Holidays

Holidays in Thailand

Tropical beaches lined with coconut palms, mountainous countryside covered in dense jungle, but above all monks in saffron robes everywhere – few countries are still as influenced by Buddhism as Thailand. This is also reflected in the exotic holidays.

Overview

New Year – January 1

Makha Bucha – Flexible

Chakri Remembrance Day – April 06

Thai New Year (Songkran) – April 13-15

Vesakh – Flexible

First Ploughing Royal Ceremony – Flexible

Labor Day – May 1

Crowning Day – May 5

Asalha Puja – Flexible

Mid-Year Holiday – July 1

Mother’s Day – August 12

Sartthai Day – Flexible

Ok Phansa Day – Flexible

Chulalongkorn – October 23

Kathin Donation – Flexible

Loi Krathong – Flexible

Father’s Day – December 05

Establishment of the Constitution Day – December 10

New Year’s Eve – December 31

Worth knowing about selected holidays

Thai New Year

A lot of fun for all Thais. People shorten the wait for the onset of the monsoon by splashing each other with water. In the past, this may have been done with some reluctance. There is no question of that today.

Rain barrels filled with water, often still chilled with large blocks of ice, are loaded onto pickup trucks. Then, mostly teenagers drive through the streets, dousing any passerby who doesn’t get out fast enough.

Big buckets are used for the cold showers, so you’re already wet to the bone after the first one. Tourists are a particularly popular target. There is a certain health risk at the time of Songkrans in Bangkok. Here the water comes namely often from the completely polluted canals.

Royal ploughing ceremony

A representative of the king, mostly the minister of agriculture makes a symbolic sowing. For the farmers who come from all over the country, this is the sign to start sowing as well.

Kathin Donation

After the end of Lent, Thais head to monasteries to donate robes to Buddhist monks. Many people travel all over the country to bring the robe to their home temple for this purpose. It is worth watching this ceremony. Only then you get an impression of how deeply rooted the Buddhist faith is even in modern Thailand.

Loi Krathong

The Festival of Lights marks the end of the rainy season and is one of the most beautiful festivals in Thailand. Throughout the country, small boats are set out on rivers after dark. They are often homemade from banana stalks and beautifully decorated.

On the boats are candles which are lit before the boat is launched. Especially in larger towns, where thousands of such boats slowly float away in the shimmering candlelight, a magical atmosphere is created. In many towns, the evening ends with fireworks.

Father’s Day

Not all the fathers of the country, but the father of the nation, King Bumiphol, is honored on this day. He celebrates his birthday on December 5. This is celebrated across the country with parades and festivals.