THAI VISA F o r u m

January January 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31 Chinese New

Year

New Years Day

National Childrens Day

Teachers Day

Courtesy of villagefarang

New Years Extended Holiday

New Years Eve

Doi Ang Khang, Fang District Chiang Mai

THAI VISA F o r u m

FebruaryFebruary 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28

Makha Bucha Day

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year

Chiang Mai Flower Festival

Feb. 7-9

Courtesy of Dancealot

Meanam beach, Samui

THAI VISA F o r u m

MarchMarch 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31

March Equinox

National Elephant Day

Courtesy of Fiddlesticks

Chiang Rai Sunset

THAI VISA F o r u m

AprilApril 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30

Chakri Day Substitution

Chakri Day

Songkran Songkran Songkran Songkran Substitution

Courtesy of Naroge

Salt Farm Petchaburi

THAI VISA F o r u m

MayMay 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

National Labor Day

Coronation Day

Wisakha Bucha Day

Royal Ploughing Ceremony

Courtesy of stubzi

THAI VISA F o r u m

JuneJune 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

June Solstice

Courtesy of phuketrichard

Northern Thailand

THAI VISA F o r u m

JulyJuly 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

Mid Year Bank Holiday

Asarnha Bucha Day

Wan Khao Phansa

Courtesy of fabianfred

THAI VISA F o r u m

AugustAugust 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

H.M. the Queens Birthday

Courtesy of shaggy1969

THAI VISA F o r u m

SeptemberSeptember 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30

September Equinox

Prince Mahidol Day

Courtesy of KarlosInBKK

Allied War Cemetary Kanchanaburi

THAI VISA F o r u m

OctoberOctober 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

Chulalongkorn Day

Naga Fireball Festival 7-8

Est.

Wan Awk Phansa

Courtesy of samuijimmyHin Ta and Hin Yai Rocks in LamaiKoh Samui

THAI VISA F o r u m

NovemberNovember 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30

Loi Krathong Loi Krathong Loi Krathong

Courtesy of jetlsy

THAI VISA F o r u m

DecemberDecember 2014/25572014/2557

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

H.M. the Kings Birthday

Constitution Day

December Solstice

Christmas Eve Christmas Day

New Years Eve

Courtesy of angiud

Holidays in Thailand

New Year's Day (Wan Khuen Pi Mai)

New Year's Day is the first day of the year. On the modern Gregorian calendar, it is celebrated on January 1.

Makha Bucha (Wan Makha Bucha)

Makha Bucha is an important religious festival celebrated by Buddhists in Thailand on the full moon day of the third lunar month (this usually falls in February). Makha Bucha Day is for the veneration of Buddha and his teachings on the full moon day of the third lunar month.The spiritual aims of the day are: not to commit any kind of sins; do only good; purify one's mind.

Chakri Memorial Day (Wan Chakkri)

Chakri Day commemorates the founding of the Chakri Dynasty in 1782 by King Rama I, known among Thais as Phra Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke the Great who assumed power on April 6. During the day, the nation pays respects to all of the Kings of the Dynasty.

Songkran (Wan Songkran)

The Songkran festival is celebrated in Thailand as the tradi-tional New Year's Day from 13 to 15 April. Families and friends gather to celebrate by visiting temples, sprinkling wa-ter on Buddha images in reverence, and sprinkling water on each other's hands as an act of wishing good luck. The word Songkran is from the Sanskrit meaning the beginning of a new Solar Year, but nowadays Thailand celebrates the New Year on 31 December.

Labor Day (Wan Raeng Ngan Haeng Chat)

International Labor Day is also celebrated as a national holi-day in Thailand.

Coronation Day (Wan Chattra Mongkhon) Commemorates the coronation of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1950. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej was crowned as

Rama IX, the 9th king of the Chakri dynasty, on 5th May 1950.

Vesak (Wan Wisakha Bucha)

Buddhist observance commemorating the birth, enlighten-ment and passing of the Buddha. Also observed as National Tree Day. It falls on the full moon of the 6th lunar month.

Asalha Puja (Wan Asanha Bucha)

Asalha Puja (known as Asanha Puja or Asarnha Bucha) is a buddhist festival which typically takes place in July, on the full moon of the eighth lunar month. It commemorates the Bud-dhas first sermon in the Deer Park in Benares and the found-ing of the Buddhist sangha. The day is observed by donating offerings to temples and listening to sermons.

Beginning of Vassa (Wan Khao Phansa)

This day marks the beginning of the Buddhist lent period, a time when monks are supposed to retreat to their temples while new life springs forth. Known as "Khao Phansa", the Buddhist Lent is a time devoted to study and meditation.

