Each November, the Krabi Boek Fa Andaman Festival heralds the beginning of the peak tourist season in Thailand’s spectacular southern province. Running for three days in early November, the event is a lively showcase of the unique local culture, which has roots in traditional Indian heritage. The area’s diverse traditions are celebrated through food, crafts and performances, offering visitors a golden opportunity to take a deep dive into authentic southern Thai culture.

Let the fun begin!

The name of the festival translates to “Opening the Andaman Sea” and marks the start of Thailand’s busiest tourist season from November through to February. Parades, cultural and musical performances are some of the event’s highlights for visitors. There are also open-air markets throughout Krabi Town, where plenty of locally produced knick-knacks and souvenirs are available. The action-packed programme also features water sports, sea kayak competitions, thrilling longtail boat races and intriguing cultural competitions.

Getting to Krabi Town

From Bangkok, Krabi is just over an hour by plane. If you’re travelling from the island of Phuket, take a minibus or local bus from the bus terminal in Phuket Town. Buses leave every day and you can find all the information you need, plus timetables via the island’s hotels and travel agents.

Loy Krathong is the Thai tradition which has been annually celebrated throughout Thailand since the Sukhothai period. For this year, in 2021, the date of the celebration should be on the 11th of November.

How people celebrate Loy Krathong

On full moon nights, Thai people normally float Krathong, small lotus-shaped floating receptacles, down rivers or canals. The main purposes of the Loy Krathong festival is to express gratitude and ask for forgiveness from Phra Mae Khongkha (the goddess of water) for throwing rubbish and polluting the water. Many also believe that it is a way to drift away misfortune and bad luck from the past.

Best places in Bangkok to celebrate Loy Krathong

In Bangkok, there are a lot of superb locations for the Loy Krathong festival. The first one is ICONSIAM, the shopping mall on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. The easiest way to get there is to take the Skytrain to Taksin Bridge station and take the Shuttle Boat to ICONSIAM. Another stunning riverside spot is Asiatique the Riverfront featuring a lot of food stalls, pop-up shops and magnificent stage shows. Similar to ICONSIAM, you can just take the Skytrain to Taksin Bridge station and hop on one of Asiatique´s free river ferry shuttles.

Besides these riverfront spots, another popular venue is Lumpini Park, a large verdant green area in the centre of Bangkok. Surrounded by lots of edifices, the colourful lights from those buildings create splendid city views for posting Instagram stories. You can get to Lumpini Park by taking MRT to Silom Station or BTS to Sala Daeng station.

If you’re in Phuket around mid-April, you will most likely notice big bikes and choppers rumbling around the island, which can only mean one thing – the island is revving up to Phuket Bike Week. Every year over Songkran, bikers from all around the region gather in Phuket to participate in Asia’s largest motorcycle event, which attracts over 10,000 enthusiasts on wheels, including those arriving on riding processions from nearby provinces. The event itself straddles the Thai New Year of Songkran, with activities happening at Patong Beach leading up to the Thai New Year, and restarting at Phuket Boat Lagoon right after.

Phuket Bike Week Festival Highlights

As the name suggests, motorcycles are the main highlight here. Bikes can be admired in all their glory at special exhibitions or at the bike parade. The festival also features a custom bike contest, and vendors selling everything from bike accessories to complementary apparel to help bikers look the part. A full line-up of entertainment provides many opportunities for family fun, including a beach party with live musical performances and food stalls selling a mix of creative snacks and traditional fare. There are also organised riding convoys around the island, an activity which is open to visitors.

How to get to Phuket

As Thailand’s premier island destination, Phuket is well connected to domestic and a number of regional destinations. During the high season, several seasonal charters also arrive at its international airport from Europe. From Bangkok, Phuket is just over an hour’s flight away on numerous airlines.

Every year, pyrotechnic teams from around the world converge on Pattaya to light up the night sky in a spectacular display of choreographed fireworks displays. First started in 2009 to celebrate the reign of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, the annual competition and festival has grown every year; in 2019, teams from Thailand, Argentina, Canada, UAE, Germany, and the Philippines all put on dazzling fireworks shows.

Fireworks and more

Though fireworks are the main draw to the event, the two-day festival also offers plenty of seaside fun for the whole family. Starting from late afternoon, entertainment acts and fun activities get going on Pattaya Beach Road, which is closed to traffic for the festival. Visitors can enjoy concerts, a parade with marching band and carnival acts, and seek out culinary delights at the food stalls set up along the road. Pace yourself though, because the main festival highlight doesn’t kick off until 8 p.m.

Where to watch the fireworks at Pattaya International Fireworks Festival

Fireworks are set off from barges in the middle of Pattaya Bay, so there’s plenty of vantage points to watch the spectacle. Hotels dotted along the bay offer the convenience of watching the fireworks from your sea-view hotel room, but if you want to get closer to the action, just follow the crowds and head to the water’s edge. Each fireworks show lasts approximately 10 – 15 minutes, in between which you can enjoy the beachside entertainment. There’s no entrance fee, so just find a spot and enjoy the show!

Phuket is the sailing capital of the region, home to well-established marinas and host of several annual regattas, but one – the King’s Cup Regatta – is its most well-known. Inaugurated in 1987 with royal patronage, the King’s Cup Regatta is Asia’s biggest sailing competition of its kind, with five days of racing for keelboats and multihulls. There may be serious sailing going on the waters, but there’s lots of sun-kissed fun to be had on land for anyone that’s interested in the sport or even just in the marine lifestyle.

