Tumpat: The Siamese community in Kampung Terbok, here, did not miss the chance to celebrate the Songkran Festival, more popularly known as the ‘Water Festival’ at Wat Pikulthong.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, a check found that over 500 residents of Siamese descent, along with their family members, attended the three-day annual festival that began yesterday in conjunction with the Siamese New Year celebration.

Rajoo Natrapong, 40, from Jubakar Darat, shared that he brought along his three children to enjoy the festive event, which the community eagerly looks forward to every year. He noted that children and teens are the most excited as they get to freely splash water on each other without being scolded. He mentioned that many now use water guns because they’re more user-friendly, and the water is often mixed with powder to give it a fragrant scent.

Meanwhile, Mei Ling, 50, who works as a teacher, observed that this year’s Songkran celebration came at the right time, given the hot weather. She noted that many visitors from outside Kelantan attended the festival and were pleasantly surprised to see how peacefully the Siamese community lives alongside other races. Mei Ling expressed her preference for celebrating Songkran in the country rather than in Thailand.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called on the Siamese community to continue efforts to strengthen unity and love among people of various races and religions. Anwar, in a Facebook post, emphasized the need for the people to reject slander, prejudice, and divisive sentiments that would only harm all parties.