Thailand Festival Calendar

Five of Thailand's biggest festivals, with verified next dates and a live countdown to each. Songkran falls on a fixed date every year; the rest follow the Thai or Chinese lunar calendar, so their dates shift annually — we re-verify each one and mark it clearly once a listed date has passed.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Nine days of Taoist ritual purification in Phuket — white-clad processions, street shrines and, for a small number of participants, dramatic acts of self-mortification.

Next dates

10–18 October 2026

Loy Krathong

Thailand's Festival of Lights, when small floating offerings of banana leaf, flowers and candles drift down rivers and canals on the November full moon.

Next dates

24 November 2026

Yi Peng

Chiang Mai's sky lantern festival, when thousands of glowing khom loy paper lanterns are released into the night on the same full moon as Loy Krathong.

Next dates

24–25 November 2026

Chinese New Year

Lunar New Year celebrations centered on Bangkok's Yaowarat (Chinatown), with lion dances, firecrackers, street feasts and red lanterns for days on end.

Next dates

6 February 2027

Songkran

Thailand's New Year and the world's biggest water fight — three days of street-soaking, temple visits and family blessings, every 13–15 April.

Next dates

13–15 April 2027

Planning around Thai festivals

Fixed-date festivals like Songkran are easy to plan around years ahead. Loy Krathong, Yi Peng, Chinese New Year and the Phuket Vegetarian Festival all follow a lunar calendar, so their Gregorian-calendar date moves every year — always confirm the current year's date before booking flights or hotels, especially if you're traveling more than a year out. See our weather guide for how each festival's season affects travel conditions, and upcoming events for what's on right now.