Thailand Events Calendar 2026: Festivals Month by Month
Thailand packs more festivals into a single year than most countries manage in a decade. This month-by-month calendar covers every major event: Buddhist holidays, cultural festivals, music events, and local celebrations worth planning a trip around.
Lunar-dependent dates (Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Loy Krathong, and others) shift every year, so where a date below carries a year, that is the next confirmed edition. Festivals whose next dates have not been announced yet say so. Events marked with a link have detailed guides with tickets, travel tips, and what to expect.
January
1 January: New Year’s Day (Public Holiday)
16–18 January 2027: Bo Sang Umbrella Festival, near Chiang Mai. The umbrella-making village celebrates its craft: hand-painted parasols, lantern-lit evenings, and the famous bicycle parade
January – early March: Concert in the Park, Bangkok, outdoor concerts at Chulalongkorn University Centenary Park, most Sundays, free admission
February
5–7 February 2027: Chiang Mai Flower Festival: parade floats, flower decorations, and beauty contests at Suan Buak Hat Park
6–7 February 2027: Chinese New Year: Bangkok’s Yaowarat (Chinatown), Phuket Old Town, and Hat Yai. Dragon dances, firecrackers, street food. Year of the Fire Goat.
14 February: Valentine’s Day (the Trang Underwater Wedding is held around it)
18–28 February 2027: Bangkok Design Week, Southeast Asia’s biggest design festival: 400+ mostly free installations, exhibitions, and markets across the old-town districts
Mid February: Burapa Bike Week, Pattaya, Southeast Asia’s biggest motorcycle gathering
Mid February: King Narai Reign Fair, Lopburi, week-long historical festival at the Phra Narai Ratchaniwet palace, with sound-and-light shows and period dress; 2027 dates to be announced
21 February 2027: Makha Bucha Day (Public Holiday), Buddhist holiday commemorating 1,250 disciples gathering to hear the Buddha teach. Candlelit wien thien processions at temples nationwide.
Late February: Phuket International Blues Rock Festival
Late February – early March: MotoGP Thailand, Chang International Circuit, Buriram, the season opener; 2027 round 5–7 March
March
13 March: National Thai Elephant Day
17 March: National Muay Thai Day. Ayutthaya hosts the Martial Arts Festival and Wai Khru Ceremony
Late March – mid April: Poy Sang Long Festival, Shan Buddhist ordination ceremony in Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai; 2027 dates to be announced
April
6 April: Chakri Memorial Day (Public Holiday), honouring the founding of the ruling Chakri dynasty
13–15 April 2027: Songkran Festival (Public Holiday), Thai New Year, the same dates every year. Nationwide water fights, temple ceremonies, and family reunions. Biggest celebrations in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya.
Mid-April 2027 (dates to be announced): S2O Songkran Music Festival, Bangkok. EDM meets Songkran water fights. International DJs, water cannons, 30,000 capacity.
Mid April: Phuket Bike Week
Mid April: Wan Lai Festival, Chonburi Province (including Pattaya)
May
1 May: Labour Day (Public Holiday)
4 May: Coronation Day (Public Holiday), marking the coronation of King Vajiralongkorn
Early–mid May: Royal Ploughing Ceremony, Sanam Luang, Bangkok: ancient Brahmin ritual predicting the year’s harvest via sacred oxen; the date is set by royal astrologers each year (2027 date to be announced)
Mid May: Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival, Yasothon: homemade bamboo rockets fired skyward to summon rain. Isan’s wildest festival. 2027 dates to be announced.
Mid–late May: Inthakin City Pillar Festival, Chiang Mai: week of offerings at Wat Chedi Luang’s city pillar (lunar dates vary)
20 May 2027: Visakha Bucha Day (Public Holiday), Buddhism’s most sacred day: the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death commemorated on one full moon night
Late May: Koh Samui Yacht Regatta
Late May – early June: Bangkok Pride, one of Southeast Asia’s largest Pride festivals, with the headline parade along Silom Road; 2027 dates to be announced
June
3 June: Birthday of HM Queen Suthida (Public Holiday)
Mid June – early July: Phi Ta Khon Ghost Festival, Dan Sai, Loei: ghost mask parades, spirit rituals, Isan celebrations. Free entry. The exact days are set each year by the village spirit medium; 2027 dates to be announced (the 2026 edition ran 20–22 June).
