Public holidays in Thailand 2021-2025
Parts of the Thai calendar are based on the Gregorian calendar, which we also know in Germany. Nevertheless, there are isolated holidays which are calculated according to the original Thai lunisolar calendar. In addition, some holidays are determined individually each year not only according to astronomical, but even astrological aspects.Christian festivals such as Christmas are well known in Thailand and are also celebrated in large cities - but not for Christian reasons, but exclusively for social reasons.
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Non-movable holidays
Non-statutory holidays are written in gray.| holiday | date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Jan, 1st |
| Wan Chakri Memorial Day | Apr, 6th |
| Songkran (Thai New Year) | Apr, 13th |
| Labor Day | May, 1st |
| Coronation day | May, 5th |
| Mid-year holiday | Jul, 1st |
| Birthday of King Vajiralongkorn | Jul, 28th |
| Mother's Day (Queen's birthday) | Aug, 15th |
| Anniversary of the death of King Chulalongkorn | Oct, 23rd |
| Father's Day (birthday of King Bhumibol) | Dec, 5th |
| Constitution Day | Dec, 10th |
| Chirstmas | Dec, 25th |
| New Year's Eve | Dec, 31st |
Moving Holidays in Thailand
| holiday | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese New Years Festival | Feb, 12th | Feb, 1st | Jan, 22nd | Feb, 10th | Jan, 29th |
| Makha Bucha | Feb, 27th | Feb, 16th | Feb, 6th | Feb, 24th | Feb, 12th |
| Visakha Bucha | May, 26th | May, 16th | May, 5th | May, 23rd | May, 12th |
| Asalha Puja | Jul, 24th | Jul, 14th | Jul, 3rd | Jul, 21st | Jul, 11th |
| Ok Phansa | Oct, 20th | Oct, 10th | Oct, 29th | Oct, 17th | Oct, 7th |
Movable holidays with (so far and for us) uncalculatable dates:
| holiday | Datum |
|---|---|
| First ploughing ceremony | First half of May, determined by Brahmin astrologers |
| Khao Phansa | 1st day of the waning moon in the 8th lunar month, usually in July |
| Sat Thai | last new moon day in the 10th lunar month, usually in September |
| Donation day Thot Kathin | End of the three-month rainy season exam, usually in November |
| Loi Krathong (Festival of Lights) | Full moon in the 12th lunar month, usually in November |
The Thai Lunisolar Calendar
The historical Thai calendar is in its basic features a lunar calendar, according to which the beginning of a month is always based on a new moon. A month therefore has about 29.53 days. So that a month does not end in the middle of the day, the length of a month varies as in our case - but alternately 29 or 30 days. In the 7th month this rule is reversed, so that the 7th month always has as many days as the 6th month. This also changes the number of days in all equal months of the following year:| Month | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1st year | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 |
| Days 2nd year | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 |
In order to additionally consider the course of the sun, complex calculations are used to insert a leap day or even a whole leap month every few years. The 8th month of a year is simply doubled. A year has thus not always 12 months, but is also times 354, 355 or 384 days long. This alone makes it difficult to convert the beginning of the year into our Greogian calendar.
The holidays calculated according to this lunar calendar are Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asalha Puja, Khao Phansa, Sat Thai, Ok Phansa, the Kathin ceremony and Loi Krathong. Most of these ceremonies are held on full moon, only Sat Thai is celebrated on the day of the new moon. Since 1888 this calendar system is only used to calculate holidays. Except for the year, the Thai calendar since then corresponds to the Gregorian calendar.