Owning a pet in Pattaya
Songkran and your pet: keeping animals safe and calm
Songkran, the Thai New Year, is one of the biggest events in the Pattaya calendar — and for pets it is one of the most stressful.
Last updated 30 May 2026
Songkran nationally falls in mid-April, and Pattaya extends the celebrations later in the month with its own Wan Lai festival. Exact dates and the scale of street celebrations vary year to year — check locally.
What Songkran means for a pet
For several days, Pattaya’s streets fill with water fights, water guns and hoses, loud music, big crowds and heavy traffic. Pattaya celebrates longer and harder than most of Thailand. To a dog or cat it is loud, chaotic and frightening — and the open gates and doors that come with a street party make it the highest-risk time of year for a pet to bolt and get lost.
Keep pets indoors and secure
During the main days, keep pets inside. Check that gates, doors, windows and balconies are properly secured — a scared pet will look for any way out. Do not take dogs through the water-fight zones, and keep cats in entirely. Make sure ID and microchip details are current before the festival, just in case. If your pet bolts, see lost pet in Pattaya. Noise-anxious pets may also need the strategies in fireworks & noise anxiety.
Give them a calm space
Set up a quiet interior room away from the street noise, with familiar bedding, water, and a fan or air-conditioning running — the steady sound also helps mask the bangs and music. Check on your pet often, stay calm yourself, and do not leave a frightened animal alone for long stretches.
Walks and toilet breaks
Dogs still need to go out. Walk very early or late, in quiet sois well away from the celebrations, keep your dog leashed, and make sure it is wearing ID. Keep these walks short and get back before the streets get busy.
Water guns are not a game for pets
However good-natured the crowds are, do not let anyone spray your pet. Water blasted into ears and eyes is harmful, the shock is distressing, and the talc-like paste some revellers smear on faces is an irritant. If you are out with your dog, keep yourself between it and the water.
Traffic and travel
Roads are crowded and accidents rise over Songkran. Avoid taking pets out in vehicles unless you need to — and if you do, use a secure carrier or crate. Plan any routine vet trips for before or after the festival.
Frequently asked
When is Songkran and how long does it last in Pattaya?
Songkran falls nationally in mid-April, and Pattaya extends the celebrations later in the month with its own Wan Lai festival, so the disruption for pets can run over a couple of weeks. Check the exact local dates each year.
My dog is terrified of Songkran - what helps?
Keep it indoors in a quiet room with familiar bedding and a fan or air-conditioning running to mask the noise, check on it often, stay calm yourself, and walk only very early or late in quiet streets. Make sure ID and microchip details are current in case it bolts.
Is it safe to walk my dog during Songkran?
Only well away from the water-fight zones, early or late in the day, on a lead, in quiet sois. Never walk a dog through the celebrations - the noise, crowds and water are frightening and the escape risk is high.