Buddha Day: Visakha Puja
Today is a public holiday in Thailand to mark Visakha Puja Day*, the most important Buddhist holiday. It marks the three most significant dates in the life of the Lord Buddha commemorating the day on which he was born, achieved enlightenment and passed into Nirvana. All three events occurred on the full moon of the [...]
Royal Ploughing Ceremony
Following today’s Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Bangkok, royal astrologers have predicted a bumper rice crop and abundant supplies of food. In a country where superstitions and old traditions still play a part in everyday life, the forecast is based on two royal oxen eating rice and hay out of seven food offerings.
Although the day isn’t [...]
Thailand Public Holiday: Coronation Day
May 5th is a holiday in Thailand as it marks the Coronation Day of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Known in Thai as Wan Chatramongkhol (Coronation Day), banks and government offices in Thailand are closed today.
The world’s longest reigning monarch, King Bhumibol actually came to the throne in 1946, but the coronation was delayed until May [...]
Songkran Day
Although festivities and water throwing began yesterday in many places, today is the day when just about everybody joins in with the Songkran celebrations.
April 13th is the traditional day when Buddha images are paraded through streets and Thai people sprinkle them with lustral water (pictured). People visit temples and make-merit and everybody throws water [...]
Songkran Chaos
Songkran celebrations kicked off in earnest today for the Thai water festival with large-scale water throwing in towns and cities up and down Thailand. In some rural areas children have been playing Songkran all week, but elsewhere there were only isolated pockets of water throwing up until today.
In Chiang Mai there’s been evidence of the [...]
A Return to Traditional Songkran Values
With the Thai New Year Water Festival (Songkran) rapidly approaching, there are calls for a return to the traditional way of celebrating. This involves gentle dousing of water as opposed to the all-out water fights which take place nowadays. Of course, it’s highly unlikely that younger people – Thai and farang – will pay much [...]
Chakri Day
Today is Chakri Day in Thailand and as it falls on a Sunday this year, tomorrow is a public holiday in lieu. April 6th marks the founding day of the royal Chakri Dynasty of which the present Thai monarch, Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the ninth king (Rama IX).
On Chakri Day, the king and other members of [...]