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Festivals & Holidays

From city-wide water fights to rivers full of floating lights, Thailand’s festivals are worth planning a trip around. Here are the big ones, when they fall, and where to be.

Drop a Songkran photo Unsplash
Belle
Thai American who travels to Thailand every other year
The headliners

Festivals to Plan Around

April 13–15 · nationwide

Songkran

Thai New Year, and the world’s biggest water fight. Whole streets turn into joyful soakings, with Chiang Mai and Bangkok’s Silom the wildest. Expect closures and book transport early.

November · full moon

Loy Krathong & Yi Peng

Thais float candlelit krathong on the water in thanks, while Chiang Mai’s Yi Peng fills the sky with paper lanterns. One of the most beautiful nights of the year.

Jan or Feb · Yaowarat

Chinese New Year

Bangkok’s Chinatown erupts with lion dances, red lanterns, and street food, and it is big in Phuket and Nakhon Sawan too. Dates follow the lunar calendar.

Sep or Oct · Phuket

Vegetarian Festival

Nine days of meat-free eating and dramatic temple rituals, centered on Phuket. A remarkable, occasionally intense, spectacle rooted in Chinese-Thai tradition.

Also on the calendar

Holy Days & National Holidays

Feb & May · full moon

Makha & Visakha Bucha

Two of the most important Buddhist holy days, marked by candlelit processions at temples. Alcohol sales stop nationwide for 24 hours; licensed hotels are the main exception.

Throughout the year

King’s & Queen’s days

Royal birthdays and Coronation Day are public holidays with decorations and some closures, but little that disrupts a traveler’s plans.

December 31

New Year’s Eve

Countdowns and fireworks light up the riverside, ICONSIAM, and CentralWorld. Book dinner and rooftop tables well ahead.

The one to think about

Traveling During Songkran

Songkran is a joyful time to visit, but it changes how the country runs for a few days.

Everything gets wet
From April 13 to 15, assume you will be soaked outdoors. Waterproof your phone and wallet, and leave anything precious at the hotel.
Book transport early
It is the biggest travel week of the year, as families head home. Trains, flights, and buses sell out well in advance.
Expect some closures
Many shops, offices, and some restaurants close for a few days, though malls and tourist areas stay open.
Lunar dates shift
Songkran is fixed in mid-April, but Loy Krathong, Chinese New Year, and the Bucha days move each year. Check the exact date before you book.
Plan around them Sample Itineraries
Keep reading

More First-Timer Guides

Timing

When to Go

The three seasons and the best window for wherever you are headed.

Pick your dates →
Culture

Customs & Etiquette

How to join in respectfully, from temple dress to the national anthem.

Learn the customs →
The North

Chiang Mai

The home of Yi Peng lanterns and the country’s most atmospheric Songkran.

See Chiang Mai →
About this guide

Written by Belle, a Thai American who travels to Thailand every other year and has family in Bangkok. Everything here comes from my own visits unless the text says otherwise. Prices and journey times are typical cases rather than quotes, so recheck anything time-sensitive before you pay. Brand mentions are never paid placements, and the guide is reader-supported: some links may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

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