Makha Bucha Day is the second most important Buddhist festival, celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka and on the full moon day of Tabaung in Myanmar.

It celebrates a gathering that was held between the Buddha and 1,250 of his first disciples, which, according to tradition, preceded the custom of periodic recitation of discipline by monks.

In Thailand, Makha Bucha is designated as a national holiday, on which sale of alcohol has been strictly prohibited since 2015.

On the evening, urban temples in Thailand hold a candlelight procession and circumambulation around the main ubosot called a wian thian (wian meaning to circle around; thian meaning candle). Furthermore, people will make merit by going to temples and by joining in with activities.

School will be closed from December 21, 2023, until January 3, 2024, for Christmas Break. Students can register for the 2024 class and visit school before December 20, 2023, or you can use the online registration (See 6 steps to register).

The birthday of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also called King Rama the Tenth, arrives every 28 July and is a public holiday in Thailand.

June 3 marks the birthday of Queen Suthida, the wife of King Rama X. This is a new holiday in Thailand since 2019. Administrations, banks and national museums are closed.