Everyone was welcome at Ashley Hill School on Sunday as the island’s Thai community came together for the festival of ’Sonkran’, the Thai New Year.

Seven Buddhist monks had travelled to the island from the UK to join the celebrations, which are on a different date from the New Year in the western world and that marked by the Chinese.

The monks arrived at the Sea Terminal early on Saturday morning then walked along Douglas Promenade in the direction of Broadway, receiving rice and other food items from members of the local Thai community along the way. It is traditional practice for Buddhist Monks to collect and receive such gifts at the start of each day.

This was followed on Sunday by the Songkran celebrations at Ashley Hill School which the monks also attended. They held a service with people joining in with chanting and blessings and there was a water blessing, in which people paid their respects to elders by pouring water through their hands. The day’s activities also included the chance to sample Thai cuisine, traditional Thai dancing and a ’Miss Songkran’ beauty competition.