There are countless festivals and special events held in Thailand throughout the year. Some of these are celebrated nationwide (e.g. Songkran and Loy Krathong) whilst other festivals are specific to particular cities or provinces. With a number of Thai festivals and Buddhist holidays, the exact date varies each year because it depends on the lunar calendar and the night of the full moon. Listed below are some of the best-known annual Thai festivals and special events. The dates listed here are not public holidays in Thailand unless stated. Please note that dates of local festivals may be liable to change whilst others are still waiting for dates to be confirmed.
Dates of public holidays in Thailand, 2016 »

January

• New Year’s Day (public holiday) – January 1
• Children’s Day – second Saturday in January (January 9, 2016)
• Bo Sang Umbrella Festival, Chiang Mai – usually third weekend in January

February

• Chiang Mai Flower Festival – usually held on the first weekend in February (February 5-7, 2016)
• Chinese Lunar New Year – date falls in January/February. Celebrated in many areas of Thailand, but particularly in the Chinatown districts of Bangkok and Chiang Mai as well as Phuket and Trang (February 8, 2016 [Year of the Monkey])
• Valentine’s Day – February 14
• Trang Underwater Wedding – Valentine’s Day. Events in Trang Town and Ko Kradan(February 13-15, 2016)
• Pattaya Bike Week – mid-February. Regarded as the biggest gathering of motorbike enthusiasts in South-east Asia
• Phuket International Blues Rock Festival – mid/late February
• Makha Bucha Day (public holiday) – date falls in February/March (February 22, 2016)

Chiang Mai Flower Festival

March

• National Elephant Day – March 13
• National Muay Thai Day – March 17. Ayutthaya hosts the Martial Arts Festival and Wai Khru Ceremony and smaller events and ceremonies are held at various Thai boxing gyms and venues in Thailand
• Pattaya International Music Festival – mid/late-March (March 18-20, 2016)

April

• Chakri Day (public holiday) – April 6
• Songkran Thai New Year Water Festival (public holiday) – April 13-15
• Chonburi Festival – mid/late April in Chonburi province including Pattaya
• Phuket Bike Week – mid/late April