Interesting Festivals

Songkran Festival (13-15 Apr)

The traditional Thai New Year, joyfully celebrated throughout the country with rituals of merit making, cleaning houses, honouring elders, parades of dancers and music troupes, and boat races. What makes the festival most interesting is water splashing, an amusing way to make you cool in the hot season. It is celebrated in a grand way in Chiang Mai and at Phra Pradaeng near Bangkok.

Rocket Festival ( around the 2nd weekend of May)

Called "ngan bun bang fai" in Thai, it is a unique festival of the Northeast, most elaborately celebrated in Yasothon province. Bamboo rockets are launched as an annual plea to gods for plenty of rainfall in the rainy season The festival also includes sacrificial rites, a colourful procession of country folk dances and a beauty contest.

Vegetarian Festival (around 29 Sept - 7 Oct)

People of Chinese origin in Phuket and Trang provinces make merit by abstaining from food and oil from animals, holding processions of god statues along the streets and observing traditional magical rites as a sacrifice to their gods.

Loy Krathong or Festival of Light (11 Nov, the full-moon day)

The romantic night festival, people gather at the waterside to float krathongs, lotus-shaped vessels lovely decorated with flowers and lit candles, as a thanksgiving and worship to the Goddess of Water. Magnificent celebrations are held in Sukhothai and Chiang Mai.

Surin Elephant Round-up (18-19 Nov)

Surin, a northeastern province, is famous of its greatest number of elephants and its world-famous elephant round-up. The show features elephant football, elephant race and hunt. Elephants in ancient battle and demonstrations of their strength and skills.

The River Kwai Bridge Week (26 Nov - 7 Dec)

Held in Kanchanaburi province to commemorate the horrible ordeal suffered in the construction of the Death Railway to be used by the Japanese army as a route of supply from Thailand to Burma in World War II. The festival features a historical exhibition, fun fair, bazaar and exciting light & sound presentation.