Public Holidays in Thailand 2026

Thailand’s public holiday calendar for 2026 includes national celebrations, royal commemorations, Buddhist holidays, substitute days, and a special New Year holiday. The official government schedule does not apply in exactly the same way to every bank or private employer, so government, financial-institution, and employment holiday rules should be distinguished when planning around public holidays in Thailand.

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Next Public Holiday in Thailand

Date	Day	Holiday	Status
October 13, 2026	Tuesday	Navamindra Maharaj Day (King Rama IX the Great Memorial Day)	Confirmed

Date	Day	Holiday	Status
January 1, 2026	Thursday	New Year’s Day	Confirmed
January 2, 2026	Friday	Additional Public Holiday on the Occasion of New Year	Confirmed
March 3, 2026	Tuesday	Makha Bucha Day	Confirmed
April 6, 2026	Monday	Chakri Memorial Day	Confirmed
April 13, 2026	Monday	Songkran Festival Day	Confirmed
April 14, 2026	Tuesday	Songkran Festival Day	Confirmed
April 15, 2026	Wednesday	Songkran Festival Day	Confirmed
May 4, 2026	Monday	Coronation Day	Confirmed
May 13, 2026	Wednesday	Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day	Confirmed
May 31, 2026	Sunday	Visakha Bucha Day	Confirmed
June 1, 2026	Monday	Substitution for Visakha Bucha Day	Confirmed
June 3, 2026	Wednesday	Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana’s Birthday Anniversary	Confirmed
July 28, 2026	Tuesday	His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua’s Birthday Anniversary	Confirmed
July 29, 2026	Wednesday	Asarnha Bucha Day	Confirmed
July 30, 2026	Thursday	Buddhist Lent Day	Confirmed
August 12, 2026	Wednesday	Birthday Anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother and Thailand’s Mother’s Day	Confirmed
October 13, 2026	Tuesday	Navamindra Maharaj Day (King Rama IX the Great Memorial Day)	Confirmed
October 23, 2026	Friday	King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day	Confirmed
December 5, 2026	Saturday	Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, National Day, and Thailand’s Father’s Day	Confirmed
December 7, 2026	Monday	Substitution for Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great, National Day, and Thailand’s Father’s Day	Confirmed
December 10, 2026	Thursday	Constitution Day	Confirmed
December 31, 2026	Thursday	New Year’s Eve	Confirmed

The 2026 schedule published by Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs contains 21 dated public-holiday entries. This count includes the additional January 2 holiday, the three-day Songkran period, holidays that fall on weekends, and separately listed substitute holidays.

How Thailand’s Public Holiday System Works

Thailand does not use one identical holiday calendar for every type of organization. Government offices follow official government holidays, the Bank of Thailand sets holidays for regulated financial institutions, and private-sector employees receive holiday entitlements under labour law and their employer’s announced annual holiday schedule.

This distinction explains why some dates seen on commercial Thailand holiday calendars do not necessarily belong in a single nationwide government-holiday dataset.

Substitute Public Holidays in Thailand

Thailand uses substitute holidays when applicable official holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that when an official holiday falls on a weekend, the next working day is declared a substitute public holiday.

Two clear examples appear in the 2026 schedule. Visakha Bucha Day falls on Sunday, May 31, with Monday, June 1 listed as its substitute holiday. The December 5 royal birthday, National Day and Father’s Day observance falls on Saturday, with Monday, December 7 listed as its substitute holiday.

Buddhist Public Holidays in Thailand

Several important Thai public holidays follow the Buddhist lunar calendar rather than a fixed Gregorian date. As a result, their dates can change from one year to another even though the observances themselves remain part of Thailand’s holiday system.

For 2026, the official government calendar has already scheduled Makha Bucha Day, Visakha Bucha Day, Asarnha Bucha Day, and Buddhist Lent Day. These dates should therefore be treated as confirmed for the 2026 calendar rather than estimates based only on lunar calculations.

Songkran Holidays in 2026

Songkran is officially scheduled for April 13, April 14, and April 15 in 2026. Because April 13 falls on a Monday, the official Songkran period follows the Saturday-Sunday weekend of April 11-12, creating a continuous five-day break for government offices following the standard weekend.

Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year period and is one of the most significant multi-day holidays in the country.

Special Public Holiday on January 2, 2026

Friday, January 2, 2026 is an additional special government holiday rather than a permanent fixed annual holiday. Thailand’s Cabinet approved the date as an extra holiday to create a longer New Year break.

The Cabinet decision made the government New Year holiday period run into the weekend following January 1. The official Cabinet resolution published through Thailand’s Ministry of Finance also explains that state enterprises, financial institutions and the private sector were to consider the additional holiday under their respective legal and operational requirements.

August 12 Public Holiday

August 12 remains an annual public holiday in Thailand. In July 2026, the Cabinet confirmed that the date would continue to commemorate the Birthday Anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother and Thailand’s Mother’s Day.

