Bangkok Airways Round Up
- Chinese New Year is an important festival for people of Chinese descent, as it marks the first day of the new year in the lunar calendar. From worshipping their ancestors to wearing red clothes and giving lucky money in red envelopes, it is believed these practices will bring happiness and prosperity to their life for the rest of the year.
- Chinese New Year is one of the major festivals in Thailand. During this time, Thai-Chinese families come together to celebrate while the town decorates the streets with countless red lanterns, lights off firecrackers, and performs thrilling lion dances. The festival will take place on Wednesday, 29th January, in 2025.
Get to Know Thailand’s Chinese New Year
Since many Thai people in modern days are descendants of Chinese who relocated to Thailand a long time ago, it is no wonder why you can find plenty of Chinese culture that has already blended in with Thai culture, such as food, traditions, and even language. The Chinese New Year Festival is no exception. Despite the name of Chinese New Year, it is considered one of the major festivals in Thailand, apart from Songkran and the Loy Krathong Festival.
During this time, Thai-Chinese families come together to worship gods and have a feast while the town decorates the streets with thousands of red lanterns, lights up firecrackers, and performs thrilling lion dances.
Date of Chinese New Year 2025
The date of Chinese New Year is usually determined by the Lunar Calendar, meaning it is scheduled at a different time each year between January and February. In 2025, the festival is scheduled for Wednesday, 29th January.
Discover How Thailand Celebrates Chinese New Year
1. Paying Respects to Ancestors
Chinese New Year’s Eve, also called Worship Day, takes place this year on Tuesday, 28th January 2025. It is a time when Thai-Chinese families come together to pay respect to their ancestors. On this day, they offer sacrifices, such as boiled chicken, roasted duck, stir-fried noodles, and sweet rice cakes, believing this is how to receive blessings and protection from their ancestors. After the ritual, they feast on the sacrificed food, as they believe that they have to let their ancestors’ spirits eat first.
2. Giving Red Envelopes
During a family gathering, there is a tradition in which elders hand out red envelopes called “hóngbāo” or “ang pao” filled with money, to the young family members as a gift, believing that it will bring prosperity and good luck to those who receive them.
3. Traveling and Visiting Relatives
It is widely known that family relationships play a major role in Chinese culture. That is why, during this holiday, they not only gather with family but also spend time traveling and visiting their relatives together. Oftentimes, they bring gifts such as money and oranges, the fruit that represents good fortune and happiness, to their relatives and wish them a lucky year as well as a healthy life.
4. Wearing Red Clothing
As red, the primary color of the festival, is believed to be an auspicious color that brings prosperity to one’s life, you will see not only red decorations on the streets but also people wearing traditional bright red clothing and accessories from head to toe during this time. The qipao is the dress worn by women, while the tangzhuang is the outfit worn by men. It is also believed that the red color has the ability to keep evil spirits and negativity away.
5. Decorating a House
Cleaning the house before the festival begins is believed to help get rid of bad fortune. When the new year arrives, the house is decorated with red festive decorations, such as red lanterns, paper cuttings, and paintings. Often, the words “good fortune” and “longevity” are written in Chinese and hung on the wall. Hanging the word 福 (fu), which means “good luck,” upside down is also a popular way to decorate a house, as it is believed that good luck will be poured down on them.
As Chinese migrants settled in various places across Thailand many decades ago, Chinese New Year celebrations can now be found all over the country during this festive time. In this article, Bangkok Airways has you covered on the top 10 places to experience the Chinese New Year Festival, where you can enjoy countless performances, parades, and activities that portray the phenomenal culture of Thai Chinese.
Thailand’s Top 10 Locations to Celebrate Chinese New Year
1. Yaowarat, Bangkok
Known as one of the most famous destinations in Thailand, Yaowarat is home to the largest Chinese community and serves as the center of the largest Chinese New Year celebration in the country. This popular Chinatown becomes even more red during the festival, with thousands of red lanterns and red decorations all over the place.
Enjoy watching fantastic traditional lion dances and dragon parades with rhythmic music at night. Set off firecrackers to ward off evil spirits, and visit the biggest Chinese Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Wat Mangkon Kamalawat, also known as Wat Leng Noei Yi, to pray for good luck and prosperity. Don’t miss the bustling street lined up with countless food stalls and vendors that will leave you impressed.
Location : https://maps.app.goo.gl/bNnnQaSV9ojDAnYE6
2. Talad Noi, Bangkok
If you prefer an atmosphere with a more quiet vibe and less crowd, Talad Noi is the perfect place to visit. Despite not being as grand and lively as Yaowarat, it remains one of the most important Chinese communities in Thailand as it is home to Chow Sue Kong Shrine, the oldest Hokkien Chinese shrine in Bangkok. Escape the hustle and bustle to stroll along the peaceful street, appreciate Chinese street arts, and visit the 200-year-old historic Chinese mansion.
What makes Talad Noi even more worth visiting is its unique dining experiences from dozens of chic cafes, restaurants, and street food stalls in this district. Don’t miss the famous curry puffs, the aromatic duck noodles with Chinese herbs, and other Thai-Chinese cuisine that will leave you craving for more. To explore more about Talad Noi, read Talat Noi: the Historic and Unique Spot in Bangkok.
Location : https://maps.app.goo.gl/biom1dQCNkk3uRkX9
3. ICONSIAM, Bangkok
Chinese New Year celebrations do not take place only in local areas, but also in various shopping malls such as ICONSIAM, one of the largest malls in Thailand. Opened to the public for the first time in 2018, ICONSIAM is a famous modern landmark located by the Chao Phraya River every tourist should have on their bucket list. During the festival, the mall turns itself into something out of this world with spectacular performances and concerts by popular Thai artists.
