Mobile app trends and insights for Songkran 2026 | Adjust

Summary

The article analyzes mobile app trends during Songkran 2025 in Thailand, revealing significant growth across multiple verticals and providing strategic recommendations for ad ops decision-makers. Overall, app installs in Thailand increased by 8% during the festival compared to the yearly average, with sessions up 12% YoY. Food and drink apps recorded the strongest growth, with installs surging 141% and sessions 160% during the festival, and session length rising from 12.85 to 13.34 minutes YoY.

E-commerce apps saw a post-festival peak in installs (+49%) and sessions (+10%), suggesting users research before and convert after. Entertainment apps experienced a 30% increase in session length (to 22.91 minutes), with steady install growth pre- and during-festival. Social and messaging apps also thrived: messaging app installs grew 35% and sessions 113% during the festival, while social networking apps saw installs up 22% and sessions 19%.

Maps and navigation apps recorded the highest session numbers among travel apps, with increases of 25%, 44%, and 34% before, during, and after Songkran. Banking apps saw session increases of 58% pre-festival and 51% during. Photo and video apps concentrated activity during the festival (+35% sessions), while gaming app installs rose 29% pre-festival.

Key actionable takeaways for mobile marketers: (1) Align campaign budgets and creatives to three phases—pre-festival (high-intent), during (real-time messaging), post-festival (retargeting). (2) Optimize in-app experience for intermittent usage with fast onboarding and lightweight design to handle network congestion. (3) Segment tourists and domestic users using SIM status and location for tailored messaging.

(4) Capture long-term value by encouraging opt-ins and account creation during the festival to enable re-engagement afterward. The article emphasizes using unified analytics to measure performance across phases and leverage AI-driven insights for real-time optimization.

Analyst Note

This article serves as a critical reference point for UA teams targeting Southeast Asian markets, particularly Thailand, where cultural festivals like Songkran drive dramatic shifts in app engagement. The data reveals clear behavioral patterns across verticals—food & drink apps see 141% install spikes during the festival, while e-commerce peaks post-festival—underscoring the need for phase-specific campaign strategies. What’s notable is the YoY increase in session lengths across entertainment and social apps, signaling deeper user immersion that monetization teams can capitalize on through rewarded ads or in-app purchases.

The emphasis on light-weight, low-friction UX during high-traffic periods is a practical takeaway for ad ops professionals managing ad placements that must load quickly amid network congestion. Additionally, the recommendation to segment tourists from locals based on SIM status and device language provides a actionable framework for targeting—something many teams overlook in regional campaigns. This analysis validates the value of real-time analytics and automation, as Adjust promotes, but independent teams can apply these insights by aligning creative rotation and bid adjustments with the pre-, during-, and post-festival phases to maximize ROAS.