Thailand Festivals

The Bo Sang Umbrella Fair held in January in the small village of Bo Sang, near Chiang Mai, derives its livelihood from making gaily painted paper umbrellas. The fair is held on the main street and they celebrate their traditional skill with exhibitions, stalls selling umbrellas and other handicrafts and choose a beauty pageant where they choose a new Bo Sang beauty queen.

Around January / February, Bangkok holds the Ban Thawai Wood Carving Fair. Here one can watch demonstrations of woodcarving and other local handicrafts as well as purchase the products produced. The work is that of Northern Thais and tends to be more intricate than that of their southern cousins. It's well worth a visit.

TIP: Best to visit nearer the end of your stay or you may land up carrying armloads of heavy purchases on your travels.

Chiang Mai Flower Festival held in the first few days of February is noted for its colour. The north of Thailand has a rich variety of flowering plants. Celebrated with floral floats parading the streets as well as flower displays, beauty pageants and handicraft sales to enjoy.

Chinese New Year, a time of firecrackers, lion dancers parading through the streets and time to spring-clean the house, is celebrated in February by all Chinese-Thais. Lanterns line the streets and the smell of incense wafts through the air. Dragon parades weave down roads and children gad about everywhere.

The most frenetic festival in the country is that of Songkran, the Lunar New Year. Held from the 13th to 15th April each year it's a wet one! Traditionally it was celebrated by Buddha images being bathed with water and the showing of respect to monks and elders. From the sprinkling of water onto someone's hands as a sign of respect it has evolved into mass drenching for anyone who decides to venture outdoors. This has to be one of the friendliest, though wet, festivals anywhere and a great way to make new friends.

TIP: Travelers be warned, don't leave cameras, computers or cell phones, unprotected, nothing is spared if you happen to get a dousing.

The Royal Ploughing Ceremony held on May 14, celebrates the official commencement of the rice-planting season. This is an ancient Brahman ritual and the participants who perform various ceremonies, believed to forecast an abundant rice crop, wear colorful costumes.

On the 15th May, Thais celebrate Buddha's birthday. Local Wats (Buddhist Temples) celebrate by holding candlelit processions. A tourist may take part in these parades and it can prove great fun.

TIP: Lady visitors please note; a monk may not touch a woman so please show respect and keep your distance.

July sees Thai Buddhists celebrating Buddhist Lent or Asanha Puja, the full moon festival. Beginning mid to late in the month, this is the period when young men enter their monk hood for the rainy season and ordained monks remain in a single monastery for three months. One can view Buddhist temples throughout the year, but this tradition can be picturesque due to the activity of the saffron robed followers.

It's the Queen's Birthday on August 12th and also Thailand's mother's day. As with all royal anniversaries this celebration guarantees a firework display.

The Vegetarian Festival held in early October is celebrated in Phuket and Trang only. For this almost weeklong celebration, Chinese Buddhists eat only vegetarian food. There are numerous ceremonies and processions, which are both interesting and colourful. The food sold in street stalls at this time is well worth sampling. Self-mortification is practiced during these celebrations and the participants parade through the streets with bicycle wheels, spears and the like, pierced through their skin.

TIP: For the squeamish, be warned, these self-mmutilations are on the gory side.

One of the most beautiful and moving sights are the festivities relating to the annual festival of Loi Krathong held in November. This is when you cast away your troubles and call in the hopes of the future. As the moon rises in the evening a small lotus-shaped raft of banana leaves filled with flowers, a candle, a snip of your nail, a piece of your hair and a few coins, is set afloat in the ocean or down a waterway conjuring up good luck for the forthcoming year. In some areas large paper hot-air balloons are also released.

December 5 is the King's Birthday. The King is much revered throughout Thailand, something that is probably unique in the world today. His birthday is celebrated by all Thais and government buildings, private homes, businesses and the palace are all illuminated specially for the occasion. In some areas such as Phuket, they hold a regatta in his honor.