Public Holidays Thailand

Thailand has a lot of public holidays which includes at least five Buddhist days per year. Thais celebrate New Year in April during the water festival called Songkran. They also celebrate the Western New Year on December 31st . Thais love to have fun and enjoy holidays. Note that on most Buddhist holidays the selling of alcohol is officially banned and many bars are closed.

View the days when the sale of alcohol is banned in Thailand.

To view more information about a particular Thai holiday use the link in the holiday name.

Thai Business and Public Holidays 2023

Date	Holiday Name	Type
January 1	New Year's Day	National holiday
January 2	Day off for New Year's Day	National holiday
January 8	National Children's Day	Observance
January 16	Teachers' Day	Observance
January 22	Chinese New Year	Observance
January 23	2nd Day Chinese New Year	Observance
January 24	3rd Day Chinese New Year	Observance
February 14	Valentine's Day	Observance
March 6	Makha Bucha Day	National holiday
March 21	March equinox	Seasonal
April 6	Chakri Day	National holiday
April 13 - 16	Songkran Days	National holiday

May 1	National Labour Day (or following Monday)	National holiday
May 4	Coronation Day	National holiday
May 11	Royal Ploughing Ceremony	National holiday
June 3 (full moon)	Visakha Bucha	National holiday
June 3	Queen Suthida's Birthday	National holiday
June 5	Day off for Queen Suthida's Birthday	National holiday
June 5 (full moon)	Day off for Visakha Bucha	National holiday
June 21	June Solstice	Seasonal
July 28	King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday	National holiday
Aug 1	Asalaha Bucha Day	National holiday
August 12	H.M. The Queen's Birthday	National holiday
August 14	Day of for Queens Birthday and Mother's Day	National holiday
September 23	Equinox	Seasonal
October 13	Awk Phansa Day (End of Buddhist Lent)	Observance
October 13	Anniversary of the Death of King Bhumibol	National holiday
October 23	Chulalongkorn Memorial Day	National holiday
October 31	Halloween	Observed
November 1	Loy Kratong Evening Celebration	Observance
December 05	King Bhumibol Birthday / Father's Day	National holiday
December 07	King Bhumibol Birthday	Observed
December 10	Constitution Day	National holiday
December 11	Day off for Constitution Day	National holiday
December 22	December Solstice	Seasonal
December 24	Christmas Eve	Observance
December 25	Christmas Day	Observance
December 31	New Year's Eve	National holiday

Thai Business and Public Holidays 2022

Date	Holiday Name	Type
January 01	New Year's Day	National holiday
January 8	National Children's Day	Observance
January 16	Teachers' Day	Observance
January 25	Chinese New Year	Observance
January 26	2nd Day Chinese New Year	Observance
February 8	Makha Bucha Day	National holiday
February 14	Valentine's Day	Observance
February 16	Makha Bucha Day off	National holiday
March 20	March equinox	Seasonal
April 06	Chakri Day	National holiday
April 13 - 16	Songkran Days	National holiday

May 01	National Labour Day (or following Monday)	National holiday
May 4	Coronation Day	National holiday
May 13	Royal Ploughing Ceremony	National holiday
May 15 (full moon)	Visakha Bucha	National holiday
May 16 (full moon)	Day Off for Visakha Bucha	National holiday
June 3	Queen Suthida's Birthday	National holiday
June 21	June Solstice	Seasonal
July 13	Asalaha Bucha Day	National holiday
July 14	Khao Phansa Day (Buddhist Lent day)	National holiday
July 15	Bridge Public holiday	National holiday
July 28	King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday	National holiday
August 12	H.M. The Queen's Birthday	National holiday
August 12	Mother's Day	National holiday
September 23	Equinox	Seasonal
October 13	Awk Phansa Day (End of Buddhist Lent)	Observance
October 13	Anniversary of the Death of King Bhumibol	National holiday
October 24	Chulalongkorn Memorial Day	National holiday
October 31	Halloween	Observed
November 1	Loy Kratong Evening Celebration	Observance
December 05	King Bhumibol Birthday	National holiday
December 07	King Bhumibol Birthday	Observed
December 10	Constitution Day	National holiday
December 22	December Solstice	Seasonal
December 24	Christmas Eve	Observance
December 25	Christmas Day	Observance
December 31	New Year's Eve	National holiday

Thai Business and Public Holidays 2020

Date	Holiday Name	Type
January 01	New Year's Day	National holiday
January 11	National Children's Day	Observance
January 16	Teachers' Day	Observance
January 25	Chinese New Year	Observance
January 26	2nd Day Chinese New Year	Observance
February 8	Makha Bucha Day	National holiday
February 10	Makha Bucha Day off	National holiday
February 14	Valentine's Day	Observance
March 20	March equinox	Seasonal
April 06	Chakri Day	National holiday
April 13 - 16	Songkran Days	National holiday

