Festivals in Krabi
Thais love an excuse to have fun and festivals, both religious and traditional or contemporary, are an important part of the calendar in Krabi. Festivals are joyously celebrated and well attended, with plenty of food, pomp and ceremony, fun and unusual activities.
Some have been going on for centuries, others are new additions. Being in Krabi during festivals certainly adds to your holiday experience. The biggest festival of the year is Songkran, the massive nation-wide waterfight in April, certainly fun if you don’t mind a playful soaking. Loi Kratong in November is more sedate, but charming as glowing balloon light up the night sky and sins are washed down waterways on delicately decorated floats. Krabi also has several of it’s own unique small festivals, worth being in town to experience. Here are the most important.
Krabi festivals calendar
Chinese New Year (mid January, according to the lunar calendar)
This is celebrated across Asia, largely due the diaspora of Chinese descendents scattered around South East Asia and beyond. There is a sizeable community in Krabi too, and some sections of Krabi town come alive with lanterns dragon processions and gift exchanging events, usually practiced by a small community. It’s more pronounced in Bangkok and bigger centres.
Macha Bucha day (full moon in March)
This is mostly a pious religious event, without festivities really, and involves Buddhsits going to the temple to commemorate an important date in the life of Gautama Buddha.
Songkran water festival (mid April)
This is the highlight of the festivals in Thailand and the most fun too. For three days and sometimes longer the whole country participates in one large water fight, usually centred on popular places in each town, city or village. It’s a great time to be in Thailand if you don’t mind severe inconvenience, a soaking and lots of childish fun. Everyone is in high spirits, though the real tradition is to celebrate the Thai New Year when families get together.
Traveller tale: The water festival in Krabi
The Songkran festival is the highlight of Thailand’s annual events calendar and offers guaranteed fun...more
Queen's Birthday - Mother's Day (August 12th)
A day of national pride and respect for the Thai’s much loved Queen. A public holiday typified by events and lots of respect paid to the Queen with life sized murals.
Sea Gypsey Floating Boat ceremony (June and November, full moon)
A traditional festival unseen anywhere else in Thailand where the Moken Sea Gypseys gather at the beach near Saladan, to float small boats into the tide in a show of respect for spirits and to ward off bad luck at sea.
Andaman Sea Festival (mid November)
Co-inciding with an event to officially declare the tourist season open, this local festival includes activities, competitions, lots of food, parades, musical performances, markets and more - a delightful true Thai experience...more
Loi Kratong (last week in November)
The second most important festival in Thailand traditionally releases the sins of the past year by floating ‘kratong’ (small lotus shaped flower arrangements with incence stick) down waterways to flush away past sin. The releasing of Khoms (glowing paper balloons), into the night adds an enchanting touch to the festivities.
Christmas Day (25th December)
Although most Thais are Buddhist and will treat this days as just another working day, they enter into the spirit of Christmas enthusiastically with decorations, Christmas carols, plenty of shop merchandising and all the tinsel, so that all the visitors needn’t miss out. Many hotels put on an obligatory Christmas dinner.
New Year’s Eve (31st December)
A Western addition to the Thai calendar, the seeing in of the new year is celebrated with parties and countdowns across the country and plenty of options to choose from, including exclusive functions and open parties. Many non-tourist businesses will close on the the 1st.
