. It actually reminded me of Ayilɔ (kaolin) which we have in Ghana which is eaten by pregnant women suffering from nausea and also as a beautification paint on the bodies of women during Ga and Krobo festivals.

I made a few Asian friends after we had blasted ourselves with water 😂. Shout out to Kofi Yasu my Japanese friend who was shook that I actually greeted him in Japanese! How revealing to see Ghanaian men married to Thai women!

The Songkran celebration in Ghana was a revelation of our cultural connection between the two countries and community spirit. For both Thais and Ghanaians who joined in, it was more than just a festival—it was a reminder of the beauty of traditions and how they can bring people closer, no matter where in the world they are.