People across Thailand have doused water on Buddhist statues at temples to celebrate the traditional start of the country's New Year.

The time-honored Songkran festival began on Sunday. People are concerned that the Thai tourism industry could be hurt by the aftereffects of a major earthquake that hit Myanmar on March 28.

Locals, tourists and others visited the landmark Wat Arun temple in the capital, Bangkok, to pour water on Buddha images. The act symbolizes cleansing, reverence and good fortune.

The worshippers included a woman from Myanmar. She said she longs for peace in her home country and does not want to see any more disasters. She added that the best she can do right now is to pray for those affected by the quake.

The tremor caused a high-rise building in Bangkok to collapse. It was under construction at the time.

Thai tourism officials say hotel reservations declined after the quake but have since been recovering gradually.

The UN cultural agency, UNESCO, inscribed the festival on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023.