12 months Festival in Ayutthaya

JANUARY
Bang sai arts and craft centre fair
Held annually towards the end of January at Bang Sai Arts and Crafts Centre, the fair features displays and contests of arts and crafts products, sales of local products and cultural performances, a must-see travel destination.

MARCH
World Wai Kru Muay Thai Ceremony (ไหว้ครูมวยไทยโลก)
In Muay Thai practice, the initial Wai Kru is called – Kheun kru (the initial ceremony of paying respect to the teacher). Subsequently, boxers will pay respect to their teachers ceremonially each year, which is called ‘Yohk Kru’. But whenever the pupils intend to use the knowledge taught to them, they will always start by paying respect to their teacher; this action is called Wai Kru or Bucha Kru (to pay respect to a teacher). The international Muay Thai federation or I.M.T.F. with the office of the national culture commission have re-introduced the official Wai Kru ceremony for both Muay Thai & Krabi Krabong after years of it being neglected. This neglect came about because of the fragmentation of Muay Thai groups around the world, many of which did not completely understand the correct procedure to follow and the true meaning of Wai Kru for, without the Wai Kru, Muay Thai would not be the same and would lack one of the most essential aspects of the art!

APRIL
Songkran Festival (งานเทศกาลมหาสงกรานต์)
Held annually on 13 April in front of Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit, Amphoe Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, it features a traditional procession, Thoet Thoeng drums procession, Song Nam Phra ceremony of the miniature of Phra Mongkhon Bophit image, and Nang Songkran beauty contest. This is an festival that you wouldn’t want to miss on your trip to Thailand.

JULY
Aquatic phansa festival at ladchado canal (แห่เทียนพรรษา ณ คลองลาดชะโด)
At the start of the Buddhist Rains Retreat, known as Khao Phansa in Thai, Buddhists take part in processions to take giant candles to their local temple. The idea is for monks to use these candles for the entire three months of the Rains Retreat. These processions are usually done on land, but the people along Ladchado Canal in Ayutthaya do it slightly differently as they go to their local temple by boat.

Ayutthaya Maha Mongkhon (อยุธยามหามงคล – ไหว้พระเก้าวัด) Buddhist Lent Festival
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Administration, in collaboration with the Tourism Business Association and TAT Central Region Office: Region 6, organizes the Ayutthaya Maha Mongkhon programme for participants to visit 9 temples in the province during the Buddhist Lent Festival.

NOVEMBER
Bang Sai Loi Krathong and Traditional Long Boat Races (งานลอยกระทงตามประทีปและแข่งเรือยาวประเพณีศูนย์ศิลปาชีพบางไทร)
This is an annual festival held toward the end of November at the Bang Sai Arts and Crafts Centre, Amphoe Bang Sai. Activities include Nang Nopphamat beauty contest, contests of processions, krathongs, and hanging lanterns; folk entertainment; traditional and international long boat races; and sales of the Center’s products.

DECEMBER
Ayutthaya World Heritage Fair (งานแสดงแสงเสียงอยุธยามรดกโลก)
To commemorate the occasion of the Ayutthaya Historical Park being declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 13 December, 1991, a celebration is held annually for 1 week during the same period of the year. The fair features local ways of life, handicrafts, Thai traditions and culture as well as the light and sound presentation on the history of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. If your goal is to explore more of the local culture while traveling to Thailand, this is the event for you.