Festivals in Thailand

Where: Mae Hong Son When: November 1 to December 10 The Bua Tong Blossom Festival 2018 will kick off next month. This is a period when one of Thailand’s most amazing natural sights, the Dok Bua Tong — or wild sunflower — in bloom, will return to the hills and valleys of Mae Hong Son in Northern Thailand.  The Bua Tong flowers are yellow to orange in colour and have smaller size than the typical sunflower. Originated in Central America and the Caribbean, Dok Bua Tong is said to have been brought into Thailand by Christian missionaries and was previously called Bung Tong or Mexican Sunflower. The flower only blooms from November to December. During this period, the hills and valleys of Mae Hong Son turn to bright gold when these wild sunflowers come into full bloom. The Doi Mae U-Kor mountain peak in Khun Yuam district is considered the largest and the most beautiful location to enjoy the spectacular bright yellow Bua Tong hills and valleys. During the festival, there’s also a local fair selling arts and crafts as well as farm fresh products along the route of the Bua Tong fields.

Where: Phimai Historical Park When: November 7 to 11 In this fascinating five-day event culminates with a two-day boat race, on November 10 and 11, on the Mun River. Prior to that the superbly organised festival features a range of activies. These include ancient Thai boxing demonstrations, parades, dance performance from students of Phimai Whittaya School, beer gardens, concerts, and One Tambon One Product (OTOP) fair. The event is also known for its impressive sound and light show that is refreshed with new content each year. This annual festival promotes tourism to Nakhon Ratchasima and in nearby Phimai, where its ancient ruins dates to the 12th century when was part of the Khmer empire.

When: November 30 to December 9 The event commemorates the sacrifice of English, American, Australian, Dutch, and New Zealand prisoners of war, in addition to the many Thai, Myanmar, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malay, and Indian, who are part of the estimated 61,700 people who died there. It pays respect to their memory while also balancing the freedom all who attend enjoy. It is known for staging one of Thailand’s most spectacular sound and light shows about the history of the bridge, while there is also other archeology exhibitions, folk shows, food stalls and more. 

For more information, log on to: www.tatnews.org/event