Members of Auckland's Thai community take a selfie New Year water festival. Photo / Nick Reed
Members of Auckland's Thai community take a selfie New Year water festival. Photo / Nick Reed
Despite being impeccably dressed in her Thai traditional costume, Bow Arissara doesn't mind getting water splashed at her.
The 27-year-old AUT student was one of thousands who turned up at the Mt Albert War Memorial Reserve to celebrate Songkran - a water festival which is also regarded as the Thai traditional New Year celebration.
"Getting water on you is like getting a blessing and will wash away sin and bad luck, of course I don't mind getting wet," Miss Arissara said.
Miss Arissara, who is celebrating her first Songkran here, said it was "the biggest festival" back in her home city of Bangkok.
Every year, as part of tradition, she would visit the homes of elders to partake in a water-pouring ritual.
"I miss washing the hands of my parents and family elders and also spraying and splashing water on people," said Miss Arissara, who is also a volunteer Thai language teacher.
"I miss celebrating it like [we do] in Bangkok and I miss my family, but I think how we celebrate in Auckland is also unique."
Instead of buckets and water throwing, people celebrating at Mt Albert were yesterday seen using water guns and water bomb balloons.
Members of the local Thai community used plastic cups, filled with flowers and herbs, to respectfully pour water over the hands and feet of Buddhist monks.
Thai tourist Shalisa Rakklang, who was in Auckland to visit her "Kiwi boyfriend", said the experience of celebrating the festival in the cool autumn weather was "special". In Thailand, this is the hottest part of the year, hence the origin of the water festival.
"Maybe the New Zealand weather is not perfect for a water fight, but it is perfect for enjoying Thai food picnic-style and soaking in the festive entertainment," she said.
There are a little more than 8000 people who identify with the Thai ethnic group in New Zealand, and 51.6 per cent of them live in the Auckland region, according to the 2013 Census.
AUT student Bow Arissara celebrates her first Songkran in Auckland. Photo / Nick Reed
Of those living in Auckland, the majority live in the local board areas of Henderson-Massey (12.3 per cent), Waitemata (10.1 per cent) and Albert-Eden (9.4 per cent).
Between 2006 and 2013, the population had increased by 32.9 per cent, mainly through immigration. More than four in five are not born in New Zealand.
More than three in four were Buddhists, and those born overseas were far more likely to be affiliated with a religion (92.6 per cent) than those born in New Zealand (59.8 per cent).
Of those who were employed, the most common occupations for ethnic Thais were technicians and trade workers (23.6 per cent), labourers (22.6 per cent) and community and personal service workers (15.6 per cent). The most common industries worked in were accommodation and food services, the retail trade and manufacturing.
Fewer than one in four people aged over 15 in the community own or partly own the home that they live in, and those born in New Zealand are less likely to own homes.
