FESTIVALS & FIESTAS
February:
The Flower Festival is held in Chiang Mai; Chinese New Year and Magha Puja, a public holiday in Bangkok and a Buddhist holiday on the full
moon night.
April:
The Songkran public holiday.
May:
The Ploughing Ceremony in Bangkok; Visakha Puja
public holiday on the full moon night to commemorate the
birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha.
July:
The Buddhist Asalaha Puja Festival on the full moon.
September:
The Chinese Moon Festival is held on the first day of the eighth lunar month.
November:
Loy Krathong on the full moon night.
December:
Trooping of the Colours on 3 December.
Thai festivals are rarely solemn occasions, and few countries celebrate them with so much fun and color. Annual rites and festivities, marking religious devotion or the passage of seasons, have long been an integral part of Thai life. a 13 th century inscription reads: “Whoever wants to make merry, does so; whoever wants to laugh, does so.” This still applies today, with dozens of festivities taking place each month. The main festivals, such as Songkran, are celebrated nationwide, with the most exuberant activities taking place in Bangkok and other major cities. Each region has its own unique festivals, too. Many festival dates change each years, as they follow the lunar calendar.
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