Chinese New Year

History & meaning

Chinese New Year isn't an official Thai national holiday, but Thailand has one of the largest ethnic Chinese populations outside China, and generations of intermarriage mean the festival is woven deeply into Thai culture — especially in Bangkok, where the Chinese-Thai community has centered on Yaowarat (Chinatown) since the late 18th century.

The festival marks the start of the lunar calendar year and traditionally centers on family reunion, ancestor veneration, and driving away bad luck for the year ahead — historically embodied by the mythical beast Nian, which is why fireworks, drums and the color red (all said to frighten it off) remain central to the celebrations.

What to expect

Yaowarat Road closes to traffic and becomes a river of people, red lanterns and street-food stalls serving shark fin soup, bird's nest soup, roast duck and other festival specialties late into the night. Lion and dragon dance troupes weave through the crowds and into shops for luck, accompanied by cymbals and drums, while firecrackers punctuate the evening.

Shrines and temples throughout Chinatown — Wat Mangkon Kamalawat foremost among them — fill with people making offerings and burning incense for good fortune in the coming year. Many Chinese-Thai families also spend the day visiting relatives, giving red envelopes (ang pao) of money to children, and wearing new red clothing.

Practical tips

• Go early evening on the main night — Yaowarat Road becomes extremely crowded and slow-moving as the night goes on, so arrive by early evening to actually move through it.
• Expect loud, sudden firecrackers at close range near the lion dance troupes — keep small children back a little if noise is a concern.
• Many Chinatown restaurants require reservations or have long queues during the festival — book ahead if you want a sit-down meal rather than street food.
• Wear something red if you want to join the spirit of the day — it's considered lucky and you'll see it everywhere.
• The MRT Wat Mangkon station puts you right in the middle of Yaowarat and is far less stressful than trying to drive or taxi in on the night.

Where to experience it

Bangkok's Yaowarat (Chinatown) is unquestionably the place to be — Yaowarat Road closes to traffic for a night of lion dances, lanterns, firecrackers and street food, centered around Wat Mangkon Kamalawat temple. It's easily reached on the MRT Blue Line to Wat Mangkon station.

Frequently asked questions