Join a god worshipping ceremony for those seeking prosperity while discovering colorful decorations and dozens of illuminated figures at the outdoor space. Don’t miss the special promotions offered by hundreds of shops available only at this time of the year.
Location : https://maps.app.goo.gl/nWrstQc5XBNQHtabA
4. Warorot Market, Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, home to numerous Chinese communities, naturally hosts Chinese New Year celebrations throughout the city. The main celebration takes place at Warorot Market, the largest market in northern Thailand and the historic landmark of the city.
Begin your trip by watching amazing lion dances and a dragon parade at Tha Phae Gate, the gate to Chiang Mai’s old city. Then, visit two well-known Chinese shrines, Guan Yu and Pung Tao Gong, to offer a prayer. Stroll along the bustling market to grab some festive food and souvenirs from enthusiastic vendors, and enjoy watching musical performances by locals.
Location : https://maps.app.goo.gl/dTnJ5eYaQzobsxCk9
5. Prasan Maitri Road, Lampang
Lampang, a province in northern Thailand, is set to celebrate Chinese New Year for 3 days straight from 29 to 31 January 2025. During this period, the town is painted in bright red with hanging Chinese lanterns and decorations on the Prasan Maitri Road.
The highlight of this event is a variety of interesting cultural events you shouldn’t miss, including Chinese Nakhon Lampang 2025 Kid’s Contest, Chinese Yingge Dance performances, Chinese music performances, Tai Chi performances, and, of course, lion dances. Don’t forget to join Chinese DIY activities to deeply connect with the culture.
Location : https://maps.app.goo.gl/NtiiWe8cSEiZfgCd9
6. Phuket Old Town Festival, Phuket
Similar to Chiang Mai, Phuket is also home to a large Thai Chinese community. Phuket celebrates Chinese New Year alongside the Old Phuket Festival, an annual celebration to honor Phuket’s history. The heart of the event takes place at the Phuket Old Town, where surrounding roads, Thalang Road, Krabi Road, Dibuk Road, and Phang Nga Road, are turned into walking streets with thousands of market stalls.
7. Hatyai Chinese New Year Festival, Hatyai, Songkhla
Hatyai is an important landmark known for showcasing the mixed culture of Thailand, China, and Malaysia. This year, the festival is scheduled from January 28 to February 2, 2025 at Srinakorn Foundation School. The event features grand fireworks, colorful light displays, and the 3-meter tall Guanyin statue for worship and blessings.
Feel free to fully experience the cultural performances, including a fire-breathing dragon dance, a lion dance on high poles, and the Chinese New Year parade. Additionally, enjoy a music contest and free concerts from famous Thai artists, such as PiXXiE, a widely known T-pop girl group.
Location : https://maps.app.goo.gl/mjBqQz4gKKo7oxXSA
8. Na Jasa Tai Chue Shrine, Chonburi
Na Jasa Tai Chue Shrine is an incredibly huge Chinese temple complex with a detailed 4-storey main building and a few more structures. The highlight of the shrine is its intricate Chinese architecture and jaw-dropping design that feature more than two-thousand colorful Chinese dragon sculptures, 60 deity statues, ornate murals, a tall dragon pillar, and so on.
During Chinese New Year, locals frequently visit the shrine to pray to deity statues for good luck, health, and success, especially to Nazha, the deity of protection. In the outdoor area, watch a golden dragon dance where you are allowed to pass under its belly for good fortune.
Location : https://maps.app.goo.gl/YeKZnv3NCTfLLwdd6
9. Maenam, Koh Samui, Surat Thani
Samui is one of the most visited islands in Thailand and also the second largest island after Phuket. It is a place where a large part of the population is of Chinese descent. The main festival is held annually at the Chinese Temple in Mae Nam, where tourists and locals gather to enjoy extraordinary performances such as an acrobatic stilt walking show, a lion dance, and a dragon parade.
Once the sun has set, a huge firework show will light up the night sky, while the road will be lined up with street vendors and food stalls offering authentic Chinese and Thai cuisine.
Location : https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zvk8mFPStgKVYGEv7
10. Chao Pho Chao Mae Pak Nam Pho Procession Festival, Nakhon Sawan
Another well-known Chinese New Year festival worth visiting, is the Chao Pho Chao Mae Pak Nam Pho Procession Festival in Nakhon Sawan. It is a huge festival celebrated on the Chao Phraya River bank that lasts for 12 days. This year it is held from January 22 to February 2, 2025. In addition to parades, concerts, performances, and fireworks, you can also visit art and cultural exhibitions throughout the festival.
The highlights of the festival, which you shouldn’t miss at all costs, are the Night Parade (Chiew Sa) on January 31 and the Day Parade (Chiew Si) on February 1. These events feature lively music shows, traditional dances, colorful illuminated dragons, lions, and other figures.
Location : https://maps.app.goo.gl/zZrPcBCp5cZNdu3k8
Explore More Festivals in Thailand
- 8 Festivals in Thailand That You Must Experience
- Loy Krathong in Thailand 2025: Best Spots to Celebrate the Festival
- Celebrate Songkran Festival 2025: Thailand’s Water Festival Unleashed
Fly to Festivities: Bangkok Airways Brings You to Chinese New Year in Thailand
Experience the joy and excitement of Chinese New Year in Thailand! Explore the top 10 spots to celebrate this colorful and lively festival. Fly with Bangkok Airways, making your journey easy, comfortable, and full of thoughtful touches.
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