May 01	National Labour Day (or following Monday)	National holiday
May 4	Day Coronation Day	National holiday
May 6 (full moon)	Visakha Bucha	National holiday
May 13	Royal Ploughing Ceremony	National holiday
June 21	June Solstice	Seasonal
July 5	Asalaha Bucha Day	National holiday
July 6	Asalaha Bucha Day Observed	National holiday
July 6	Khao Phansa Day (Buddhist Lent day)	National holiday
July 28	King Vajiralongkorn's Birthday	National holiday
August 12	H.M. The Queen's Birthday	National holiday
August 12	Mother's Day	National holiday
September 23	Equinox	Seasonal
October 13	Awk Phansa Day (End of Buddhist Lent)	Observance
October 13	Anniversary of the Death of King Bhumibol	National holiday
October 23	Chulalongkorn Memorial Day	National holiday
October 31	Halloween	Observed
November 1	Loy Kratong Evening Celebration	Observance
December 05	King Bhumibol Birthday	National holiday
December 07	King Bhumibol Birthday	Observed
December 10	Constitution Day	National holiday
December 21	December Solstice	Seasonal
December 24	Christmas Eve	Observance
December 25	Christmas Day	Observance
December 31	New Year's Eve	National holiday

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Asalaha Bucha Day

Selling of alcohol is banned.

About 2,500 years ago the Buddhist monk hood was formed. Asalaha Bucha Day marks the day of the first sermon delivered by the Buddha in the Deer Park in Benares, India. It was during this sermon that the Buddha laid down the foundations for the Buddhist way of life by introducing the "Four Noble Truths" and the "Noble Eight Fold Plan".

Often, young Thai men will choose Asahna Bucha Day as their first day to enter the Thai monk hood. During the day, at Thai temples, the monks will preach the Buddha's first sermon and chant Pali mantras. Asahna Bucha Day falls on the first full moon of the eighth lunar month. Although it is a National holiday the banks do not close. Selling of alcohol is banned.

Buddhist Lent Day

Selling of alcohol is banned.

Buddhist Lent Day marks the beginning of the 'lent' period for Thai Buddhist monks. This is the day following Asahna Bucha Day. It is also a customary period in which a Thai male becomes ordained and enters into the monk hood. This holiday period coincides with the tropical rainy season. The Buddhist lent lasts for three months.

Traditionally the monks are required to stay inside their temples during this period. This day is more commonly known as "Khao Phansa". It is said that one of the reasons the monks should stay in the temples is that this is the time when small plants begin to sprout. The monks are encouraged to give the new sprouting plants a chance to grow by not walking on them during their daily trecks outside the temples. Selling of alcohol is banned.

Loy Krathong

Loy Krathong is a Thai ceremony that takes place each year on the full moon in the month of November. "Loy" means to float and the "krathong" part refers to the item itself that floats on the water. In Thai language the word krathong means a "basket". So literally a "floating basket". For this ceremony the krathong is decorated with elaborately folded banana leaves, incense sticks, and a candle. A small coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits.

The krathongs will be floated on water. Usually the water is a river, a canal a pond or a lake and quite often the ocean although the latter usually defeats one of the purposes of the ceremony which is to float away all your anger, worries and cares that have accumulated during the year. Waves normally bring the krathongs right back to the launcher.

The Thais sometimes cut their fingernails and a few snippets of hair to float away on the krathong, symbolizing letting go of past transgressions and negative thoughts.

Some Thais use Loy Krathong for another purpose, which possibly originates from an ancient ritual, and that is to give thanks to the river, say a prayer to the water spirits and make a wish.

These days government offices and businesses participate in the ceremonies and launch huge krathongs sometimes bigger than a truck. Competitions are held for the most attractive krathong. In major cities the Thais also stage a Loy Krathong beauty pageant. In this case it is the most attractive Thai lady who wins the evening. The women wear traditional Thai costumes for this event.

Traditionally krathongs were made of slices of banana tree trunks. A slice would measure approximately 8 to 14 inches in diameter and be about two to three inches thick. Today some are still made this way and others are made using a thick slice of bread for the floating base. Both these materials are biodegradable. Bread can be eaten by the fish and the banana trunk slowly decomposes in the water.

In recent years there were a lot of krathongs made of polly foam but the authorities decided to ban them. A good decision considering the volume of pollution left behind for years after by these non biodegradable mini rafts.

Now here is a little romantic twist. Some Thais believe that if a man and a woman launch their krathongs separately and the krathongs eventually merge together on the night then that signifies that the two will be soul mates for the rest of their lives.

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