There are countless festivals and special events held in Thailand throughout the year. Some of these are celebrated nationwide (e.g. Songkran and Loy Krathong) whilst other festivals are specific to particular cities or provinces. With a number of Thai festivals and Buddhist holidays, the exact date varies each year because it depends on the lunar calendar and the night of the full moon. Listed below are some of the best-known annual Thai festivals and special events. The dates listed here are not public holidays in Thailand unless stated. Please note that dates of local festivals may be liable to change whilst others are still waiting for dates to be confirmed.
January
- New Year’s Day (public holiday) – Wednesday, January 1, 2014
- Children’s Day – second Saturday in January (January 11, 2014)
- Bo Sang Umbrella Festival, Chiang Mai – usually third weekend in January
February
- Chiang Mai Flower Festival – usually held on the first weekend in February, but for 2014 the dates are confirmed as February 7-9
- Chinese Lunar New Year – date falls in January/February. Celebrated in many areas of Thailand, but particularly in the Chinatown districts of Bangkok and Chiang Mai as well as Phuket and Trang (January 31-February 1, 2014 [Year of the Horse])
- Trang Underwater Wedding – Valentine’s Day. Events in Trang Town and Ko Kradan (February 13-15, 2014)
- Pattaya Bike Week – mid-February. Regarded as the biggest gathering of motorbike enthusiasts in South-east Asia
- Phuket International Blues Rock Festival – mid/late February (event scheduled for 2013 was cancelled, but aiming to resume in 2014)
- Makha Bucha Day (public holiday) – date falls in February/March (February 14, 2014)
March
- National Elephant Day – March 13
- National Muay Thai Day – March 17. Ayutthaya hosts the Martial Arts Festival and Wai Khru Ceremony and smaller events and ceremonies are held at various Thai boxing gyms and venues in Thailand
- Pattaya International Music Festival – mid-March
April
- Chakri Day (public holiday) – April 6 (Monday April 7, 2014 is a substitution day public holiday)
- Songkran Thai New Year Water Festival (public holiday) – April 13-15 (Wednesday, April 16, 2014 is an additional substitution day public holiday)
- Chonburi Festival – mid/late April in Chonburi province including Pattaya
- Phuket Bike Week – mid/late April
May
- Labour Day (public holiday) – May 1
- Coronation Day (public holiday) – May 5
- Royal Ploughing Ceremony, Bangkok – date usually falls in May
- Rocket Festivals, Isaan – mid/late May. Various local events in areas of north-east Thailand with the most famous being the the ‘Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival’ at Yasothon
- Chiang Mai Inthakin City Pillar Festival – date usually falls in May
- Visakha Bucha Day (public holiday) – date falls in May/June (May 13, 2014)
- Ko Samui Yacht Regatta – held in May/June
June
- Hua Hin Jazz Festival – usually held in June (provisional dates June 20-22, 2014)
July
- Phuket Yachting Race Week – mid/late July
- Asahna Bucha Day (public holiday) – date usually falls in July/early-August (July 11, 2014)
- Khao Phansa (public holiday) – falls on the day after Ashana Bucha (July 12, 2014) (Monday, July 14 is a substitution day public holiday)
- Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival – held during July and associated with Asahna Bucha and Buddhist Lent
August
- H.M. Queen’s Birthday (public holiday) – August 12
- Por Tor Hungry Ghost Festival, Phuket – held August/September (date for 2014 festival to be confirmed)
September
- Vegetarian Festival – usually takes place in September/October. Celebrated at various locations in Thailand including Phuket, Trang, Krabi, Bangkok and Chiang Mai (Phuket Vegetarian Festival, October 4-14, 2013. Dates for 2014 to be confirmed)
- King’s Cup Elephant Polo, Hua Hin – normally held in September. This event has also been hosted in Chiang Rai in recent years, but is scheduled to return to Hua Hin in 2013 (dates for 2014 to be confirmed)
October
- Chulalongkorn Day (public holiday) – October 23
- Buffalo Racing Festival, Chonburi – held in October/November
- Naga Fireballs, Nong Khai
November
- Elephant Round-up Festival, Surin – third weekend in November (November 15-16, 2014)
- Loy Krathong – date usually falls in November (November 6, 2014)
- Yi Peng Lantern Festival, Chiang Mai – held to coincide with Loy Krathong
- Monkey Banquet Festival, Lopburi – last Sunday in November (November 24, 2013)
Mass Lantern Release, Mae Jo, Chiang Mai
The mass lantern release at Mae Jo is organized by an independent Buddhist group around the time of Loy Krathong/Yi Peng. The dates vary each year with the final date not usually confirmed until a few months before at the earliest. Please see here for more information:
Dates of the 2013 Mae Jo sky lantern release, Chiang Mai »
December
- H.M. King’s Birthday (public holiday) – December 5
- Constitution Day (public holiday) – December 10
- New Year’s Eve (public holiday) – December 31. New Year Countdown events held at various locations in Thailand including Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya
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