Thailand Festivals, Holidays & Special Events Guide
The Thais take great pleasure in celebrating traditional festivals and other commemorative occasions, both religious and secular. Some have fixed dates while others follow the lunar calendar. Many festivals are peculiar to specific regions (especially the North and Northeast), but the most important national celebrations are described below January 1 New Year's Day
February Makha Bucha - falling on the day of the full moon - is an important Buddhist holiday commemorating the occasion when 1250 disciples gathered spontaneously to hear the Buddha speak. The day of merit- making ends with candlelit processions around temples.
April 6 Chakri Day - a national holiday commemorating the founding of the Chakri dynasty. April13 Songkran - the Thai New Year. Essentially a religious holiday when lustral water is sprinkled on Buddha images, but also a boisterous affair in which water is thrown over one and all. Especially lively in Chiang Mai,
May Ploughing Ceremony - takes place at the Sanam Luang in Bangkok at the start of the planting season on a date set by Brahman priests. Presided over by His Majesty the King, the ceremony involves ritual ploughing by sacred oxen and the planting of specially blessed rice seeds, a prediction is made for the success of the year's harvest.
May Visakha Bucha - falling on the day of the full moon - is the most important festival in the Buddhist calendar and celebrates the day (in different years) on which the Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment and died. In the evening there are candlelit processions around temples throughout the country.
May 1 Labour Day - an official holiday. May 5 Coronation Day - a holiday commemorating the present King.
July Asantha Bucha (sometimes referred to as Buddhist Lent) - falling in the day of the full moon - is the anniversary of the Buddha's first sermon to his first five disciples. It also marks the beginning of a three-month period of retreat for Buddhist monks,
August 12 Birthday - Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.
October Ok Phanaa - celebrating the Buddha's return to earth after spending one rains retreat season preaching in heaven, It also marks the end of the rain's retreat and the beginning of Krathin, the traditional time for presenting new robes and other gifts to monks, In some parts of the country the end of the rainy season is further marked by boat races,
October 23 Chulalongkorn Day - the anniversary of the death of King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, one of Thailand's most revered monarchs,
November Toy Krathong - held on the night of the full moon - is Thailand's most enchanting festival. It pays homage to Mae Khongkha, goddess of rivers and waterways, and is celebrated throughout the country by floating krathongs (little lotus-shaped boats bearing offerings of flowers, a candle, incense and a coin) on rivers, canals and ponds.
November Golden Mount Fair - Bangkok's biggest temple fair - held at Wat Saket next to the Golden Mount,
December 5 Birthday - His Majesty the King. Public buildings are elaborately decorated and illuminated at night.
December 10 Constitution Day - a public holiday.
December31 New year's Eve - a public holiday.