Festivals and Public Holidays

Year 2000 Festivals
January 1. New Years Day: (Public Holiday)	January/February Lion Dance Festival: 2nd. and 4th. days after the Chinese New Year. (Saturday 5th. February Chinese New Year's Day) Most colourful lion and dragon dances are staged by the Chinese community all over Thailand. One of the most impressive festivals is in Nakhon Sawan in Central Thailand.	February 19. Makha Pucha Day: on the full moon day is one of the holiest Buddhist holidays and marks the occasion when 1,250 saint-disciples of the Buddha spontaneously gathered to hear his preaching (Public Holiday).
Water Festival		April 6. Chakri Memorial Day: The day to commemorate the foundation of the present Chakri Dynasty in 1782. (Public Holiday)
April 13 - 15 Songkran-Festival: The traditional Thai New Year, joyfully celebrated throughout the country with rituals of merit making, cleaning houses, honouring elders, parades of dancers and boat races. What makes the festival most interesting is water splashing, an amusing way to make you cool in the hot season. It is celebrated in a grand way in Chiang Mai (Public Holiday).	April 13 - 19 Pattaya Festival: in Thailand's world-famous seaside resort puts on its most festive face for this annual event, held at the height of the summer season. Food and floral floats, beauty contest and a spectacular display of fireworks on beach are only a few highlights.	Songkran Festival
May 1. National Labour Day: (Public Holiday)	May 5. Coronation Day: the day when the reigning King Bhumibol was crowned as the 9th king of the Chakri Dynisty in 1950. King Bhumibol is the longest reigning monarch in the world (Public Holiday),	Ploughing Ceremony
May 15. Rice Ploughing Ceremony: presided over by the King or another member of the Royal Family. This ancient Brahmanic ceremony is held at Sanam Luang in Bangkok to mark the beginnng of the planting season and to bless the farmers with bumber harvests in the year.(public holiday)	May 2nd Rocket Festival: is a unique festival of the Northeast most elaborately celebrated in Yosathon province. Bamboo rockets are launched as an annual plea to gods for plenty of rainfall in the rainy season.	May 17. Visakha Bucha: on the full moon is one of the most important Buddhist holiday. On this day in different years the Buddha was born, attainded Enlightenment and entered Nirvana (Public Holiday).
Rocket Festival		July 16. Asarnha Bucha Day: on the full moon day is the day when Buddha have his first five diciples after his Enlightment (Public Holiday). more information
Khao Phansa Day: on the day following Asarnha Bucha Day is the first day of the three-month period of Rains Retreat when monks meditate and study the doctrine of Buddha and laymen renew their commitment to follow th precepts of Buddhism. Monks are required to stay at their resident temples throughout the Rains Retreat period (Public Holiday).	August 12. H.M. the Queen's Birthday: streets and public buildings in Bangkok and allover Thailand are decorated with the portrait of the Queen (Public Holiday).	September Buffalo Races: held in the capital of the Chonburi province on the Eastern Seaboard.
October 23 Chulalongkorn Day: is held to commemorate the death of King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V) who passed away in 1910 (Public Holiday).	November Loy Krathong Festival: celebrated on the full moon night is probably the most romantic festival in Thailand. In the evening, people gather at the waterside to float Krathongs, lotus-shaped vessels lovely decorated with flowers and lit chandles as a thankgiving and worship to the Goddess of Water. Magnificient celebrations are held in Sukhothai and Chiang Mai.	The River Kwai Bridge Week: It is held in Kanchanaburi province to commemorate the horrible ordeal suffered in the construction of the Death Railway to be used by the Japanese army as a route of supply from Thailand to Burma in World War II. The festival features a historical exhibition, fun fair, bazaar and exciting light & sound presentation.
The River Kwai Bridge Festival		Surin Elephant Round-up: ( 26 Nov.-07 Dec.) A northeastern province, Surin is famous not only for its greatest number of elephants in Thailand, but also for its world - famous elephant round-up. The show features elephant football, elephant race and hunt, elephants in ancient battle and demonstrations of their strenght and skills.
December 5. H.M. the King's Birthday: It is also oberserved as National Day. Huge crowds gather at Sanam Luang and on Ratchadamnoen Road in Bangkok on the evening of the 4th and 5th to celebrate jubilantly (Public Holiday).	December 10. Constitution Day: (Public Holiday).	December 31 New Year's Eve: (Public Holiday)