Thailand's festivals follow two calendars. Songkran, the Thai New Year with water, takes place from April 13th to 15th, while the Buddhist holidays of Loy Krathong and most temple festivals are based on the lunar calendar and therefore fall on different dates each year. The three most famous festivals are Songkran, Loy Krathong, during which Thais float candle baskets on the rivers at the full moon in November, and Yi Peng, the Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai, which is also celebrated on the same nights.
Furthermore, you can expect to experience some of Asia's most unusual festivals, from the ghost masks on Phi Ta Khon and the homemade rockets of Bun Bang Fai to the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, the Monkey Festival in Lopburi, and the Naga fireballs along the Mekong. Here you will find them month by month, with their respective dates for 2027, the best time to travel, and planning tips.
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Key facts
Most of the data is shifting.
Songkran always takes place from April 13th to 15th. Loy Krathong, the Buddhist holidays, and most festivals in the Isan region are based on the lunar calendar and therefore shift each year.
The three Great Ones
Songkran in April, as well as Loy Krathong and Yi Peng in Chiang Mai on the November full moon day.
Prices are rising
During festival weeks, especially Songkran, Yi Peng, and New Year, hotel and transportation prices can triple. Book as soon as the dates are confirmed.
Five dry days
Shops and regular restaurants are not allowed to sell alcohol on Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asalha Bucha, Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa.
Isan has the strangest
In the northeast, Phi Ta Khon, the Rocket Festival, the Candle Festival, the Elephant Drive and the Naga Fireballs take place.
Check the yearly data.
The provinces often only confirm festival programs a few weeks in advance, so you should check local announcements before booking.
Thailand Festival Calendar
The lunar dates are taken from the official Thai holiday calendar, where published. Since the date for Loy Krathong 2027 was not yet confirmed in the verified sources, the year 2026 is given. The Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan takes place monthly.
January to March
Chinese New Year falls in late January or February; in 2027, it will be on February 6th. Bangkok's Chinatown on Yaowarat Road celebrates it with particular exuberance, featuring red lanterns, lion dances, and food stalls, as do Chinese communities throughout the country. In Chiang Mai, the Flower Festival usually takes place on the first weekend of February. Flower-covered floats, a parade from Nawarat Bridge to Suan Buak Hat Park, and the crowning of the Flower Festival Queen—marking the beginning of the city's most beautiful time of year—are the defining features.
Makha Bucha, on February 21, 2027, is the first Buddhist holiday of the year. On this day, Thais walk around the temples by candlelight in the evening. Around Valentine's Day, couples dive to the seabed off the Trang Islands to celebrate their traditional underwater wedding. On a Saturday in March, following the lunar calendar, thousands of devotees make a pilgrimage to Wat Bang Phra west of Bangkok to have their Sak Yant tattoos re-blessed at the Wai Khru Festival.
April to June
Songkran, the Thai New Year, takes place every year from April 13th to 15th and is the hottest week of the year. The more tranquil side of the festival involves blessing Buddha statues and the hands of elders with fragrant water. The boisterous side, however, is a nationwide water fight with buckets, hoses, and water pistols, which is particularly wild in Chiang Mai around the city moat and in Bangkok on Silom and Khao San Road. You're guaranteed to get wet, so make sure you keep your phone safe.
In May, the royal ploughing ceremony in Bangkok marks the beginning of the rice season. In Isan, Bun Bang Fai, the Rocket Festival, takes place to summon rain. Homemade rockets are launched from launching platforms, and there are parades with floats and dancers. The largest parade is held over a weekend in mid-May in Yasothon. Visakha Bucha, the festival commemorating Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and death, falls on May 20th in 2027. Usually between mid-June and early July, the small town of Dan Sai in the Loei region hosts Phi Ta Khon, a boisterous procession of spirits wearing masks made from palm sheaths and hung with baskets of sticky rice. The dates are determined by local media.
July to September
Asalha Bucha and Khao Phansa, on July 18 and 19, 2027, mark Buddha's first sermon and the beginning of the Buddhist Lent, the three-month period that monks spend in their temples during the rainy season. Ubon Ratchathani celebrates this with the Candle Festival, during which, on the evening of Asalha Bucha, giant, carved wax candles are displayed in Thung Si Mueang Park and carried through the city on floats the following morning.
The remainder of the rainy season is a quiet time for festivals, making it a good time for low prices and green landscapes, and the Vegetarian Festival sometimes starts at the end of September.
