Thais, tourists and elephants celebrate Songkran in Ayutthaya

Locals and tourists in Ayutthaya, Thailand kicked off the water-splashing Songkran festival with elephants on Wednesday against the backdrop of ancient ruins.

The elephants, painted with colorful flowers from trunk to toe, showed no mercy to children and adults alike as they slurped up water and sprayed them in the scorching heat.

Tourists and volunteers gathered around, some armed with water buckets and others with cameras to capture the moment.

Elephants spray people with water during the celebration of Songkran Water Festival, to commemorate Thailand's New Year in Ayutthaya, Thailand April 11, 2018. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

The humans get to splash the elephants too. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Songkran is also widely observed in other Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. In Thailand, the water festival mainly takes place between April 13 -15. — Reuters