Thailand Holidays & Festivals

Thailand celebrates a day just for teachers like many countries around the world. Their Teachers’ Day is called Wai Kru. On this day the students make stunning flower arrangements with elaborate designs, vibrant colors, and all set in a beautiful pot. The holiday is held in the beginning of the …

For Buddhist-majority countries in southeast Asia like Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, the full moon day of the third month in the lunar calendar is a sacred event, one that venerates the teachings of Buddha, a commemoration popularly known as Makha Bucha in Thailand. Among Burmese (Myanmar) Buddhists, however, the …

Only a few monarchies today have remained absolute, with all the powers vested in the reigning king or queen. The concentration of political power from one ruler has transitioned to a group of advisers or a council, and this was what happened to Thailand on December 10, 1932. People Power …

Rama IX, popularly known as King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the world’s longest-reigning monarch. His Majesty came to the throne on June 9, 1946, while still finishing his studies in Switzerland. It was there that he met his future wife, Queen Sirikit, equally the world’s longest-serving consort. As the descendant of …

Thai monarchs are revered by their people because of their great contributions to the development of the nation. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) was one of those monarchs who opened up the country to Western thought, having been tutored by a British-Indian governess named Anna Leonowens whose life was the basis …

Born Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara on August 12, 1932 to Thai noble families, the longest-serving consort to the world’s longest-reigning monarch – King Bhumibol Adulyadej – will turn 81 this year. Queen Sirikit, as she is now known, is considered the Mother of All Thais, so her birthday is also …

Asalha Puja, or the celebration of the First Sermon of Buddha, is one of the most important religious celebrations in Thailand, a country steeped in Theravada Buddhism. To formally start the commemoration of the teachings of Buddha, the monks and Buddhist ascetics retreat from peripatetic lifestyle in a tradition called …

The Chinese New Year is China’s most important holiday. It is also known as the Spring Festival. Traditionally, the New Year period lasts for 15 days, starting from the middle of the last month and ends sometime in the middle of the first month. The holiday not only welcomes in …

Thailand’s reigning monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, was crowned king on May 5, 1950 after his elder brother, King Ananda Mahidol, died of gunshot wound on June 9, 1946. He officially assumed kingship after he finished his studies abroad and married Queen Sirikit a week before his coronation. Coronation Day 2013 …

The longest-reigning monarch in the world, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is Ramathibodi IX, a descendant of the Chakri dynasty. Chakri Memorial Day is a day that commemorates the establishment of the current royal lineage when Ramathibodi I ascended on the throne on April 6, 1782. Military Commander Turned Ruler Thong Duang, …

Thailand is the land of Theravada Buddhism (the oldest branch of the religion). About 95% of Thais observe the “Teachings of the Elders” (literal meaning of Theravada); hence, the thousands of Buddhist temples and shrines in Thailand. Asalha Puja is one such important occasion for Theravada Buddhists. This day commemorates …

Makha Bucha is one of the most important religious festivals celebrated in Thailand, and is done to venerate the teachings of Buddha. In 2016, Thailand will celebrate this public holiday on the 22nd of February which falls on the full moon day of the third month in the lunar calendar. …