Central shopping centres, operated by Central Pattana, have set a new benchmark for Thailand's Songkran celebrations, drawing an all-time high of over 15 million participants nationwide. Reinforcing its position as Thailand's No.1 Songkran destination for consecutive years, the company has elevated the traditional Thai New Year into a world-class festival through "Thailand's Songkran Festival 2026" and "centralwOrld Songkran Fest 2026." Transforming its shopping centres into global celebration destinations, Central Pattana seamlessly blends Thai cultural heritage with large-scale entertainment, featuring more than 400 artists and delivering Thailand's most comprehensive and spectacular Songkran experience in the country.
Record-Breaking Songkran: Four Historic Milestones!
- Global Spotlight! Reflecting the power of a world-class festival, Thailand's Songkran at Central drew over 15 million Thai and international visitors nationwide, while centralwOrld attracting more than 1.5 million visitors throughout the event.
- No.1 Social Media Impact! Bringing Thailand's Songkran to the global digital stage, generating over 300 million views and more than 33 million engagements, while ranking No.1 in Share of Voice and Share of Engagement across Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X - with top trending positions on X both in Thailand and worldwide.
- A Historic Moment! For the first time, "Miss World Songkran", Opal Suchata Chuangsri, weared a full Thai Chakraphat costume paired with the prestigious " the Blue Crown" - a highly anticipated moment for pageant fans worldwide. Showcasing the elegance of Thai culture on the global stage, she then broke away from traditional pageant imagery to join the water festivities up close with hundreds of thousands of visitors, creating a viral moment that reflects the fun, accessibility, and modern global image of Thailand's Songkran festival.
- Fandom Phenomenon! Harnessing the force of Asian pop culture and fandom, Central Pattana introduced its first-ever "Mr. Songkran" duo, Thomas-Kong, alongside a star-studded line-up of Y-Series and T-POP artists, including Freen-Becky, Keng-Namping, Tle-FirstOne, Yin-War, Shelley-Pundao, and PERSES. The nationwide roadshows sparked massive buzz, reinforcing the power of Gen Z and the Fandom Economy in driving Songkran onto the global stage.
Songkran at Central has gained global recognition, capturing the attention of leading international media and amplifying its scale and vibrancy to audiences worldwide across multiple languages, including English, Chinese, Korean, and Malay. The festival continues to showcase Thailand's Soft Power through culture, music, and lifestyle, while being widely recognized by global media as the "World Water Festival" a key driver of tourism and economic activity. This reflects the growing strength of the Festival Economy in stimulating travel, spending, and nationwide income distribution. Reinforcing its global cultural significance, Songkran has also been inscribed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, connecting people around the world through tradition, culture, and contemporary celebration.
At the same time, Central Pattana continues to advance its vision of building a "global festival platform" year-round, delivering festivals, events, and entertainment experiences across the country. This strategy elevates Central shopping centres into premier celebration destinations, while propelling Thai Songkran into a world-class festival experience that seamlessly integrates culture, entertainment, and tourism at an international scale. It further reinforces Thailand's position as a Global Festive Destination.