When planning your trip, you should be aware of the major national holidays celebrated throughout the country. However, although businesses and government offices are closed on public holidays, tourist attractions and shops are almost never closed. The main impact on the tourist of these holidays is the increased competition for travel and accommodation from Thais who use long weekends to get away from the big city.

The list below shows all of the public holidays as well as some of the more important nationwide celebrations that aren't national holidays. Many of the most important holidays on the Thai calendar are based on the lunar calendar and therefore will occur on different days from year to year. The dates for these holidays in 2009 are calculated estimates and may be subject to correction. There are almost always festivals or other events arranged around these dates: