Monday 16 June 2008

Thailand Festivals - The Best Time Visit Thailand And Enjoy Their Famous Festivals

Thailand is abundant with festivals and quite honestly there is no time of year when you cannot find a festival to enjoy, however here are some of the more popular festivals around Thailand throughout the year.


Beginning the year, the month of January offers the Chiang Mai Winter Fair in Chiang Mai and the River of Kings Festival in Bangkok. The Chiang Mai winter fair offers booths, music, competitions, and even beauty pageants, while the River of Kings festival is a bit more formal with a theatrical production describing the history of Thailand.


February continues the year by offering the Chiang Mai Flower Festival complete with flower covered parade floats and the Bangkok China Town Festival which celebrates the Chinese New Year.


As the peak season begins to wind down, March brings about the Asean Barred Ground Dove Festival where dove owners from around the country gather in Khwan Muang Park, in Yala Province to display their doves and compete for prizes.


April celebrates the Thai New year with the Pattaya Festival, followed by the Songkran Festival which also takes place nationwide but is particularly colorful in Khao San Road, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai.


May is a particularly celebratory month with the Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Bangkok which celebrates the beginning of the rice planning season and the Visakha Bucha, a religious celebration of Buddha celebrated nationwide and the Yasothon Rocket Festival which awards the most explosive rockets. It's an eye and ear opening festival sure to please both young and old alike.


July brings about the well known Candle Festival in Tung Sri Muang, Muang District, Ubon Ratchathani Province. Visitors will find tall, beautiful, candles displayed and presented to local temples.


August celebrates the nationwide Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.


September is the world famous Phuket Vegetarian Festival (famous for the gory displays of people impaled by a variety of objects and not for the faint of heart) and the significantly less gory Phichit Boat Races along the Nan River.


October celebrates the Wax Castle Festival celebrated nationwide but is particularly spectacular in Sakon Nakhon, the Chon Buri Buffalo Races, and the Illuminated Boat Procession Festival along the Mekong River.


November begins the peak travel season by being another celebratory month with the Loy Krathong celebrated Nationwide, the Surin Elephant Roundup, the River Kwai bridge week in Kanchanaburi, and the Phimai Festival.


December ends the year with a nationwide celebration of the King’s birthday and the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.


Festivals in Thailand are planned on the lunar calendar. Check for the exact dates of each festival before you make your hotel reservations and travel plans.


The author is an Asia based frequent traveler and runs a number of travel and Thailand related websites including Thailand Hotel Reservations, and Cheap Flights to Thailand.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aaron_James

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