Joanna James
Thailand is a land of spirituality and culture; their vibrant festivals and traditions provide a unique glimpse into the diversity of their beliefs and how it has enriched their values.
The festival is celebrated at dusk on the 12th month during the full moon on the Thai lunar calendar. Throughout Loi Krathong, people will decorate baskets, stick them with candles and flowers and drift them along the rivers, all the while, illuminating the night sky with lamps, colourful lanterns and firecrackers to honour the water goddesses of the rivers. Loi Krathong predominantly takes place in Thailand, but it can be seen in countries like Myanmar, China and Cambodia as well.
The festival of Songkran is celebrated to usher in the New Year in Thailand. It is celebrated on the 13th of April, and many countries in the region celebrate it as well, under different names and customs. Thai people spend most of their days in temples, doing good deeds such as worshipping the Buddha, respecting elders, giving alms and seeing to the requisites of Buddhist monks. In some parts of Thailand, the festival culminates in a huge water fight on the closed-off streets, that goes on for days! It symbolises washing off the past and commencing the new year refreshed and clean.
Also called the Candle Festival, it is held in July to commemorate the beginning of the Vassa season or the wet season. According to the Theravada Buddhist tradition, a three months retreat is observed by monks, with the lay people attending the temple frequently to tend to the main requisites of the meditative monks. However, at this time, you will notice parades with massive floats carrying statues created from pure wax and everyone clothed in striking colours. If you're looking for a hotel in Bangkok Sukhumvit area, the likes of Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok Hotel are among the options available to base your stay while in the capital.
Thailand has an agriculture-based society, which plays a central part in their beliefs and lifestyle. The land is blessed with fertile soil, that allows many crops to grow abundantly. This festival, in particular, is to consecrate the rice cultivations of the land. Its main premise is to request the rain gods to bless the land and its crops. The festival takes place for three days during May and is significantly celebrated by the farming communities in the Issan Region. Throughout the three days, the villages play local music, give lots of food offerings, and celebrate with their local rice wine.
Also called the Ghost Festival, Phi Ta Khon Festival is mainly observed in Dan Sai in the Loei province of Northern Thailand and is held from May until July. During the festival, locals don costumes constructed from coconut shrubberies and rice husks and conduct ceremonies to request the god of the river, Mun, to bless and protect them from ill gains and misfortune. If visiting this region at this time of the year, you can see tons of parades in the streets, dances, competitions, food kiosks, and formal Buddhist sermons at temples.
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