Festivals of Thailand

Thailand has many Fairs and Festivals celebrated during many occasions . Some of the interesting Festivals of Thailand are listed below:


NONTHAMBURI: NONTHAMBURI FRUIT FAIR:This annual fair is held during April-June to celebrate the abundance of such local fruits as durian,mangosteen and mangoes.Besides stalls selling the produce of surrounding orchards and local products,there are colourful processions of floats decorated with fruits and flowers,beauty pageant,fruit contests,cultural shows,exhibitions of provincial handicrafts and agricultural produce and local entertainments.


SAMUT PRAKAN: PAKLAT SONGKRAN FESTIVAL: This is a very famous and enjoyable annual festival falling on Sunday following Songkran Day (April 13) .The inhabitants of Muang Phra Pradaeng with the cooperation of Muang Phra Pradaeng municipality conduct the festival according to the monus original tradition including the Nang Songkran procession,the setting free of birds and fishes and playing various games which originated with the mon people.

CHONBURI: CHONBURI BUFFALO RACES: It is held during october every year.The water buffalo is one of the mainstrays in the life of a Thai farmer,but in this annual event it is put to more amusing uses than ploughing the local fields such as buffalo races and contests bitting buffalo and man.Beauty contests add to the fun a festival that attracts crowds from nearby seaside resorts.

PATTAYA: PATTAYA FESTIVAL:Thailand’s world famous seaside resort puts on its most festival face for this annual event,held in April at the height of the summer season.Food and floral floats,beauty contests,stalls selling local delicacy and a spectacular display of fireworks on the beach are only a few of the highlights that attract merry-makers.

RAYONG: RAYONG FRUIT FAIR: This fair is held during may or june at Amphoe Muang and Amphoe Klaeng.Rayong is famous for its lush fruits orchards,producing some of the country’s best pomelo,jack fruit,rambutan and durian.All will be on sale at this fair,as well as the shrimp paste and fish sauce for which the province is noted and a wide variety of local handicrafts.

SONGRAN: SONGKRAN FESTIVAL: Held during April 13-15.Songkran the traditional Thai New Year ,is celebrated all over the country but nowhere with more enthusiasm than in Chian mai.Part of the celebration is religious,marked by merit-making ceremonies at local temples,and part is pure pleasure,with good natural water throrium ,parades and beauty contests.
MAE HONG SON: POI SANG LONG PROCESSION: Offerings for monks are carried through the town in a gala procession.It is usually held during March and may before the Buddhist Rain retreat period.

NAKHON SAWAN: DRAGON AND LION PROCESSION: Each chinese new year,thousands of Thai and chinese people from several provinces flock into Nakhon sawan to celebrate and view the procession an annual event since 1914.The procession falls on the fourth waxing day of the chinese first lunar month which usually falls around the end of January or early Febraury of every year.This ceremony of Nakhon Sawan is organised in a more grand manner than those of other provinces in the country.The colourful and noisy procession include among other things,traditional cantonese singhton(ie lions) Dwarf lion,harnanese style lion, the clamorous symbol-like and a taychew musical parade,followed by a long file of hundreds pf beautiful yound maidens.During the festival,however ,all hotels of Nakhon sawan are fully-booked, and the revellers celebrate day and night as they do at chian mai’s songran festival.

PHICHIT: PHICHIT ANNUAL BOAT RACING: With cooperation of the Phichit province and Tourism Authority of Thailand,provincial boat racing is restored to be a national level festival,taking place on every first Saturday and Sunday of september ,at Wat Tha Luang located on the bang of Mae Nam nan.The main feature of the festival are boat racing ,boat procession beauty contest which is regarded an exciting gayful and colourful one.

SUKHOTHAI: LOI KRATHONG FESTIVAL AND CANDLE FESTIVAL: This annual fair is to worship the sacred Lord Buddha’s footprint.This is held on the fullmoon day of the 12th lunar month,the festival was revised in 1977 with an aim to resurrect the Loi Krathong festival amid the atmosphere of ancient Sukhothai dating back to more than 700 years. The entertainment planned for the festival include krathong competition.Nang Nopphamat contest (a beauty contest in Thai costumes), and a spectacular procession.

BURIRAM: NORTH- EASTERN KITE FESTIVAL: It is held annually in early December the festival is featured by a competition of kite procession composed of local vehicle decorated with various kinds of kites.A beauty contest and an Aek kite competition are also scheduled Aek Kite (ancient yoke shaped kite) where flown in the air looks like two kites attracted to each other.Activities include kite shows and cultural performances.

LOEI: PHI TA KHON FESTIVAL:The festival has its origin in a traditional Buddhist tale.Phit ta khon is celebrated largely by youngmen who dress as spirits,to parade a sacred Buddha image and tease villagers,and monks reciting the story of Buddha’s last great incarnation before attaining enlightenment.The festival is held during may or june every year.

NAKHON PHANOM: ILLUMINATED BOAT PROCESSION: Held anually in october or November, the event represets a traditional Loi Krathong ceremony of North easterners marking the end of the Buddhist lent.The illuminated boats are made of banana barks,bamboo or other floatable materials with a length of various shapes.The procession is staged in the streets during the day while at night religious rites will be observed.Later,the boats will be illuminated and launched into Mekong River.

SAKHON NAKHON: WAX CASTLE AND BOAT RACING FESTIVAL:Held at the end of the Buddhist lent,the event represents a traditional merit-making in the form of wax castle procession,attribute paid to the lord Buddha.Elaborately constructed miniature wax castle stand as the main feature of the procession.Traditional North eastern performances are also to be presented while a boat racing is to take place at Nong Han lake.
SURIN: SURIN ELEPHANT SHOW : It is held in the third weekend of November .Internationally famous,this annual event brings crowds of visitors to the provincial capital of Surin.Where over 100 trained elephants are assembled.Among the spectacular features are with elephant hunts,tugs of war,demonstration of log hauling skills, and a parade of elephants outfitted for medieval warfare.

UBON RATCHATHANI: CANDLE FESTIVAL: Held annually at the beginning of Buddhist lent in July at Thung si Muang,the festival’s planned activities include the competition of the candle”tree” which is divided into moulded and carved categories.All candle “trees” will be brightened up by the lights from manu diverse entertainment organised to celebrate them.

YASOTHON:ROCK FESTIVAL: Held annually over the second weekend on May,the festival includes as a main feature the rocket procession in which entries of various sizes are intricately decorated.A rocket dance accompanying the procession is joined by the town people of all ages and may stretch for as long as several kilometers.The rockets will be lauched on the second day of the festival.

SURAT THANI: RAMBUTAN FAIR: This annual fair is held in August.The first Rambutan tree was planted in Surat Thani in 1926, and this fair celebrates the delicious fruit,which now grows widely in the area.Highlights include exhibitions of local products and ornamental plants floats adorned with rambutan and other fruits, and demonstrations of trained monkeys who harvest coconuts.

PHUKET: VEGETATION FESTIVAL: The festival falls in September – October every year. It is one of the major events of Phuket’s year.Residents of chinese ancestry go on a 10day vegetarian diet and there are ceremonies at local chinese temples as well as parades that feature remarkable feats by ascetic beliefs.

TRANG: VEGETATION FESTIVAL: This fair is held in around September-October every year.It is one of the major events of Trang’s year.There are ceremonies at local chinese temples as well as parades .

SONGKHLA: CHINESE LUNAR FESTIVAL: This festival falls in September-October every year.Thais of chinese ancestry make offerings to the moon or queen of the heavens in gratitude for past and future fortune.Traditional festivities include lion and dragon dances,lantern processions and contests ,displays and folk entetainment.