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October to December
October begins with the Vegetarian Festival, a nine-day festival whose duration is determined by the lunar calendar and is the largest in Phuket. Devotees of Chinese shrines abstain from meat, and processions of spirit mediums in a trance pierce their cheeks with spears, swords, and other unusual objects. In 2026, it took place from October 10th to 18th, and in 2027, it falls from September 30th to October 8th. The focal point is the Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town. In Chonburi, water buffalo races are held in October at a racetrack near the town hall, and Ok Phansa marks the end of the Buddhist Lent on the full moon of October 15th, 2027, with boat races and illuminated boats on the rivers, as well as, on the Mekong River in Nong Khai, with Naga fireballs.
November is the highlight. Loy Krathong, on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November 24, 2026), is the day when Thais float krathongs—small, candlelit baskets made of banana leaves and flowers—on rivers and lakes to give thanks to the water goddess. The ruins of Sukhothai and the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok are the classic spots to witness this spectacle. In Chiang Mai, celebrations take place at the same time as Yi Peng: lanterns decorate the old city, and the moat is illuminated by candles. Also in November, the Surin Elephant Round-up, featuring elephant parades and shows, takes place on the third weekend, and on the last Sunday in Lopburi, the Monkey Buffet is held, a feast of fruit for the city's macaques, who now mostly reside in the monkey sanctuary since most of them were removed from the streets around the Phra Prang Sam Yot temple.
In December, the Wonderfruit Festival takes place, a five-day festival featuring music, art, and lectures at the Siam Country Club near Pattaya (December 3–7, 2026). The year ends with New Year's Eve countdowns and fireworks along the river in Bangkok and in front of the city's major shopping malls.
Buddhist holidays
Five Buddhist holidays fall on full moons throughout the year: Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asalha Bucha, Khao Phansa, and Ok Phansa. These are public holidays on which Thais collect merit at temples in the morning and process around the main hall by candlelight in the evening. Visitors are welcome to join in the procession, provided they dress respectfully.
Alcohol is also prohibited on these days. Shops, supermarkets, and regular restaurants are not allowed to sell alcohol; however, hotels and licensed establishments in designated entertainment zones are exempt. Plan your evening accordingly.
Planning around a festival
The famous festivals fill hotels and public transport. For Songkran, Yi Peng, and New Year's, prices can triple, and the best rooms are booked months in advance. Trains, flights, and minibuses from Bangkok are packed in the days leading up to Songkran as Thais travel home. Book as soon as the dates are confirmed, and for the Moon Festivals, be sure to check the date of the year first, as blogs often repeat the previous year's date.
For smaller festivals, the challenge is exactly the opposite. Phi Ta Khon, the Rocket Festival, and the Elephant Drive take place in provincial towns where accommodation is scarce and programs are announced late. Therefore, it's essential to check provincial announcements, book early, and expect to stay in simple guesthouses rather than resorts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about Thai festivals, month by month.
Songkran, the Thai New Year with Water, which takes place from April 13th to 15th, is the biggest festival and is celebrated everywhere. Loy Krathong, the Full Moon Festival in November, is considered the most beautiful, and the Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai, which also takes place during this time, is the most photographed.
Songkran in April, Loy Krathong and Yi Peng in November, the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket in October, Phi Ta Khon in Loei, the Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival in May, the Candle Festival in Ubon in July, the Naga Fireballs in October and the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan every month.
Every year from April 13th to 15th. Unlike most Thai festivals, it is based on the solar calendar, so the dates do not change, although in some cities the celebrations last a few days longer.
At the full moon in the twelfth Thai lunar month, usually in November. In 2026, it was November 24th, and Yi Peng Day in Chiang Mai falls on the same night.
Take a look at the calendar above. In short: Chinese New Year and the Flower Festival in February, Songkran in April, rockets in May, candles in July, the Vegetarian Festival and Naga fireballs in October, and Loy Krathong, Yi Peng, and the Elephant Shoot in November.
Yes, at most festivals. But on the five Buddhist holidays Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asalha Bucha, Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa, shops and regular restaurants are not allowed to sell alcohol.
November is suitable for Loy Krathong, Yi Peng, the Elephant Drive in Surin, and the Monkey Buffet in Lopburi during the cool, dry season. April is the best choice for Songkran, but it is also the hottest month.
Most people do. Songkran and New Year's are fixed dates, but the Buddhist holidays, Loy Krathong, Chinese New Year, Vegetarian Festival, and Isan festivals follow the lunar calendar. Therefore, check the date of the year before booking.
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I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled throughout the country from there. The guidebooks reflect my personal opinion and are written as I would explain things to a friend planning a trip.
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