July
18 July 2027: Asanha Bucha Day (Public Holiday): commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon and the founding of the Buddhist Sangha
19 July 2027: Khao Phansa & the Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival: start of Buddhist Lent, marked in Ubon by house-sized carved wax floats parading through the city; the 2027 parade dates are to be announced
28 July: Birthday of HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Public Holiday)
August
12 August: Queen Mother’s Birthday & Mother’s Day (Public Holiday). The country turns blue. Jasmine garlands, candlelit ceremonies, merit-making.
August – September: Por Tor Hungry Ghost Festival, Phuket (lunar dates vary)
September
24 September: Mahidol Day, commemorating Prince Mahidol, father of modern Thai medicine
28 September: Thai National Flag Day
October
10–18 October 2026: Phuket Vegetarian Festival: nine days of street processions, ritual body piercing, and vegetarian food. Also celebrated in Trang, Krabi, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai.
13 October: HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej Memorial Day (Public Holiday)
23 October: Chulalongkorn Day (Public Holiday), honouring King Rama V with wreath-laying at his equestrian statue in Bangkok
25 October 2026: Buffalo Racing Festival, Chonburi: 100+ year tradition of buffalo races, beauty contests, and Isan food. 80km from Bangkok.
26 October 2026: Ok Phansa: end of Buddhist Lent, and the one night of the Naga Fireballs in Nong Khai, when mysterious glowing orbs rise from the Mekong River
27–29 October 2026: Chak Phra Festival, Surat Thani: Buddha images pulled through the streets and along the Tapi River on decorated barges
29 October 2026 – 28 February 2027: Bangkok Art Biennale: city-wide contemporary art across temples, galleries, and riverside venues
November
1 November 2026 – 14 March 2027: Udon Thani International Horticultural Expo: one-off AIPH world garden expo on a 164-hectare wetland site outside Udon Thani
19–21 November 2026: Surin Elephant Round-Up, Thailand’s biggest elephant festival: processions, the famous elephant breakfast buffet, and cultural shows
24 November 2026: Loy Krathong: floating krathong baskets on rivers and canals nationwide
24–25 November 2026: Yi Peng Lantern Festival, Chiang Mai: sky lantern releases coinciding with Loy Krathong
25 November 2026: Chiang Rai Lantern Festival: a quieter alternative to Yi Peng, with fewer crowds and a more intimate atmosphere
27–28 November 2026: Pattaya Fireworks Festival: international pyrotechnic teams light up Pattaya Bay over two nights
27 November – 7 December 2026: River Kwai Bridge Week, Kanchanaburi: nightly light-and-sound show at the WWII bridge, plus the Red Cross Fair night market
29 November 2026: Monkey Buffet Festival, Lopburi: 4,000kg feast for around 2,000 macaques at Prang Sam Yod temple
December
3–7 December 2026: Wonderfruit Festival, The Fields at Siam Country Club, near Pattaya: music, art, wellness, and sustainability. Thailand’s answer to Burning Man, running a week earlier than usual in 2026.
5 December: National Day & Father’s Day (Public Holiday), honouring the late King Bhumibol. Yellow decorations, candlelit ceremonies nationwide.
10 December: Constitution Day (Public Holiday), commemorating Thailand’s first constitution of 1932
12–13 December 2026: Big Mountain Music Festival, Khao Yai, Thailand’s biggest homegrown festival: 100+ Thai acts, camping in the hills; venue and tickets to be confirmed
Early–mid December: Chiang Mai Design Week: Lanna craft meets contemporary design across 50+ old-city venues; 2026 dates to be announced (the 2025 edition ran 6–14 December)
18–20 December 2026: EDC Thailand, Rhythm Park, Phuket: Electric Daisy Carnival’s six-stage Asian edition, headlined by Martin Garrix, Tiesto, and Charlotte de Witte. Strictly 20+.
11–13 December 2026: Tomorrowland Thailand, Pattaya: Asia’s first Tomorrowland edition at Wisdom Valley. 6 stages, 50,000+ daily capacity. 1-day passes from 5,100 THB, 3-day from 12,500 THB. The 2026 edition sold out; waitlist only.
Timing varies: Hua Hin Jazz Festival: free beachfront jazz in front of the Centara Grand. Timing moves around the calendar; the most recent edition ran 19–20 December 2025 and the next dates are not yet announced.
31 December: New Year’s Eve: countdown events in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond
The Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan happens every month on the night of the full moon. See our guide for the complete schedule of upcoming dates.
See also: Thailand Festivals Guide: in-depth guides to the major events worth planning a trip around.