Before Thailand (and many western civilizations) switched to the solar 365-day calendar, a lunar calendar was used, whereby one month, or moonth, was 29 or 30 days, e.g., full moon to full moon (29.5 days). Since a solar year is not exactly 12 moonths, there is a shift from year to year between the lunar and solar calendar dates. Notably, the Thai lunar holidays that are in common with Chinese holidays and the holidays of other past lunar calendar cultures may not coincide with each other on the same date, because there are variations in the different implementations of the ancient lunar calendars.
Traditional |
Workday |
Name |
Brief description |
January 1 |
Mon 1 |
New Year's Day |
. |
March 3, 2007
(lunar calendar) |
Sat 3
Mon 5 |
Magha Puja Day |
Commemorates when 1,250 of Buddha's disciples spontaneously gathered to hear the Buddha preach. Merit-making ceremonies at temples, candlelight processions at night. |
April 6
all years |
Fri 6 |
Chakri Day |
Commemorates the founding of the current royal lineage in 1782 |
April 13+,
3 workdays
all years |
Fri 13
Mon 16
Tue 17 |
Songkran |
Thai Buddhist New Year, usually a longer holiday than the official one day. Most known to farangs by the fun-loving water-throwing on each other in the streets. |
May 1
all years |
Tue 1 |
Labor Day |
|
May 5
all years |
Sat 5
Mon 7 |
Coronation Day |
The anniversary of the King's coronation. |
May 31, 2007
(lunar calendar) |
Thu 31 |
Visakha Puja Day |
Commemorates the birth, Enlightenment and death of the Buddha.
This is the holiest of holydays. |
July 1 |
Sun 1
Mon ? |
mid-year accounting |
mid-year closing day |
July 30, 2007
(lunar calendar) |
Mon 30 |
Asalha Puja Day |
Commemorates the Buddha's first sermon to his first five disciples. |
July 30, 2007
(lunar calendar) |
Mon 30 |
Khao Phansaa
(Buddhist Lent) |
The start of a 3 month period of the rainy season when monks stay inside the wats, and the preferred day for young men to enter the monkhood or their traditional short period as a monk. |
August 12
all years |
Sun 12
Mon 13 |
HM the Queen's Birthday
National Mother's Day |
National Mother's Day in Thailand coincides with the birthday of Queen Sirikit |
October 23
all years |
Tue 23 |
Chulalongkorn Day |
Commemorates the death of King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910), the most revered past king. |
December 5
all years |
Wed 5 |
HM the King's Birthday
National Father's Day |
National Father's Day in Thailand coincides with the birthday of King Bhumibol |
December 10
all years |
Mon 10 |
Constitution Day |
|
December 31
all years |
Mon 31 |
New Years Eve |
Good luck getting anything done on New Years Eve, though many companies have staff come in. |
A list of the national work holidays is given below. However, the exact day of the year of some of these will vary, as noted. The ones affected are those based on the lunar calendar, rather than the 365-day solar calendar. Lunar calendar events usually come on a full moon.