Thailand has about 18 to 20 official holidays a year. On these days banks and government offices (including immigration offices) close, but shops, malls, restaurants and most tourist sights stay open. On five Buddhist holy days, shops and restaurants may not sell alcohol, and around Songkran and New Year transport is packed.
Two things make Thai holidays confusing for visitors. Some are fixed to a calendar date (Chakri Day on 6 April, the King's Birthday on 28 July), while the Buddhist holidays follow the lunar calendar and move every year. And when a holiday falls on a weekend, a weekday off is added, so the date the office is closed is not always the date of the holiday itself. This page gives the official dates for the rest of 2026 and for 2027, checked on 1 October 2026 against the Bank of Thailand's holiday list, with every weekday checked.
Thai holidays in brief
- Official list
- Bank of Thailand (banks) and the Cabinet (government offices); mostly the same days
- Closed
- Bank branches, government offices, immigration offices, some museums
- Usually open
- Shops, malls, restaurants, markets, most attractions, ATMs
- No alcohol sales
- Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asanha Bucha, Khao Phansa, Ok Phansa (with exemptions)
- Weekend rule
- A holiday on a Saturday or Sunday moves to the following Monday
- Busiest travel
- Songkran (13–15 April) and New Year
Fixed holidays and lunar holidays
Most Thai public holidays are fixed: they fall on the same calendar date every year. They mark royal birthdays and anniversaries (Coronation Day on 4 May, Queen Suthida's Birthday on 3 June, King Maha Vajiralongkorn's Birthday on 28 July), national days such as Constitution Day on 10 December, and the Thai New Year, Songkran, on 13–15 April.
The Buddhist holidays are lunar. Makha Bucha falls on the full moon of the third lunar month, Visakha Bucha on the full moon of the sixth, and Asanha Bucha on the full moon of the eighth, with Khao Phansa (the start of the three-month Buddhist Lent) the day after. Their Western dates shift by up to a month from one year to the next, so never copy a date or a weekday from last year's calendar. The official dates are published by the Bank of Thailand and the Cabinet, usually several months ahead.
The substitution rule applies to both types. When a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday becomes a day off. In 2027, for example, Makha Bucha falls on Sunday 21 February, so banks close on Monday 22 February instead.
Official holidays for the rest of 2026
These are the remaining 2026 holidays on the Bank of Thailand list, checked on 1 October 2026. Weekdays were checked with a calendar calculation.
| Date | Holiday | Type | Notes for travelers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 13 Oct 2026 | King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great Memorial Day | Fixed | Banks and offices closed |
| Fri 16 Oct 2026 | Special holiday, Bangkok only | One-off | For the IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meetings; expect security measures |
| Fri 23 Oct 2026 | King Chulalongkorn the Great Memorial Day | Fixed | Long weekend |
| Mon 7 Dec 2026 | Substitute for King Bhumibol's Birthday, National Day and Father's Day (Sat 5 Dec) | Fixed | Long weekend |
| Thu 10 Dec 2026 | Constitution Day | Fixed | Banks and offices closed |
| Thu 31 Dec 2026 | New Year's Eve | Fixed | Start of the New Year break; busy roads |
Earlier in 2026, the Cabinet declared special holidays on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 September in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan because of flooding. Thailand often adds holidays like these at short notice, so check the Bank of Thailand page shortly before a date that matters to you.
Official holidays in 2027
The Bank of Thailand published the 2027 list in its Notification No. 37/2569 (the Thai year B.E. 2570 is 2027). It has 18 holidays:
| Day off | Holiday | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day | Fixed |
| Mon 22 Feb 2027 | Substitute for Makha Bucha Day (Sun 21 Feb) | Lunar |
| Tue 6 Apr 2027 | Chakri Memorial Day | Fixed |
| Tue 13 – Thu 15 Apr 2027 | Songkran Festival | Fixed |
| Mon 3 May 2027 | Substitute for National Labour Day (Sat 1 May) | Fixed |
| Tue 4 May 2027 | Coronation Day | Fixed |
| Thu 20 May 2027 | Visakha Bucha Day | Lunar |
| Thu 3 Jun 2027 | Queen Suthida's Birthday | Fixed |
| Mon 19 Jul 2027 | Substitute for Asanha Bucha Day (Sun 18 Jul) | Lunar |
| Wed 28 Jul 2027 | King Maha Vajiralongkorn's Birthday | Fixed |
| Thu 12 Aug 2027 | Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother's Birthday Anniversary and National Mother's Day | Fixed |
| Wed 13 Oct 2027 | King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great Memorial Day | Fixed |
| Mon 25 Oct 2027 | Substitute for King Chulalongkorn the Great Memorial Day (Sat 23 Oct) | Fixed |
| Mon 6 Dec 2027 | Substitute for King Bhumibol's Birthday, National Day and Father's Day (Sun 5 Dec) | Fixed |
| Fri 10 Dec 2027 | Constitution Day | Fixed |
| Fri 31 Dec 2027 | New Year's Eve | Fixed |
Songkran 2027 runs from Tuesday to Thursday, so Monday 12 and Friday 16 April are normal working days unless the Cabinet adds bridge days later. Lists online that show a five-day national Songkran holiday are not based on the official calendar.
