On 12 April 2026, H.E. Ms. Arjaree Sriratanaban, Ambassador of Thailand, led heads of Team Thailand agencies in Canberra, together with officials, staff, and their family members, to attend the ceremony on the occasion of the Thai New Year and Songkran festival at Wat Dhammadharo.

 

The ceremony, presided over by the Ambassador and Phra Rajasilaporn, Abbot of Wat Dhammadharo and President of the Thai Dhammayut Sangha Council of Australia and New Zealand, included merit making by offering food, alms and robes to the monks, as well as merit dedication for those who have passed. Attendees and visitors also took part in traditional Songkran rituals by pouring fragrance water onto the Buddha statue and onto the hands of the monks and the elderly, seeking blessings for the Thai New Year.

 

At the event, food stalls selling various Thai dishes, desserts and drinks were set up to help raise funds and donate to Wat Dhammadharo. The Royal Thai Embassy and Team Thailand's stall offered stir-fried holy basil, or "Pad Kraprow", with choices of chicken, pork, and plant-based protein. In this connection, the Embassy would like to thank members of the Thai community in Cairns for kindly providing the holy basil leaves used in those dishes.