July Festival Guide
This is your July Festival Guide to all the many events and celebrations held around the country. Because Thai people just love to celebrate you will find that most regions in Thailand have their own brand of entertainment. This season has mostly religious holidays and marks the start of the upcoming rainy season. Asalha Puja is one such religious event held on the night of the full moon in July which celebrates Thailand's third most important Buddhist holiday. On this special occasion, Lord Buddha preaches his first sermon to his first five disciples. This is also the beginning of the three month season of Lent.
Khao Phansa is an event following immediately after Asalha Puja when Buddhist monks must abstain from drinking alcohol and the taking of any drugs. They must then lead a more appropriate lifestyle. These monks must reside in a temple of their choice and must remain there for the three following months. They are forbidden to stay in any other temple until the Lent is over. Food and refreshments are then brought to the temples for the monks during this period. The reason for this is to stop monks from going about their normal daily rounds and accidentally trampling on new rice shoots that the local farmers have recently planted for the coming of the rainy season.
Candle Festival at Ubon Ratchathani
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