Celebrations for this year’s Loy Krathong festival culminated tonight with lanterns and fireworks lighting up the sky and floating krathongs glistening on waterways throughout Thailand. Arguably the most beautiful of Thailand’s many festivals, and certainly one of the most romantic, Loy Krathong is always keenly anticipated by many Thai people including Thai expats in Europe, [...]
Loy Krathong – Festival of Light
October 21, 2007 By
Celebrated nationwide, Loy Krathong is probably Thailand’s most beautiful and enchanting festival. The word loy (or loi) means to float, whilst krathong are small rafts or baskets. Traditionally made from banana leaves or the bark of a banana tree, the krathongs usually contain a candle, incense and lotus flowers. The candle is lit and the [...]
Queen Sirikit’s Birthday – Mother’s Day in Thailand
August 12, 2007 By
Today is Mother’s Day in Thailand, the date fixed to coincide with the Queen’s birthday. Queen Sirikit is considered to be the mother of the nation just as the king is seen as the father of the nation. Queen Sirikit is 75-years-old and there have been nationwide events to mark the day with candle-lighting ceremonies [...]
Visakha Puja Day
May 31, 2007 By
Today is a national holiday in Thailand to mark Visakha Puja Day*, the holiest of all the Buddhist holidays. Celebrated every year in May on the date of the full-moon, the day is often simply referred to as ‘Buddha Day’. Visakha Puja marks the day when Prince Siddhatta Gotama was born, 35 years later became [...]
Thailand Celebrates Coronation Day of King Bhumibol
May 5, 2007 By
May 5th is a public holiday in Thailand as it marks the Coronation Day of the world’s longest reigning monarch. King Bhumibol Adulyadej came to the throne in June 1946 following the death of his brother, King Ananda. Prince Bhumibol was only 18 at the time and his mother insisted he carry on his education [...]
The Two Sides of Songkran in Chiang Mai
April 26, 2007 By
In recent years, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience Songkran in Pattaya, Bangkok and Chiang Mai and it was Chiang Mai where I again celebrated Songkran this year. The city is considered one of the best places in the country to enjoy the festivities and I would have to endorse that view. Parades, musical concerts [...]
Songkran: Thai New Year Water Festival
April 25, 2007 By
Thailand has recently finished celebrating Songkran, which no matter how I describe it, probably won’t do it justice. Songkran is an annual nationwide party that has to be experienced in person to begin to appreciate the enormity of the spectacle and the uniqueness of the occasion. The word songkran is derived from the Sanskrit language [...]
