Thailand's official holidays decide when banks and government offices shut, when alcohol can’t be sold, and when domestic travel surges. Here’s the complete national list, how the lunar Buddhist dates move each year, the substitution-day rule, what stays open, and how holidays ripple into visa appointments and bank transfers.
Several Thai holidays follow the lunar calendar, so their exact dates move each year — always confirm the current official calendar. The four major Buddhist holy days carry a nationwide alcohol-sale ban, weekend holidays usually trigger a substitution day off, and Songkran (13–15 April) brings the heaviest travel and the widest closures of the year.
Banks and government offices close; follows the busy New Year's Eve travel and countdown period.
Major Buddhist holy day with candlelit temple processions. Nationwide alcohol-sale ban for the day; banks and offices close.
Commemorates the founding of the Chakri dynasty. Banks and government offices close.
Thailand's biggest holiday and the heaviest domestic-travel week of the year. Multi-day, near-total shutdown of offices and banks; book transport and accommodation well ahead.
Public holiday for the private sector and banks; many government offices stay open. Always confirm if you need a specific office.
Marks HM King Vajiralongkorn's coronation. Banks and government offices close.
The holiest Buddhist day, marking the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing. Nationwide alcohol-sale ban; banks and offices close.
Banks and government offices close.
Marks the Buddha's first sermon. Nationwide alcohol-sale ban; banks and offices close. Immediately followed by Khao Phansa.
Start of the three-month rains retreat. Alcohol sales typically banned for the day; a government holiday (some private businesses stay open).
National holiday for the reigning King. Banks and government offices close.
Also observed as national Mother's Day. Banks and government offices close.
A solemn day of remembrance for the late King Rama IX. Banks and government offices close; a dignified, low-key public mood.
Honours King Rama V. Banks and government offices close.
The late King's birthday, also National Day and Father's Day. Banks and government offices close.
Marks Thailand's first constitution (1932). Banks and government offices close.
Public holiday; heavy travel and busy nightlife and riverside countdowns leading into 1 January.
Most royal and national holidays sit on fixed Gregorian dates you can plan around years ahead — New Year, Chakri Day (6 Apr), Songkran (13–15 Apr), Coronation Day (4 May), the royal birthdays, Chulalongkorn Day (23 Oct), the 5 December cluster and Constitution Day (10 Dec). The four big Buddhist holy days — Makha, Visakha and Asanha Bucha plus Khao Phansa — track the lunar calendar and land on full-moon days, so they drift across February–July depending on the year. When you map out a year, lock in the fixed dates first and confirm the lunar ones once the cabinet publishes the official calendar.
Alcohol sales are banned nationwide on the four major Buddhist holy days — Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asanha Bucha and Khao Phansa — covering shops, supermarkets, convenience stores, bars and restaurants. A similar ban applies around election days, usually from 6pm the day before voting until the polls close. These are separate from Thailand’s everyday legal selling hours (roughly 11am–2pm and 5pm–midnight). If a Buddhist holy day or election falls during your stay, stock up the day before. Our nightlife & alcohol guide covers the full rules.
On public holidays, bank branches and government offices close, while malls, supermarkets, 7-Elevens, restaurants and hospitals stay open. When a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, Thailand grants a substitution (in-lieu) day off — usually the following Monday — for banks and government offices, so a weekend holiday often means a closed Monday too. The cabinet also occasionally declares extra special holidays to stitch together long weekends. The one period to treat differently is Songkran, when many smaller shops, local services and businesses close for several days as staff travel home to the provinces.
Immigration offices, the Revenue Department, the Land Office and embassies all follow the government holiday calendar, so 90-day reports, visa extensions, TM30 lodgements and in-person appointments can’t be processed on holidays — and the days immediately before and after a long weekend or Songkran see the longest queues of the year. Bank counters close on holidays and substitution days; banking apps keep running, but some interbank and international transfers only settle on business days, which can delay funds by a day or more. For anything tied to a deadline — a visa extension, a property payment, a transfer for a lease — build in a buffer so a holiday doesn’t push you past the line. See our guides on 90-day reporting and immigration offices.
Long weekends and the Songkran break send millions onto the roads, rails and domestic flights at once — fares spike, trains and buses sell out, and the highways to the provinces jam. If you want to travel during a holiday, book transport and accommodation weeks ahead; if you’d rather stay put, Bangkok and the big cities are noticeably quieter and easier to get around. Either way, sort out errands — banking, immigration, big shops — before the holiday window opens, not during it.
Editorial analysis compiled and periodically refreshed by BAANLYY’s research team — not a live data feed.
Analysis last reviewed 2026-07-06.
Holidays shift closures, queues and transfer dates — we keep listings, leases and timelines transparent so your move lands on a working day. Browse residences and plan with confidence.
General information only — not legal, tax or financial advice. Holiday dates (especially lunar Buddhist days), substitution days, alcohol-sale rules and office closures change each year and by locality — confirm the current official calendar and local rules before relying on them. Always be respectful regarding Thailand’s monarchy and religious observances. Hero image via Pexels.