Songkran through a queer lens – in conversation with photographer Surachai Saengsuwan

As Thailand prepares to ring in the New Year with its annual Songkran celebrations, we speak with photographer, creative director and Drag Race Thailand special guest Surachai Saengsuwan about what the festival means to him – and why it continues to matter for the country’s LGBTQ+ community.

What does Songkran mean to you and how do you celebrate it?

Songkran is actually the Thai New Year, which takes place in April. Just like in other cultures, Songkran is a time when families gather to celebrate. And because it happens in our summer, a lot activities are water-related, not only to cool down but also to purify yourself ahead of the new year. We have a ceremony with flowers and perfume water to pray for our elders, and we also shower the Buddha. In the evenings, there are traditional fairs at temples where people go to enjoy music, food and more.

Does the festival hold meaning with Thailand’s queer community, and would you say Songkran is relevant to LGBTQ+ travellers?

Songkran is a long holiday with lots of fun water play. In my opinion, Songkran is for everyone and you can experience it regardless of what community you belong to. However, it’s also a great time for events catering to the LGBTQ+ community, with events getting bigger and bigger, and it’s becoming a shared culture for visitors from abroad to gather and mingle with locals. Normally I work during Songkran for G Circuit.

How do you recommend visitors celebrate it? Are there specific destinations within Thailand that have their own expressions and ways of celebrating Songkran?

I would recommend visitors to come to Ubon Ratchathani, my hometown in the northeast. There’s is a big water park there and everyone will set up a stage for a water show in front of their house. People from Isan State are super fun.

Ubon Ratchathani is also the land of temples and food. There are a lot of traditional activities at the temples day and night, with food fairs and local music.

What should visitors understand about Songkran? How can they be respectful but still enjoy the festivities?

Songkran is supposed to be a festival for everyone, so inappropriate behaviours like violence, public sexual displays or drugs shouldn’t be engaged in.

Are you excited about the future of LGBTQ+ rights and culture in Thailand now that same sex marriage is legal?

I think this will the turning point for the community. It is time to normalise us and consider us members of society, like everyone else. For LGBTQ+ people, this is a step that will help us think about love more seriously and many people might have a clearer goal in life as a result. I am personally excited to reconsider adopting, although raising children in Thailand is a real big deal now due to many factors.

What other rights are yet to be won?

Equality is not only for LGBTQ+ people to fight for. It is for everyone to understand and feel empathy with others, even within the community. So education is very important. And it takes time to change behaviours – not only laws.

How do you feel about Season 3 of The White Lotus being set in Thailand?

Aside from Koh Samui, which is in the spotlight thanks to the show, what’s a good (less well known) destination within Thailand that visitors should not miss out on? (Somewhere do the locals go…)

I am really excited that this season is set in Thailand. We’re a nation that’s not just rich in culture and food. Thailand is also very professional from a TV and movie production front. As a photographer, I can tell Thai filming assistants are some of the best in the world.

For the visitors, I recommend to go to Isan State in the northeast, which is different from any other part of Thailand. Food-wise, you’ll find secret, natural recipes with complicated spice combinations. And culturally, each province has its own lesser-known festival; for example, in my hometown, there’s the Giant Candle Festival, which sees each temple creating a giant wax candle (3-7 meters high) set on a truck. People then gather and there’s a parade, with plenty of dance and celebrations from the streets to the city hall.