In early April, as Thailand wilted under temperatures soaring well above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, exuberant locals threw buckets of water over each other to usher in the Thai New Year. Known as 'Songkran,' the refreshing ritual dates back hundreds of years and symbolizes renewal. These days, however, it's as much a reflection of the people's joie de vivre as it is of ingrained tradition. Thais have good reason to celebrate. Economic growth, though likely to be well below earlier forecasts of 7 percent, should still come in at around 5-6 percent for the year, thanks to solid export growth and sharp increases in private and government investment. Elections held on February 6 proceeded peacefully and culminated in Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai Party winning 70 percent of the popular vote, a resounding show of confidence in the policies pursued by the government during its first term in office. Even a long-running drought seems to have temporarily subsided thanks to widespread use of artificial cloud seeding programs and the start of the monsoon rains.
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机译：4月初，由于泰国在华氏104度以上的高温下枯萎，旺盛的当地人互相泼水，以迎接泰国新年。令人耳目一新的仪式被称为“ Songkran”，距今已有数百年之久，象征着复兴。然而，如今，这已根深蒂固地体现了人们的生存之乐。泰国人有充分的理由庆祝。经济增长虽然很可能大大低于早先的7％的预期，但由于出口增长强劲以及私人和政府投资的急剧增加，今年的经济增长仍将达到5％至6％。 2月6日举行的选举和平进行，总理他信·西那瓦（Thaksin Shinawatra）的泰国爱泰党（Thai Rak Thai Party）赢得了70％的普选票，这表明人们对政府在其第一任期内奉行的政策充满信心。由于人工云播种计划的广泛使用以及季风降雨的出现，即使是长期干旱也似乎已暂时缓解。
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