The Top Three Thai Holidays & Festivals You Need to Experience

So, you’re getting stir-crazy, itching for your next vacation. Why not consider a festival holiday? 

These are vacations centered around holidays that usually include large, festival-type activities. If you don’t know where to start, the holidays in Thailand offer a great variety of unique experiences for your next trip. 

From secular holidays like New Year’s to holidays specific to Thai culture, Thailand will not let you down. Here, we’ve compiled the top three Thai holidays and festivals that you can check off your bucket list. 

1. Songkran

Bangkok is the world’s hottest city when the mean average is taken. So it’s fitting that this Water Festival is one of the most famous holidays in the country. 

Songkran is actually the Thai New Year, celebrated usually in mid-April. Festivities include the pouring of fragrant water to symbolize a blessing, a period of no arguing to prevent bad omens and enjoying the spirituality of others. 

This holiday has also garnered the largest water fight you’ll ever come across! Tourists and locals gather in the streets with water guns, buckets, and other containers to splash water on each other and laugh together. 

2. Bangkok at New Year’s

While Thai New Year is a big deal in April, that doesn’t stop Thailand from keeping up a positive New Year experience on all fronts. American New Year’s celebrations in Bangkok are known to be amazing. 

This is because of the sheer number of ways that you can celebrate in Bangkok. There are numerous rooftop parties that you can join in on, street parties on Khao San Road, and on the river of Chao Phraya! 

Not to mention, there are other beautiful attractions in the City of Angels that you can take part in outside of December 31st and January 1st, like the Skywalk Mahanakhon.

3. The Vegetarian Festival or Tesagan Gin Je 

Finally, a non-New Year related festival holiday is Tesagan Gin Je, otherwise known as the Vegetarian Festival. 

No need to worry if you aren’t vegetarian, of course. There’s an abundance of meat-friendly meals in Thailand that aren’t difficult to find. 

But, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, here’s a unique festival that would fit you perfectly and be a fun experience to tell your friends about. At the end of September and beginning of October, restaurants and street vendors alike adopt vegetarian or vegan menus (“je” diets). This choice promotes cleansing.

This has to do with the healing of an opera company that became extremely sick while in Thailand. They decided to pursue a vegetarian diet and pray to gods, and then healed after nine days. Ever since, the community has repeated the ritual to bring good luck!

Embark on Your Next Festival Holiday 

So whether you’re looking to celebrate the holidays that you know and love, or to experience some new ones for yourself, consider Thailand for your next festival holiday vacation!

If you liked this post and want to see others like it, check out some of our other posts, and keep coming back to see new content as it comes!

You may like this

• 14 Interesting Facts Which Will Insist You to Visit Land of Smiles – Thailand
• How to Choose a Wellness Resort in Thailand
• The World’s Best Honeymoon Locations