Festivals and events
Thailand is a festive country, where numerous provincial and national festivals and events are being held all year round.
Every month there are some festivals or religious holidays that are celebrated throughout the kingdom.
One of the most amazing festivals of all, which is held near the beginning of rainy season in many provinces of the country, is the Rocket Festival. The celebrations usually include music and dance performances and firings of home-made rockets.
Another great event, Thailand International Kite Festival, usually takes place in Cha-Am in the beginning of March. The activities of the festival include: kite competition and kite show, kite exhibitions, cultural performances and concerts.
The most well-known of all Thai festivals, Songkran, is the official Thai New Year, which is celebrated in April. This festival is just one big water battle on any street in any city all around the country.
The most picturesque and beautiful of all Thai celebrations is Loy Kratong, taking place in all provinces of the country on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month. On this day at midnight Thai people put krathong (a small boat made of banana tree and banana leaves, decorated with flowers and a candle) into the sea or the nearest river or pond as an offering to the goddess of the water to wash away the sins.
Since Thai are very religious nation, there are numerous Buddhist holidays, celebrated all year round. The most important of them being: Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asanha Bucha and The Candle Festival.Thailand is also widely famous for Monkey Buffet festival, Surin Elephant Round-Up and Elephant Show, numerous fruit and flower festivals and Vegetarian festival, which is held on Phuket and in the province of Trang.
The particular dates of most of Thai holidays and festivals usually vary from year to year according to the Thai lunar calendar.