The continuation of the holiday was formally confirmed by the Royal Thai Government, so August 12 remains part of the verified 2026 nationwide schedule.

Bangkok Special Holiday on October 16, 2026

Friday, October 16, 2026 is not a nationwide public holiday. The Cabinet approved it as a special public holiday specifically for Bangkok in connection with Thailand hosting the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group.

The Royal Thai Government announcement states that the special holiday applies in Bangkok. Government agencies in the capital were also directed to use work-from-home arrangements on selected surrounding dates. Because the October 16 holiday is geographically restricted, it is not included in the nationwide VisaBoards public holiday dataset.

Bank Holidays in Thailand

Bank holidays should not automatically be treated as identical to government public holidays. The Bank of Thailand publishes a separate calendar for financial institutions and specialized financial institutions.

For example, the Bank of Thailand separately confirmed January 2, 2026 as an additional special holiday for financial institutions. It also designated October 16 as an additional special financial-institution holiday in Bangkok. Travelers and businesses that need branch banking services should therefore check the Bank of Thailand calendar rather than assuming that every government holiday rule applies identically to banks.

Public Holidays for Private-Sector Employees

Private employment in Thailand operates under a different legal framework from the complete government holiday calendar. Section 29 of the Labour Protection Act requires an employer to announce at least 13 traditional holidays each year in advance, including National Labour Day.

The employer selects traditional holidays with reference to annual official holidays, religious holidays or local traditional holidays. When one of an employee’s designated traditional holidays falls on the employee’s weekly holiday, a substitute day is provided on the following working day under the Act.

This means that the full government public-holiday schedule should not automatically be interpreted as a mandatory list of identical closure dates for every private business in Thailand.

Long Weekends in Thailand in 2026

Several confirmed government holidays create extended breaks in 2026 without requiring an unofficial bridge holiday:

January 1-4: New Year’s Day and the January 2 additional holiday lead directly into the weekend.
April 4-6: Chakri Memorial Day falls on Monday, April 6.
April 11-15: the weekend is followed by the three official Songkran Festival days.
May 2-4: Coronation Day falls on Monday, May 4.
May 30-June 1: Visakha Bucha Day falls on Sunday and is followed by its Monday substitute holiday.
October 23-25: King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day falls on Friday.
December 5-7: the December 5 holiday falls on Saturday and is followed by its Monday substitute holiday.

These examples use the official 2026 government calendar and Thailand’s normal Saturday-Sunday weekend pattern. Individual private-sector work schedules may differ.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many public holiday dates are there in Thailand in 2026?

The verified nationwide government schedule contains 21 public-holiday dates in 2026. The total counts each date separately, including multi-day Songkran holidays, weekend holiday dates and officially listed substitute holidays. It excludes the Bangkok-only special holiday on October 16.

What is the next public holiday in Thailand?

The next holiday changes during the year. Use the dynamic Next Public Holiday section near the top of this page for the current holiday name, date and countdown.

Is January 2 a permanent public holiday in Thailand?

No. January 2, 2026 was approved as an additional special government holiday for that year. It should not be assumed to be a permanent annual public holiday.

Does Thailand provide substitute holidays when a public holiday falls on a weekend?

Yes. The official Ministry of Foreign Affairs schedule states that when an official holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday, the next working day is declared a substituted public holiday.

Are Buddhist holiday dates the same every year?

No. Important Buddhist holidays such as Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha and Asarnha Bucha follow the Thai lunar calendar, so their Gregorian dates can change from year to year. The dates shown for 2026 have already been officially scheduled.

Are banks closed on every Thailand government public holiday?

Not necessarily. The Bank of Thailand maintains a separate official holiday calendar for financial institutions and specialized financial institutions, so bank holidays should be checked independently.

Do private employers have to give employees all 21 government holiday dates off?

No. Thailand’s Labour Protection Act requires employers to announce at least 13 traditional holidays each year, including National Labour Day. A private employer’s holiday calendar therefore does not have to be identical to the complete government schedule.

Is October 16, 2026 a public holiday throughout Thailand?

No. October 16, 2026 was approved as a special public holiday specifically in Bangkok for the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings. It is not included in the nationwide public holiday schedule.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in Thailand

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Public Holidays for 2026: verifies the main 2026 government holiday dates and substitute-holiday rule.
Thai Cabinet resolution on additional public holidays: verifies the special January 2, 2026 government holiday.
Royal Thai Government August 12 annual public holiday: confirms that August 12 remains an annual government holiday.
Royal Thai Government October 16 Bangkok special holiday: verifies the geographical restriction of the special October holiday.
Bank of Thailand Financial Institutions Holidays: provides the separate official holiday framework for banks and specialized financial institutions.
Ministry of Labour Labour Protection Act B.E. 2541: sets the private-sector requirement for at least 13 traditional holidays per year, including National Labour Day.

Next Public Holiday in Thailand