Thailand festivals 2025: Dates and cultural highlights

Thailand, known as the Land of Smiles, is a cultural kaleidoscope where ancient traditions blend with vibrant celebrations. In 2025, Thailand’s festivals will showcase its rich heritage, from Buddhist rituals to lively street parties. Many festivals follow the lunar calendar, so dates may vary slightly, but this guide highlights the top events, their confirmed or estimated dates, and their cultural significance. Join locals and travelers to experience the heart of Thai culture through these unmissable festivals.

Chinese new year

• Date: January 29, 2025
• Locations: Bangkok (Yaowarat Chinatown), Chiang Mai, Phuket, Nakhon Sawan
• Cultural highlights: With Thailand’s significant Chinese population, Chinese New Year is a major celebration. Expect dragon and lion dances, firecrackers, and red lanterns illuminating Chinatowns. Families exchange red envelopes, visit temples, and enjoy street food like dumplings and noodles. In Bangkok’s Yaowarat, vibrant parades and food stalls create a festive atmosphere, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune for the Year of the Snake.

Chiang Mai flower festival

• Date: February 7–9, 2025
• Location: Nong Buak Haad Public Park, Chiang Mai
• Cultural highlights: This colorful festival celebrates Chiang Mai’s floral heritage with a grand parade of flower-decorated floats, featuring roses, daisies, and orchids. Cultural performances, plant exhibitions, and local OTOP (One Tambon One Product) stalls fill the park. The event, graced by a Royal Trophy from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, showcases northern Thailand’s natural beauty and community pride.

Makha Bucha day

• Date: February 12, 2025
• Locations: Nationwide, especially Wat Pho (Bangkok), Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (Chiang Mai)
• Cultural highlights: This Buddhist holiday commemorates the Buddha’s sermon to 1,250 disciples. Temples host candlelit processions, meditation, and merit-making ceremonies. Devotees offer food to monks and listen to Dharma teachings, fostering peace and mindfulness. The serene atmosphere at major temples like Wat Pho reflects Thailand’s deep spiritual roots.

Poy Sang Long festival

• Date: March 19–April 14, 2025
• Locations: Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, northern Thailand
• Cultural Highlights: This Shan Buddhist ordination ceremony celebrates boys aged 7–14 becoming novice monks. Dressed in colorful costumes and ornate headdresses, the boys parade through towns, symbolizing their spiritual initiation. Music, dance, and family feasts accompany the three-day event, highlighting northern Thailand’s unique Shan heritage.

Songkran (Thai New Year)

• Date: April 13–16, 2025 (Maha Songkran World Water Festival)
• Locations: Nationwide, with major events in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket
• Cultural Highlights: Songkran, Thailand’s most famous festival, marks the Thai New Year with massive water fights symbolizing purification. Traditional rituals include pouring water over Buddha statues (Song Nam Phra) and elders’ hands (Rot Nam Dam Hua) for blessings. In Bangkok, Silom Road and Khaosan Road host lively water battles, while Chiang Mai’s moat becomes a splash zone. UNESCO recognizes Songkran as Intangible Cultural Heritage, blending fun with cultural renewal.

Royal ploughing ceremony

• Date: May 9, 2025
• Location: Sanam Luang, Bangkok
• Cultural highlights: This ancient Brahman-Buddhist ceremony marks the start of the rice-planting season. Sacred oxen plow a field near the Grand Palace, and their choice of offered foods predicts the year’s harvest. Attended by royalty and farmers, the event underscores Thailand’s agricultural heritage and reverence for prosperity, with traditional music and rituals adding to the solemnity.

Bun Bang Fai rocket festival

• Date: May 9–11, 2025
• Location: Yasothon, Isaan region
• Cultural highlights: This raucous festival in northeastern Thailand honors rain gods to ensure a bountiful wet season. Villagers launch homemade bamboo rockets, competing for height and style, accompanied by parades, music, and dance. The event, rooted in animist and Buddhist beliefs, is a lively celebration of rural life, with rice wine and pageants adding to the festive spirit.

Phi Ta Khon ghost festival

• Date: July 27–29, 2025
• Location: Loei Province
• Cultural Highlights: Known as Thailand’s “Halloween,” Phi Ta Khon features locals in colorful ghost masks and patchwork costumes parading through Dan Sai. The festival, tied to Buddhist merit-making, blends spooky folklore with playful dances and music. It’s a unique glimpse into Isaan’s spiritual traditions, attracting visitors for its quirky, vibrant energy.

Ubon Ratchathani candle festival

• Date: July 9–11, 2025
• Location: Ubon Ratchathani
• Cultural highlights: Held during Buddhist Lent, this festival showcases massive, intricately carved wax candles shaped like Buddha figures or mythical creatures. Paraded through the city, the candles are offered to temples, accompanied by folk dances, music, and beauty pageants. The event reflects northeastern Thailand’s artistry and devotion, with candle-carving contests highlighting local craftsmanship.

Loy Krathong and Yi Peng

• Date: November 5–6, 2025
• Locations: Nationwide (Loy Krathong); Chiang Mai (Yi Peng)
• Cultural Highlights: Loy Krathong, the Festival of Lights, sees Thais float krathongs (lotus-shaped baskets with candles) on rivers to honor the water goddess, Phra Mae Khongkha. Simultaneously, Yi Peng in Chiang Mai features thousands of sky lanterns (khom loi) released to let go of misfortunes. Chiang Mai’s combined celebrations, with lantern-lit temples and parades, create a magical atmosphere, making it a bucket-list event.

Surin elephant round-up

• Date: November 15–16, 2025 (to be confirmed)
• Location: Surin
• Cultural Highlights: This festival celebrates Thailand’s revered elephants with parades, performances, and historical reenactments. Mahouts showcase ancient training techniques, while elephants don elaborate costumes. The event raises awareness about elephant conservation, blending cultural pride with entertainment, and highlights Surin’s deep connection to these majestic animals.

Travel tips for festival-goers

• Book early: Festivals like Songkran and Loy Krathong draw huge crowds, so reserve accommodations and transport months in advance, especially in Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
• Respect traditions: Dress modestly (cover shoulders and knees) at religious events, and avoid splashing monks or elders during Songkran.
• Check dates: Lunar-based festivals may shift, so confirm exact dates closer to your trip via official tourism sites like TAT Newsroom.
• Stay safe: Carry cash in small denominations, use waterproof bags during Songkran, and avoid crowded areas if concerned about pickpocketing.
• Embrace local etiquette: Learn basic Thai phrases like “Sawasdee” (hello) and participate respectfully in rituals like krathong-making or lantern releases.

Thailand’s 2025 festivals offer a vibrant tapestry of culture, spirituality, and celebration, from the water-soaked joy of Songkran to the serene beauty of Loy Krathong. Each event provides a unique window into Thai traditions, blending ancient rituals with modern festivity. Plan your visit to align with these dates, immerse yourself in the local culture, and create memories that capture the essence of the Land of Smiles.