Thai New Year is one of the highlights of a trip to South East Asia for being the biggest water fight in the world, so compare hotels online for the best deals before you go.

Thousands of tourists from Thailand and abroad go to the city of Chiang Mai for the event, making online hotel booking the only way of being sure to get a room.

The Thai Songkran is an opportunity to wash away the old, to get ready for the New Year. This is done quite literally, with water pistols, super soaker and buckets of (occasionally iced) cold water.

Although it is not the official capital, Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand is considered to be the country’s traditional capital city. It is a 12 hour bus journey from Bangkok, a lengthy train ride or a short flight.

The city was constructed around a moat, which separates the inner citadel from the outskirts and most of the water thrown around during the festival comes from this trough, which is not necessarily the cleanest, so take care not to swallow any of it.

During the two-day event, pick-up trucks carrying families parade around the road next to the moat spraying water at anyone and everyone. The elderly are not safe, neither are monks nor the police during this festival. If you don’t want to be wet, don’t go outside the home.

On the streets of Bangkok the picture is also the same, businessmen and women take spare sets of clothes as soakings are imminent in the central business district. The streets of Patpong are filled with night owls saturated with water and tourists are most definitely not safe from a soaking.

Even in the smaller villages, locals wet passing motorcyclists, tourists or those on bike trips during the two days of drinking, smoking and soaking.