Festivals/holidays/events in Thailand and around
Trip Start
Jan 08, 2004
1
107
167
Trip End
Ongoing
Bangkok,
Thailand
Thursday, January 11, 2007
------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------
April 13, 14, 15 Songkran / Thai New Year. All over Thailand and Laos and other Thai places such as Xishuangbanna in China. Not celebrated as much in the South as it is in Central, Northern and North Eastern Thailand. It may go on for much longer than just the 3 days depending on where you are. Oh, supposedly it is in all Theravada Buddhist countries, so add Burma and Cambodia onto the list of places. The festival includes washing away previous bad luck, so often it degenerates into the world's largest water fight, which is lots of fun. Be prepared, even if you are sitting in a taxi in Bangkok, for someone to open the door and pour a bucket of water on you.
End of Buddhist Lent which is on the full moon of the 11th lunar month. Fire Balls rise from the Maekhong. Nong Khai. Each year at the end of Buddhist lent, huge balls of fire rise out of the Maekhong river at Nong Khai. Some people believe it is the work of the Naga serpent, others think it is the river releasing gases built up over the year, other people believe it is man made somehow.
On the full moon of the 12th lunar month (first full moon day of November). Loi Krathong Festival. Almost any water course in Thailand. The Loi Krathong festival is a festival probably of Hindu origins that has been taken on by the Thais. In the evening of Loi Krathong, Thais go to the water (river or lake) and thank the spirits for the water, apologise for any pollution and inconvenience the people have caused and wish for a good future. It is a very pretty festival with thousands of candle lights floating on krathongs to be seen floating away.
Still to be entered:
Muslim holidays
Loei
Akha New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese vegetarian festival
Royal ploughing
