In a country that is built on tradition and so much loves making fun, it’s almost mandatory to include a local festival or event in your Thailand travel plans. Major festivals in Thailand are held nationwide, but there are plenty of fantastic provincial festivals too and it’s often worthwhile to adapt your itinerary for it. From intimate religious ceremonies to booze-fuelled dance parties in the countryside, Thai people love to socialise and make fun, and doing so is as important to Thai culture as is Thai cuisine.
You will find there are always one or more festivals taking place somewhere in Thailand, no matter when your visit takes place. They range from beautiful and enchanting traditions that often have religious or mythical roots, such as the Loy Krathong Festival of Light or the dazzling Chiang Mai Flower Festival, to plain fun or even outright crazy and bizarre events such as the rocket festivals or Bun Bang Fai in the rural Isaan region, and the world-famous Songkran 2020 or Thai new year. Depending on your tastes and appetite for adventure, you will be almost guaranteed to find something that satisfies your curiosity.
A lot of the festivals in Thailand take place on slightly different dates each year, especially those that have religious roots. That’s because they follow the Thai lunar calendar which depends on the varying, yearly moon cycle. Therefore it’s always wise to double-check the exact dates a few weeks beforehand to make sure there are no last-minute changes.
Although during many Thai festivals there’s a steady flow of alcohol, during religious and royal festivals the sale of alcohol is usually banned. This isn’t always strictly enforced but you may do well taking this into account if you think it may affect you.
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