By Rebekah Funk
One of the best parts of travelling to Thailand immersing yourself in the country’s food, religious customs and friendly culture – and there’s no better way to rub shoulders with local Thais than to experience the wild, wacky and wondrous festivals and celebrations that happen each year*.
Here are five you won’t want to miss:
Bless your friends… by dumping a cold bucket of water on their heads? So goes one of Southeast Asia’s most fun festivals – Songkran – which is essentially a massive water fight to celebrate the Thai New Year.
Meaning “to move into” in Sanskrit, the festival was traditionally a symbolic ritual to wash away one’s sins and wrongdoings in preparation for the year to come. Locals visited various temples (or wats), where they would pray, give food to monks and clean images of Buddha by dousing them with water.
Now, it’s a three-day countrywide party – the streets come alive with merrymakers as people drench each other with buckets and water guns. Some also throw din sor pong powder on each other, a natural clay from limestone that many Thai use for cosmetic and health purposes.
When: 13 – 19 April 2018
Where: Countrywide; best in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya or coastal cities and islands like Krabi, Phuket, Phi Phi, Khao Lak or Koh Samui.
The Holiday Factory can take you Phuket for Songkran for eight nights from just R9,530 pps including flights. Or why not experience Thai New Year in Phuket and Phi Phi from R9,710 pps including flights?
Contentious environmental issues – and fire hazards – aside, this popular Thai “Festival of Light” is one of the country’s most aesthetically-beautiful celebrations. Thousands gather by rivers, lakes or canals to pay tribute to the goddess of water by releasing lotus-shaped rafts onto the water, decorated with candles, incense and flowers.
In Thai culture, this act also symbolises releasing one’s troubles and prayers to the goddess. To ensure good fortune, locals add something personal to their raft, such as a strand of hair or nail clippings, before they make a wish and set off their boats.
In Chiang Mai, the mountainous city in northern Thailand, locals have taken the festival to new heights. In addition to the floating rafts, families or loved ones release paper lanterns into the sky together as another symbol of good fortune.
When: November
Where: Best in Chiang Mai
Don’t let the tame name fool you – Thailand’s Vegetarian Festivals are not for the faint of heart. The event, also known as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, is a collection of bizarre trance-induced rituals to purify the soul and drive out evil spirits.
Those who partake in the festival – typically those of Chinese heritage who practice Taoism – abstain for eating meat, walk barefoot on hot coals and voluntarily pierce their faces and bodies with all sorts of sharp and increasingly, strange objects. Think guns, swords and even bicycles!
Participants believe these shows of strength and extreme facial piercings intimidate bad spirits and bring good luck.
The ceremonies and street processions honour Lam Tao and Pak Tao (two gods of Taoism). They’re accompanied by fireworks, drums and – of course – mouth-watering vegetarian cuisine.
When: October
Where: Best in Phuket; also celebrated in Trang, Krabi, Bangkok and Chiang Mai
See Thai celebrations in full bloom in Chiang Mai, where locals carpet the Old Town’s Suan Buak Hat Park with orchids, multi-coloured chrysanthemums, and the native Damask Rose. Here, the country’s most talented florists and landscapers showcase their creations during the three-day festival – from brilliant flower arrangements to waterfalls and miniature gardens.
To top it off, a flower parade of elaborately decorated floats makes its way along Charoen Muang Road, accompanied by local drumming groups and dancers in traditional costumes.
When: February
Where: Chiang Mai
Part Buddhist and part animist, this lively three-day festival in Dan Sai combines religious traditions with local handcrafts and party vibes. Known as Phi Ta Khon (Ghost Festival), this celebration recreates the legend of a homecoming party thrown for Prince Vessandara, a reincarnation of Siddhattha Gotama before he became the Buddha. As the story goes, the party was so fun even the dead wanted to attend.
These days, the locals of this small town recreate the party, dressing up as the dead with ghoulish masks and flamboyant costumes. They parade through town on the Friday night, hold pageants and rocket fireworks on Saturday, then tone things down on Sunday with Buddhist religious ceremonies.
When: June or July
Where: Dan Sai in the western part of Thailand – most easily accessible from Chiang Mai, Udon Thani and Bangkok.
Combine a relaxing beach holiday with one of these incredible festivals. The Holiday Factory is offering ridiculously low-priced packages for bookings made before 30 April 2018.
Spend 8 nights at the Centara Blue Marine Resort And Spa in the quiet part of Phuket from R 9,530 p/p sharing.
Or get two Thai islands for the price of one with The Holiday Factory’s 8-night Phuket & Phi Phi package, from R9,710 p/p sharing.
Both options include return airfares from Jo’burg (with airport taxes), return airport transfers, hotel accommodation and breakfast daily. Ts and Cs apply – ask your Sure Travel agent for details, or call 0861 47 48 49.
The dates of many Thai festivals and Buddhist holidays vary from year to year, since they coincide with the Lunar Calendar or the night of a full moon. Confirm the exact dates of festivals with your Sure Travel Agent prior to booking your trip.