The Queen's Birthday (Wan Chaloem Phra Chonmaphansa Somdet Phranang Chao Phra Boromma Rachininat)

Commemorates the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen Sirikit in 1932; also observed as National Mother's Day (Wan Mae Haeng Chat).

Chulalongkorn Day (Wan Piya Maharat)

Commemorates the passing of King Chulalongkorn in 1910. Piya Maharat is a nickname for the King, meaning the beloved great king.

The King's Birthday (Wan Chaloem Phra Chonmaphansa Phrabat Somdet Phra Chao Yuhua)

Commemorates the birthday of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1927. Also observed as National Day and National Father's Day.

Constitution Day (Wan Rattha Thammanun)

Commemorates the promulgation of the first permanent con-stitution in 1932.

New Year's Eve (Wan Sin Pi)

Final day of the Gregorian year. The day before the Western New Year day is always marked a national holiday.

Background Information Weekend Public Holidays: Public holidays falling on a Saturday or Sunday are observed on the Monday following.

Clubs and other places of indulgence are closed on Buddhist Holidays and Royal Holidays like the King/Queen's birthday.

Thai Lunar Calendar: The public holidays of Mahka Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asanha Bucha, and Khao Phansa are based on the Thai lunar calendar.

Songkran: In 1948, the government officially fixed the 13th of April as Songkran Day and officially made it a public holiday. In 1989, the government with General Chatichai Choonhavan as the Prime Minister proclaimed the 12th of April, the 13th of April, and the 14th of April public holidays in order to allow people to return to their hometowns. In 1997, the government with General Chawalit Yongchaiyuth as the Prime Minister changed the dates of holidays on the occasion of Songkran festival to be the 13th of April, the 14th of April and the 15th of April in accordance with the days traditionally observed since time immemorial.

Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day (usually during the 2nd week of May) is supposed to be a government holiday, however, no reliable source has been found to confirm how it may be predicted. This is an ancient Brahman ceremony, held under Royal patronage in Bangkok, which celebrates the beginning of the rice planting season. The day is selected by Brahmin Priests ac-cording to their astrological calendars.

For commercial banks in the provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Satun, an extra bank holiday is given for Eidilfitri Day (End of Ramadan Day) as announced by the Sheikhul Islam Office, if the day does not coincide with the above mentioned holi-days or Saturday and Sunday.

Thailand International Codes TH and THA (2 and 3-letter ISO3166 codes) and .th (ICANN national top-level internet do-main).

Other Sources of Information The following specialized websites are also a good source of Thailand information and news: Bank of Thailand (Thailand central bank), ASI Hot Spots (security-related world events: terrorist threats, political strife, strikes, criminal activity, aviation incidents and health outbreaks), CIA World Factbook (Thailand maps, demographics and economic statistics), the IFES (information covering upcoming elections, referenda, electoral structures and voter participation in Thai-land), and Wikipedia (includes Thailand commemorative dates that are not necessarily public holidays).

Summary of Holidays 1 January (Wednesday) New Year's Day 11 January (Saturday) National Children's Day 16 January (Thursday) Teacher's Day 31 January (Friday) Chinese Lunar New Year 1 February (Saturday) Second Day Chinese New Year 2 February (Sunday) Third Day Chinese New Year 14 February (Friday) Makha Bucha Day 14 February (Friday) Valentine's Day 20 March (Thursday) March equinox 6 April (Sunday) Chakri Day 7 April (Monday) Chakri Day Substitution 13 April (Sunday) Songkran 14 April (Monday) Songkran 15 April (Tuesday) Songkran 16 April (Wednesday) Songkran Substitution Day 1 May (Thursday) Labor Day 5 May (Monday) Coronation Day 13 May (Tuesday) Wisakha Bucha Day 21 June (Saturday) June Solstice 1 July (Tuesday) Mid Year Bank Holiday (Auditing) 11 July (Friday) Asalha Bucha 12 August (Tuesday) The Queen's Birthday (Mother's Day) 23 September (Tuesday) Septmber equinox 23 October (Thursday) Chulalongkorn Day 6-8 November (Thursday-Saturday) Loi Krathong 5 December (Friday) The King's Birthday (Father's Day) 10 December (Wednesday) Constitution Day 21 December (Sunday) December Solstice 24 December (Wednesday) Christmas Eve 25 December (Thursday) Christmas Day 31 December (Wednesday) New Year's Eve

CoverJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberMembers Photos 1Members Photos 2Holidays in ThailandBackground InformationSummary of Holidays

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