Thailand is one of the most famous destinations visited by tourists from everywhere: millions of people every year come to take a vacation in the country attracted by beautiful beaches, excellent food and the relaxed feeling of the place. But the fascinating Southeast Asian state has to offer to the visitors much more, such as the colorful and super-lively festivals and celebrations held throughout the year.
Different festivals are based on the lunar calendar, so every year in Thailand, as in many other Asian countries, they are held on different days compared to the previous year. Other celebrations are based on the various birthdays of the royal family or on the most important days in the life of the Buddha.
Some of these events are truly unique, if you manage to plan your holiday during one of these special days of the year you will have the opportunity to experiment with something new and you will have a lot of fun together with the locals. One above all is the Songkran, the Thai New Year! The Chinese New Year and Loy Krathong are also very interesting.
Some of the main festivals in Thailand divided by month:
January
- January 1st, the New Year’s Day is celebrated here as well as throughout the rest of the world.
February
- Chiang Mai Flower Festival: a colorful 3-day festival held in the most visited city of the Northern Thailand. Floral decorations scattered everywhere, a parade with floats, music and dancers in the typical Thai costumes and the coronation of Miss Chiang Mai Flower Festival with concert and the opportunity to find delicious food and good beer everywhere!
- Chinese New Year:one of the most important holidays for the Chinese community that lives in Thailand. Bangkok’s chinatown, in the area around Yaowaraj Road, is the epicenter of the festivities: firecrackers, banquets prepared as offers to the ancestors, parades and “lion dances”: two boys inside the lion costume (one to form the head and the chest and the other the rest of the body) that dance in the streets accompanied by loud, festive percussions.
- Makha Bucha: the word “Makha” means third month and “Bucha” honor. The religious festival, consisting of Buddhist ceremonies and rituals, processions and meditation meetings, is held during the third full moon of the year and commemorates the day when the Buddha spread his teachings to 1250 disciples. During this day the bars and pubs are closed and you will not find alcohol easily around!
April
- Songkran: Thailand’s New Year is the biggest and most important celebration in the country. Religious solemnity, where the Buddha statues are washed with water but also a fun water balloon party that involves everyone: you will not escape, during the Songkran you can not stand out in the street without being targeted by a few buckets of water, the streets are covered with happy people in a big party for three whole days! Do not carry around cameras, computers or other electronic equipment if not protected with some waterproof bag. Usually, on the streets, they sell cell phone cases that “should” prevent water from penetrating … if you trust it!
May
- Labour Day: also here in Thailand, as in many other countries of the world, on 1st of May the day of workers is celebrated. There are no particular manifestations, it is more like a day off for most people, except for government employees.
- Rocket Festival: or also known as Bun Bang Make festivals in the local language, held in Laos and Thailand, especially in the Isan province in the Northeast of the country. It is celebrated at the beginning of the rainy season and the period before sowing in the country by firing homemade rockets, with size that can vary from a few centimeters up to a few meters in length, representing requests to the deities in charge of an abundant rain to help get good crops.
- Visakha Bucha: Thai commemorate the three main phases of the Buddha’s life: birth, enlightenment and his death, all occurring on the same day. Devotees visit the temples to honor the spiritual teacher, meditate and make some donations to gain merit for the next life.
July
- Asahna Bucha: they celebrate the Buddha’s first sermon, held at Deer Park near Varanasi, India. Also on this occasion the Thai visit temples for religious ceremonies and pay homage to the spiritual master. During the evening the disciples gather around the shrine and march clockwise with lighted candles, lotus flowers and incense.
- King Rama X Birthday: from 2017 on July 28th Thailand honor the birthday of the new King Maha Vajiralongkorn, with patriotic celebrations dedicated to him. On December 5th, however, the commemoration of the former and beloved King Rama IX still remains.
August
- Mother’s day: a very important holiday, as the Thai celebrate and honor the mothers on the birthday of Queen Sirikit Kitiyakara, considered as the mother of the whole country.
October
- Chulalongkorn: it is celebrated the King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, who reigned from 1868 to 1910. Very valued to the Thai and important for the history of the country for its policies that led Thailand to an opening towards the western world.
- Vegetarian Festival:it takes place in Phuket every year, according to a Taoist belief it is thought that you can have benefits for physical and mental health by avoiding meat for a certain period during the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. During these 9 days of festival there are various bizarre ceremonies to invoke the deities and have a purification: walk on the burning coal, self-mortification and physical piercings with knives, swords, blades and various objects.
November
- Loi Krathong: one of the most important and choreographic festivals in the country, where small boats made of banana leaves (called krathong) with lighted candles, incense, floral decorations and some coins are released in the evening in rivers, in the sea or in the lakes. The lights of the floating candles (loi = floating) in the water poetically light up the Thai night while the krathong symbolically takes away all the bad things and worries.
- Yi Peng, Lanter Festival: on the same night in which the little boats are released in the rivers to celebrate Loi Krathong, the skies of Chiang Mai is light up by the lights of the hundreds of lanterns. Some released in the sky, others hung like decorations around the city. It is also celebrated in other cities of Thailand, but Chiang Mai is the most interesting place to attend this festival.
- Monkey Buffet Festival in Lopburi: the numerous and mischievous macaques of the ancient city of Lopburi enjoy a super banquet of fruit and vegetables for them that the locals organize during the last Sunday of the year. Lopburi is about 150km from Bangkok, you can think of it as a day trip, keep in mind that monkeys are everywhere and can climb up to the head …
December
- Father’s Day:as for the Mother’s Day, during this occasion the father of the family and the father of the country are celebrated: the super-beloved king Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX (the previous king). It is celebrated with processions and fireworks.
- Constitution Day: December 10th celebrates the anniversary of the transition from the absolute monarchy to the constitutional one in Thailand in the year 1932. The houses are decorated with the Thai flags and King’s portraits.
- New Year’s Eve: it’s a party until the arrival of the new year, as we do, but in Thai style!
These are the main festivals in Thailand, many of which, as I said, based on the lunar calendar. So if you want to participate in some of these fun days, do a search on Google to be sure on what date will be celebrated precisely.
Have fun!