Get involved with Phuket’s King Cup Regatta

The action centres around Kata Beach on the island’s western coast. If you have some sailing experience and keen to get in on the action, you just might have the chance, as there are always under-crewed yachts eager for a lending hand on a race day. As an extra bonus, yacht crews enjoy entry to the regatta’s on-shore banquets and legendary social events so you can keep the good times rolling. There’s also a candle lighting ceremony on Kata Beach to mark the late King Bhumibol the Great’s birthday on 5 December.

Marine lifestyle on Phuket

Even if you miss Phuket King’s Cup Regatta (held in early December), there’s year-round quayside lifestyle to be enjoyed on the island. Phuket is home to four world-class marinas – Phuket Yacht Haven, Phuket Boat Lagoon, Royal Phuket Marina, Ao Po Grand Marina – each with on-site restaurants where you can eat and drink in the million-dollar views. If you fancy exploring offshore, you can also drop in at a yacht chartering office at any of the marinas to check out your options.

Wonderfruit is an annual celebration which takes place at The Fields at Siam Country Club in Pattaya, Thailand. This one-of-a-kind event is founded on six pillars:  Music, Arts, Family, Farm to Feast, Talks & Workshops and Wellness & Adventure. For this year, in 2020, the festival will be held from 10 - 14 December.

Best Activities to do in Wonderfruit
Wonderfruit celebrates sustainable living, bringing together people from all over the world to come up with creative solutions for a greener lifestyle and to have fun. As such, Wonderfruit features a wide range of activities from food vendors, art installations, and interactive workshops to live musical performances at striking stages made from recycled or sustainable materials. 
Highlights of Wonderfruit also include special banquets hosted by renowned chefs, scratch talks from international speakers and interesting activities centred around self-improvement and environmental awareness, such as cooking, martial arts and yoga.
Wonderfruit is best suited not only for young people, couples or individual travellers, but also for families with young children. This family-friendly festival offers a separate kids’ zone which includes games and age-appropriate activities.
 
Getting to Wonderfruit 
The most common way to get to Pattaya from Bangkok is by bus or minivan. You can take a bus or a minivan to Pattaya at the Eastern Bus Station in Ekkamai, the Northern Bus Station in Mo Chit and the Southern Bus Station near Khao San Road. All stations are located close to BTS skytrain stations. After arriving in Pattaya, you can take a shuttle service from Pattaya to The Fields at Siam Country Club. 

Out with the old and in with the new! Thais celebrate their traditional New Year in April with Songkran Festival, but the start of the Gregorian new year is also celebrated across the country, with the capital Bangkok putting on the best countdown events. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are official holidays, so while that means some mom-and-pop shops may be shuttered, most of the city – including the majority of tourist attractions and shopping centres – remain open for business.

Where to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Bangkok

As with any other day, New Year’s Eve in Bangkok can be as wild or peaceful as you want it to be. To end the year with a bang, CentralWorld puts on one of the city’s most long-running year-end parties. The roads in front of the shopping destination are temporarily pedestrianised for the occasion, allowing throngs of revellers to enjoy concerts, activities, and a firework display right in the heart of the city.

Over by Chao Phraya River, Asiatique and IconSiam both also put on a boisterous New Year’s Eve countdown celebration including light and sound performances, concerts, and fireworks displays over the river. Rooftop restaurants and bars across the city also get into the countdown game with their own festivities.

Getting around on New Year’s Eve in Bangkok

In preparation for New Year’s Eve countdown in front of CentralWorld, several roads in the heart of Bangkok are closed to traffic, including from Ratchadamri Road from Ratchaprasong to Pratunam (Watergate). Ideally, try to stay within walking distance to your countdown party of choice. Alternatively, public transportation in recent years have extended their hours to accommodate revellers getting home after the countdown, with the BTS skytrain and MRT subway typically extending their operation hours from midnight to 2 a.m.

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, is one of the most important festivals for Chinese people around the world. During this vibrant celebration, Chinese people buy fresh food and sacrificial offerings for ancestor worship ceremonies. Leading up to the New Year, decorations are put up, and on New Year’s Eve, people gather for a special reunion dinner with family and give red envelopes or exchange gifts. People wear red as it is believed to be an auspicious colour. In 2021, the Chinese New Year celebrations ushering in the Year of the Ox falls on Friday, 12 February 2021.

From its origins in China, Chinese New Year has spread to many countries around the world, including Thailand. In Bangkok, the best place to experience the festival is in Yaowarat, the biggest Chinatown in Thailand.

Chinese New Year in Yaowarat
During Chinese New Year, join tourists and locals as they head to Yaowarat Road to experience the celebrations featuring magnificent parades, lion dances, concerts from famous artists and cultural performances. After enjoying this festive festival, don’t forget to try some appetising dishes from famous food stalls and restaurants, such as  Guay Jub Ouan Pochana, White Dragon Noodle, T&K Seafood, Yaowarat Toast and Sweet Time Yaowarat.

If you are planning to travel to Yaowarat for Chinese New Year, do as the locals do and make merit at Wat Mangkon Kamalawat on Charoen Krung Road and pay respect to the images of the Chinese Gods.

How to get to Yaowarat
The most convenient way is to take a train to MRT Wat Mangkon subway station. You can also take the underground train all the way to Hua Lamphong and walk to Yaowarat.