Bank holidays and government holidays are not quite the same
The Bank of Thailand list covers banks. The Cabinet sets a separate list for government offices, and it can contain extra days. In 2026 the government list, as compiled by the news agency InfoQuest, also gave civil servants the Royal Ploughing Ceremony (13 May) and Khao Phansa (30 July) off, while banks stayed open. Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa are not bank holidays, and Chinese New Year is a bank holiday only in five southern provinces: Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun and Songkhla.
For visitors the practical difference is small. Immigration offices are government offices: if you need a visa extension or a 90-day report, check both lists and do not plan it for the day before a long weekend. Bank branches close on bank holidays, but ATMs keep working; our article on using ATMs in Thailand explains the fees.
Buddhist holy days: the alcohol rule
On five Buddhist days, alcohol may not be sold: Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asanha Bucha, Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa. According to the Nation's report of the 2025 regulation, the ban does not apply in international airport terminals, licensed entertainment venues, designated tourist-area venues, hotels licensed under the Hotel Act, and designated major event venues. In practice, 7-Eleven and most restaurants will not sell you a beer on those days, while your hotel bar may. TAT's May 2026 guidance adds that sales can also be restricted around elections and "other official periods".
The three Buddhist days with 2027 dates on the official list are Makha Bucha (Sunday 21 February), Visakha Bucha (Thursday 20 May) and Asanha Bucha (Sunday 18 July), which makes Khao Phansa Monday 19 July 2027. Ok Phansa falls on the full moon of the eleventh lunar month, around Monday 26 October in 2026, but we found no official page stating the date, so check locally. On Koh Phangan, the Full Moon Party moves to another night when the full moon falls on one of these days; see our guide to the Full Moon Party.
The normal daily rule changed in 2026: alcohol can now be sold from 11:00 to midnight, with no afternoon break. Our guide to alcohol sales hours covers the details, and our page on Buddhist holy days explains what happens at the temples.
The holy-day alcohol ban also applies to shops in tourist areas. On Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asanha Bucha, Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa, convenience stores and ordinary restaurants may not sell alcohol at all. If you are planning a birthday or a beach party, check the date first.
Songkran and New Year: the busiest travel weeks
Songkran (13–15 April) is the Thai New Year and the time when millions of Thais travel home to their families. Long-distance buses, trains and domestic flights out of Bangkok are in heavy demand just before the holiday, and the return trips just after it. Book your transport as early as the operators allow. Our article on why Thais celebrate Songkran with water fights covers the festival itself; for train tickets, see how to book Thai trains online.
The Western New Year (31 December to 1 January) is the other peak, falling in the middle of the high season for beaches. Long weekends created by substitute days, such as 5–7 December 2026, also bring Thai travelers to beach towns near Bangkok.
Festivals that are not public holidays
Several of Thailand's best-known festivals are not official days off, so banks and offices stay open:
- Phuket Vegetarian Festival: Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 October 2026, during the ninth Chinese lunar month. See our guide to the Phuket Vegetarian Festival.
- Royal Barge Procession: Friday 6 November 2026 on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, with full-dress rehearsals on Wednesday 21 and Wednesday 28 October, according to TAT.
- Loy Krathong: the full-moon night of the twelfth Thai lunar month, which Thai calendar sources give as Tuesday 24 November 2026. In Chiang Mai, the city's Yi Peng festival runs from Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 November 2026. See our pages on Loy Krathong and Yi Peng.
- Chinese New Year: Saturday 6 February 2027, celebrated in Bangkok's Chinatown and other Thai-Chinese communities, but a bank holiday only in five southern provinces.
Frequently asked questions
Are shops and attractions closed on Thai public holidays?
Mostly not. Shops, malls, markets, restaurants and most tourist sights open as usual, and many are busier than normal. Bank branches, government offices and immigration offices close. Some sights, such as the Grand Palace, can close on specific royal ceremony days, so check their own schedules.
Can you buy alcohol on Buddhist holidays in Thailand?
Not in shops or ordinary restaurants. Sales are banned on Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asanha Bucha, Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa. Hotels, international airport terminals, licensed entertainment venues and some designated venues are exempt under the 2025 regulation.
How many days is the Songkran holiday?
Three. The official bank holidays are 13, 14 and 15 April in both 2026 and 2027. In 2027 they fall from Tuesday to Thursday. Some towns celebrate for longer, but extra national days off only come from a separate Cabinet decision.
Is Chinese New Year a public holiday in Thailand?
Not nationally. The Bank of Thailand lists it as a bank holiday only in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun and Songkhla. Elsewhere, including Bangkok, government offices and banks stay open.
Sources
- Bank of Thailand – Financial institutions' holidays (checked October 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – Notification No. 37/2569, holidays for 2027 (checked October 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – Notification No. 31/2568, holidays for 2026 (checked October 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – Notification No. 26/2569, special holiday in Bangkok on 16 October 2026 (checked October 2026)
- InfoQuest – Thai government holidays 2026 (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Special public holidays on 28–29 September 2026 (checked October 2026)
- Nation Thailand – Alcohol rules and prohibited-sale days (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Alcohol sales and consumption rules updated (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Royal Barge Procession 2026 and rehearsals (checked October 2026)