The Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2026 kicked off in Bangkok, Thailand's capital, on Saturday, aiming to elevate the traditional Thai New Year into a major global attraction while showcasing the country's unique culture.
The grand opening ceremony of the festival, held at Benjakitti Park in central Bangkok, is organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand and other Thai authorities. The festival event seeks to draw international crowds by blending ancient traditions with modern entertainment.
Songkran festival, or Thai New Year, which runs from April 13 to 15, is one of the most important traditional festivals in Thailand, and was listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023.
In a statement, the Tourism Authority of Thailand expressed confidence that the integration of high-energy contemporary music with traditional water-splashing activities will create a new, dynamic image for Songkran, firmly establishing the Southeast Asian nation as a sustainable "festival destination" on the world stage.
Songkran festival kicks off in Thailand, showcasing Thai culture charms
Residents in Iran's capital Tehran feel deep distrust toward the United States and remain concerned about a war repeating itself as the two countries failed to agree on a peace deal after marathon talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, leaving long-running tensions between them unresolved.
Direct talks between Iran and the United States ended where they began in Islamabad early Sunday morning with no agreement. Officials on both sides point to major differences following 21 hours of negotiations.
The U.S. side says Iran chose not to accept its terms while Iranian media said U.S. demands were "unreasonable" and too rigid to allow progress.
Despite the deadlock, the Iranian side says diplomacy is not over, adding that no one held any expectations that talks could reach an agreement in a single session.
The lack of progress did not come as a surprise for many residents in Tehran, who said that past negotiations have failed because the U.S. broke its promises, leaving them little room to hope for a different outcome this time.
"We have been hurt by America several times, and I was not optimistic about the negotiations. We have already witnessed their failure to keep their word," said Maede, a Tehran resident.
"We were pessimistic about negotiations from the beginning. We negotiated with them several times, and each time we reached a deadlock. They will not accept our words in any way," said Tehran resident Mehdi.
With the temporary ceasefire increasingly appearing fragile, many Iranians fear the resumption of fighting could be just around the corner.
"I'm against war. I'm 100 percent against it. They have come to our land, and war brings nothing but destruction of infrastructure and misery. It brings nothing but misfortune," said Arsalan, another resident of the Iranian capital.
The conflict broke out on Feb. 28, when Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz by restricting passage by vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.
A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States took effect on April 8 to end nearly forty days of fighting, followed by the holding of lengthy talks between the Iranian and U.S. delegations in Islamabad.
Tehran residents express deep distrust toward US as talks stall
