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Incredible scenes from Thailand yesterday as tens of thousands of tourists joined celebrations for the country's Songkran new year celebrations.

Massive crowds descended on the Silom Road area of the capital Bangkok where they had a mass water fight - spraying each other with guns and throwing buckets of cold water.

The annual festival began hundreds of years ago with locals sprinkling water on their elders to bring good luck for the year ahead.

And while millions of Thais take part in the tradition in villages and towns around the country, in recent years it has also developed into a highly commercialised three-day event with millions of tourists converging on major cities and resorts to join in.

Silom Road in Bangkok is one of the most popular destinations for the festivities and water fights continue round the clock through the early hours of the morning and again the next day.