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Festivals in Thailand

Songkran Water Festival

Songkran is held in April (13-15) during the hottest time of the year. In the old days, it was a time to sprinkle lustral water over the hands of the elders in the village to show respect and to ask for blessings, happiness and good luck. These days, the festival has become a good excuse to splash or squirt water on everyone in reach. As well as splashing water, a paste is made of talcum powder and spread on the face as a 'blessing'.

Bangkok empties out 1 or 2 days before the festival as everyone heads home to their villages and then the fun starts. Pickup trucks filled with revelers cruise the streets armed with water pistols and drums of water. If you are up-country, families go to the temple early in the morning to make merit with the monks and attend a Buddhist service. Then teams of revelers gather to walk around the village with a band playing Thai Songkran music as they throw water at each other and spectators.

Songkran is a fun time to be in Thailand, but visitors should not make plans to travel unless absolutely necessary, because the carnage on the roads is horrendous, despite government efforts to bring down the road toll. As well, businesses -- in fact, the whole of Thailand -- closes down, so it is impossible to do business until the festival ends.

Loy Krathong Candle Festival

There are several legends about the origin of Loy Krathong, however, most are all similar in one aspect : they all suggest a leisure-time festival that was adopted into Buddhism. Loy Krathong can be traced to the idea of water spirits and the floating away of all wrong-doings and uncontrollable calamities that befell people. The most popular legend has it that In the ancient kingdom of Sukhothai some 700 years ago there was a lady with great artistic skills in the royal court named Naang Noparmart. She loved to make little lotus-shaped "Krathong" (pronounced kra-tong) with banana leaves and float them on the water with a candle, incense, and other decorations as homage to Buddha.

Each year, the people held a lantern festival to honor "Mother Water" by floating decorated lanterns on the river. When the king came to judge the best lanterns, he awarded Naang Noparmart the first prize for her beautiful Krathong and from then on everyone copied her krathong design. He then decreed a Buddhist holiday once a year on the night of the full moon in November so that everyone could float lotus-shaped banana leaf boats. The festival has been celebrated ever since.

The earliest krathongs were simple and constructed from natural materials: the trunk of a banana tree was cut for a base while the leaves of the banana trees were carefully folded in the shape of lotus petals and attached to the base. Finally, flowers, incense sticks and candles were added. People wanting to create the most beautiful would take great pride in designing and making their krathongs. This tradition is continued today, although styrofoam bases have been used lately. However, the government urges people to use banana tree trunks instead, which are boidegradable. It is hoped that the banks of canals (klongs), river banks, parks, ponds, and the mouths of rivers will no longer be littered and choked with piles of Styrofoam after the festival from now on.

Dragon Boat Races

Each year teams around the country compete in the Dragon Boat races. The winners travel to Hong Kong, Canada, and other countries to represent Thailand. The races are exciting and colorful. Definitely something different.

The boats were traditionally made of a single tree trunk, shaped by hand and painted in bright colors. The dragon head and tail are added to the hull. Teams wield long bladed paddles, often gilded or painted bright colors which glisten in the sun as they flash through the water.

Ploughing Ceremony

Although the Ploughing Ceremony is not strictly a festival, it is well worth watching. Based on Indian Brahmin tradition, a team of white oxen are led to Sanam Luang field in Bangkok where they are offered food and drink. The choices are closely observed, as they will indicate how good the rice harvest will be, and how prosperous the country will be.

The officials include the King, courtiers, and Brahmin priests, all wearing colorful costumes, and the beautifully decorated oxen, make this a good event for photographers.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Phuket's Chinese community celebrates a vegetarian festival each year, with a big procession through the streets of the city center. Chinese penitants in a trance pierce their bodies with long steel skewers or hooks to atone for misdeeds throughout the year. They appear not to feel any pain as they dance and shuffle along.

A wide variety of vegetarian food is on sale throughout the island. Take time to sample some of the delicious dishes using soy curd instead of meat.

Candle Festival Ubon Ratchathani

Although Ubon is off the usual tourist beat, go there in July for the spectacular candle festival. Large floats with intricately carved yellow bees wax candles drive in a huge procession through the main streets of the town accompanied by teams of Thai dancers. There is a beauty contest for girls dressed in traditional Thai costume, fireworks in the evening, and a big fair offering a wide range of local handicrafts. Beautiful hand-woven silk and cotton cloth is on sale, as well as hand-carved wooden items, local sweets made out of coconut and other locally grown fruit and vegetables, and much more are all available.

While you are in Ubon, visit the world famous Wat Nong Papong temple, where many foreigners go to become monks. The temple grounds are located in the middle of rice paddy fields, and the grounds are covered in wild jungle where the monks go to meditate.

After your visit to the temple, head for the banks of the Moon River where you can sit on a bamboo raft as you eat local delicacies like red ant eggs, pla-ra fermented fish, som-tum papaya salad with sticky rice, fermented sour pork. If you are really adventurous, crunch on a selection of deep fried crickets and other insects.

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