Thailand Public Holidays 2024

There are 19 national holidays in Thailand; some are celebrated over more than one day. Six of these holidays are related to Buddhism, including Songkran Festival, Makha Bucha Day, Visakha Bucha, and Buddhist Lent Day. 11 national holidays honor the great contributions of Thai royalty, such as The Queen Mother's Birthday, Chulalongkorn Day, and Chakri Day. The other two mark international New Year and Labor Day.

Here we present a full list of Thai public holidays in 2024/2023 to help you understand the festivals and holidays of Thailand, and to provide inspiration for you to travel to Thailand to experience them for yourself.

2024 Thailand Public Holidays Calendar

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10 Major Thailand Public Holidays Introductions

Thai holidays follow their weekend holiday pattern. If statutory holiday days fall adjacent to a weekend, then that weekend becomes part of the holiday. If statutory holiday days fall on a weekend, then a Monday is added to the holiday. If statutory holiday days fall midweek, then they stand alone.

1. New Year's Day Holiday (31 Dec. – 3 Jan., 2024)

New Year Celebration in Bangkok

International New Year's Day (1 January) is the first of three New Year's Days celebrated in Thailand. This 4-day public holiday is from 31st December to 3rd January in 2023, as the statutory holidays of 31 Dec. and 1 Jan. are combined with the adjacent weekend, unless they fall midweek.

Events are held nationwide with fireworks displays and New Year countdown events taking place in most towns and cities in Thailand. Even though it is not the Buddhist New Year, many Thais visit local temples to offer alms to monks. Learn more about Where to Celebrate New Year's Eve in Thailand.

2. Makha Bucha Day (24th February, 2024)

Makha Bucha Day 2024 will be on February 24th in 2024. Thai people have one day off for this Buddhist public holiday. Makha Bucha Day celebrates some of the teachings that the Buddha delivered on this day many centuries ago.

On this day, the Thai people visit their local temples to meditate, make offerings to monks, and to make merit (perform good deeds) in honor of Buddha.

3. The Songkran Holiday (13–15 Apr., 2024)

Songkran Festival in Thailand

Songkran Festival (13th April) marks the beginning of the Thai New Year. It is a Buddhist festival that lasts for three days from 13th–15th April, though the dates may sometimes be changed if deemed necessary by the Thai government.

The festival is also known as the Festival of Water or the Water Splashing Festival. Celebrants pour water on each other, which symbolizes the washing away of any sins or bad luck that they may have accumulated in the previous year. Read more on Songkran Festival.

4. Labor Day Holiday (1 May, 2024)

The holiday will be on 1st May in 2024, one day of holiday for 1st May. (If 1st May falls from Tuesday to Thursday then the holiday is only one day.)

As in many countries around the world, the 1st of May is celebrated as Labor Day in Thailand. A public holiday, this day is dedicated to improving workers' rights and appreciating the social and economic achievements of the labor movement.

However, in Thailand, the day is not celebrated the way it once used to be, with many just treating it as another day off.

5. Visakha Bucha Holiday (22 May, 2024)

Buddhist Temple in Thailand

Another important public holiday in Thailand is Visakha Bucha Day, when people take a three-day holiday, which is from June 3rd to 5th in 2023. Visakha Bucha Day (3rd June, 2023) commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, which varies according to Thailand's lunar calendar, but is almost always in May. The holiday is 3 days with the adjacent weekend unless Visakha Bucha falls from Tuesday to Thursday.

Devout Buddhists flock to local temples to make merit (practice good deeds) in honor of the Buddha. They make donations and take part in several rituals, including the setting free of birds and fish.

6. H.M. The Queen's Birthday Holiday (3–5 Jun., 2024)

H.M. Queen's Birthday holiday will be from 3rd to 5th June in 2023. It is a national holiday in Thailand marking the birthday (3rd June) of the current queen of Thailand, Queen Suthida. During the holiday, government offices will be closed. People clean and decorate their houses and buildings to honor their queen during this holiday.

7. The Queen Mother's Birthday Holiday (Aug. 12–14, 2024)

The holiday will be from August 12 to 14 in 2024. As the mother of King Vajiralongkorn and the widow of former King Bhumibol, the birthday (12 August) of Queen Sirikit (the Queen Mother) is celebrated with much fanfare in Thailand.

This day is also used to honor mothers throughout the country, which essentially means that the day is also the Thai version of Mother's Day.

8. Chulalongkorn Day (21–23 Oct., 2024)

Chulalongkorn Day holiday will be from 21st to 23rd of October in 2024, as Chulalongkorn Day (23rd October) is a Monday this year. Chulalongkorn a.k.a. King Rama V (r. 1873–1910) is one former King of Thailand with a public holiday in his memory. The day honors his life and accomplishments, as during his reign, he made changes that had a significant impact on the economy, workers' rights, and human rights in general.

Under his rule, slavery was abolished, freedom of speech was implemented, and by adopting Western economic models, Thai people were able to enjoy improved income levels.

9. King Bhumibol's Birthday (5 Dec., 2024)

Grand Palace

Every year, 5 December is a public holiday for Thai people to pay respect to and honor the late King Bhumibol, whose birthday falls on that day. Thai people will have 1 day off from December 5. The day doubles up as the Thai version of "Father's Day," as this is the day when fathers are honored for their devotion to their children.

10. Constitution Day (9-11 Dec., 2024)

There are 3 days off from 9th to 11th December in 2023 to celebrate Thailand's Constitution Day (10th December), as it falls on a Sunday in 2023. It is a holiday for taking pride in the Thai monarchy as well as its constitution.

In the early 1930s, the country was going through an economic depression. King Rama VII struggled to carry the country through these troubled times and thus relinquished some of the monarchy's power by transforming the country's governance into a constitutional monarchy.

Other Thailand Holidays and Festivals 2023

The following dates are regional or government holidays and festivals, not a public holiday.

FAQs about Thailand Public Holidays

How many public holidays are there in Thailand?

In Thailand, there are about 20 national holidays a year. Almost every month has a holiday in it. If the dates fall on a weekend, the holiday will be observed on the following Monday.

What is the most popular holiday in Thailand?

Songkran Festival is the biggest and most important holiday in Thailand. The Songkran holiday usually lasts from 13th to 15th April, but in many places in Thailand, the holiday extends to 5–10 days or more. Read more on Songkran Festival.

Tourism During Thailand Public Holidays

If you are planning a visit to Thailand during one of the public holidays, be advised that tourist attractions and hotels are quite crowded during these times. You should also account for the fact that banks and government buildings usually remain closed.

However, many businesses remain open on public holidays. So you will still be able to enjoy trips to the mall, restaurants, and popular tourist attractions.

For the reasons above, make sure you book flights, accommodation, and any visits to attractions in advance. We also suggest that you arrive as early as possible for all travel arrangements.

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