Festivals in Thailand - May

:: Coronation Day

When:	5 May 2011
Where:	Throughout Thailand

A public holiday marking the coronation of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

:: Royal Ploughing Ceremony

When:	11 May 2011
Where:	Throughout Thailand

Observing the official beginning of the rice planting season, this traditional ceremony takes place in front of Bangkok’s Grand Palace, under royal patronage. A team of oxen draw a plough with symbolic rituals performed to bless the new crop.

:: Visaka Bucha Day

When:	17 May 2011
Where:	Throughout Thailand

An important religious festival, recalling the birth, enlightenment and passing of Lord Buddha. Around every temple and monastery worshippers form candle-lit processions after sunset.

:: Lychee Fair

When:	May 2011
Where:	Chiang Rai

The festival is dedicated to the province’s tasty lychees. The fair offers a great opportunity to taste and buy this fruit at reasonable price. Adding the colours to the festival, there are beauty contest, agricultural exhibition as well as lychee competition.

:: Prachin Buri Agricultural Fair

When:	May – June 2011
Where:	Prachin Buri

Held at King Rama V statue in front of Prachin Buri City Hall, the fair features fruit and plant market as well as agricultural organisation’ products, agricultural processed products, agricultural product competition including bamboo shoot, giant fruits and vegetables. Boiling-vegetable dance competition adds fun to the fair.

:: Yasothon Bun Bangfai Rocket Festival

When:	May 2011
Where:	Yasothon

The purpose of the festival is to fire the rocket into the sky in order to worship the god of rain and appease for the rains for the coming cropping season. The residents will build and decorate rockets containing gun powder. There are competitions for the most beautiful rocket and for the rocket that stays longest in the sky after the launch. Traditionally, the builders of the rocket that fail in launching are thrown in the mud. The festival is held at Phaya Tan Park.

:: Funky Fruit Festival

When:	May 2011
Where:	Rayong

Rayong is known as a fruit paradise due to a variety of fruits grown in the province. The festival, held during the harvesting season, offers an array of fruits on sales at reasonable prices, a fruit car parade, beauty pageant, cultural performance, fun competitions such as fruit eating competition.

:: Salak Festival

When:	May 2011
Where:	Trat

Trat is also a province that grows a variety of fruits. The highlight of this fruit festival is salak but it is not the only fruit to be representing in this fair. Other fruits such as rambutan, durian, mangosteen and pineapple also take part. Activities within the fair include fruit parade, exhibition from state and private organisations, beauty pageant, fruit orchard tour and fruit market. Irrelevant to the fruit but indigenous to the region, there is Thai Ridgeback dog competition and fighting cock competition.

:: Chantaburi Fruit Festival

One of the fruit heavens, Chantaburi holds the fruit festival to share the sumptuous array of fruits it has to the world. The festival, held at Sam Liam Thung Na Choei field, features fruit decorated car competition, beauty pageant, various fruit competitions such as rambutan, durian, mangosteen, salak and santol. There are also gemstone booths as well as stalls from other agricultural groups. Thai Ridgeback dog competition is also a part of the festival.