Hat Yai Events Calendar 2015
Events by Month
1st January 2015
New Year
Over the New Year period some roads in the downtown area are closed to traffic and lots of stalls are set up. It's quite a festive atmosphere and it's good being able to wander around with fear of being flattened by a pickup truck.
3rd January 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
10th January 2015
Children's Day
Known as
wun dek in Thai. Children's Day in Thailand takes place on the second Saturday of January every year. Many Thai kids are quite underprivileged and this is one day where they are made to feel special. They can play on fire engines and do other things. The local municipality and private companies lay on various activities. The kids can get their hair cut for free, and local hospitals carry out free health and dental checks.
Events take place at lots of locations, but a major activity centre in Hat Yai is Jiranakorn Sports Stadium on Niphat Songkhro 1 Road.
This year, for the first time, the Royal Thai Airforce Wing 56 located near the airport opened its doors for Children's Day.
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7th February 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
18th - 22nd February 2015
The date varies from year to year. As it is based on the lunar month, CNY can occur in January or February. Hat Yai is a big Chinese town and CNY is a big event.
Book your hotel well in advance and bring your earplugs for the firecrackers.
A lot of events take place along Supasarnrangsan Road (Map 2) around the vicinity of the Siang Theung temple and rescue centre, and this is where you can see acts of self-mortification.
A number of events are also scheduled at Srinakorn School (Map 4) over the CNY holiday period and this is where you will be able to meet some Thai celebrities (daa-raa). The events include:
18th February: China Kids parade
19th February: CNY opening ceremony with Thai celebrity Gong Noowo.
20th February: Something involving hula hoops (I don't know the details). Today's Thai celebrity is someone called 'Chart The Voice'.
21st February: Miss Hat Yai Chinese beauty contest (Thais love beauty contests)
22nd February: Today's celebrity, who I believe is a singer, is a young lady who goes by the name Bella Ranee.
There will also be lion dancing and other forms of entertainment that you associate with Chinese New Year.
26th February - 7th March 2015
Special Merit-Making Ceremony
For nine days (nine is an auspicious number for Buddhist Thais) a special merit-making ceremony is taking place at
Taworn Woraaraam Temple.
In accordance with Thai Buddhist tradition, nine large stone balls (look nimit) will be covered with gold leaf. These are normally buried in consecrated ground underneath a temple. However, this temple will be doing things a little differently. Instead of being buried underground, they will be placed on special plinths on the fourth floor that have been made specifically for this purpose.
For nine days, people will be invited inside to apply the gold leaf, thus making merit. The end of this period coincides with Makha Bucha Day, which is a very significant day in the Buddhist calendar. When the balls are completely covered in gold leaf they will go up to the fourth floor.
The final part of this ceremony will finish at exactly 14:19 on 7th March. This auspicious time will have been decided by an astrologer. Asians are extremely superstitious and guidance regarding the time and date for all important events is always sought from people who are believed to know about such things.
27th February 2015
Index Living Mall Grand Opening
There is no spare land left in Hat Yai town centre and, in addition, the town centre suffers from periodic flooding problems. However, Hat Yai's population continues to grow and large companies still regard the town as a good place to do business.
Instead of opening new shops in the town centre, lots of large malls have sprung up out of town, such as HomePro, Central Festival and Thai Wasadu. This trend continues and the latest large corporation to open a huge megamall in Hat Yai is Index Living Mall. It is located in Hat Yai Nai, not too far from the Hat Yai Nai branch of Tesco Lotus.
For the first 10 days after opening (until 8th March 2015) customers will get Bt1,000 back for every Bt10,000 that they spend. Thais are obsessed with novelty (they love anything new and shiny) and, with the added allure of this special promotion, I suspect that the crowds will be colossal when Index opens its doors.
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4th March 2015
Makha Bucha Day
The date varies from year to year because Buddhist holidays are based on the lunar month. This one falls on the full moon day of the third lunar month, which can be in late February or early March. On this day during the Buddha's lifetime, 1250 Buddhist monks went to pay homage at Veluwan Vihara. They went of their own initiative and none had prior knowledge. All Buddhist temples will celebrate this event. You can join in by lighting candles and incense, and walking around the temple.
6-7th March 2015
International Balloon Festival
This is the first time I have seen such an event advertised in Hat Yai and I have very few details. The venue is the Jiranakorn Sports Stadium on Niphat Songkhro 1 Road (
Map 1) and it starts at 4pm.
7th March 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
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1st - 5th April 2015
Hat Yai Motor Show
The inaugural event was held in 2012, and 2015 will see the 4th Hat Yai Motor Show. The location is in the big International Conference Centre behind the Prince of Songkla University. It's quite easy to find.
If you are a dedicated petrol head, don't get too excited. There won't be any Porsches or Ferraris on display - just the usual pickup trucks and family saloons that can be seen everywhere in Thailand.
Political correctness and feminism never made it as far as Thailand (thankfully) and thus beauty competitions are still very popular in the country. In addition to the cars, there will also be lots of pretty Thai girls on display in the Miss Hat Yai Motor Show 2015 beauty competition.
I attended the first event in 2012 and don't remember there being an entrance fee. I think that it is all free.
4th April 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
13th April 2015
The traditional New Year in Thailand, and now the world's biggest water fight. Living in Thailand, you either love it or hate it. You can act like a seven year-old all day and squirt water at strangers, or you can do what I do. If I can't manage to be out of the country for Songkran, I stock up with food and stay indoors all day. I'm sorry, but I don't like this festival at all and find a lot of the behaviour quite obnoxious.
At least it only lasts for one day in southern Thailand. If you have the misfortune to be in Chiang Mai during Songkran the juvenile antics go on for an entire week.
Since 1940 the New Year in Thailand has commenced from 1st January (like most of the rest of the world), but the start of the traditional New Year in April is still one of the biggest festivals (probably the biggest) in Thailand.
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2nd May 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
24th May 2015
Hat Yai Internation Marathon
A visitor to the site told me about this, but as yet I have no details. If I find any more information I will post it here.
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1st June 2015
Visakha Bucha Day
This Buddhist holiday celebrates the birth of the Buddha, his death, and also his enlightenment. All three events occurred on the same day. It's another day when Thai temples see a lot of activity and if you haven't been before it's a good experience. Thais walk around the temple carrying three flowers, three candles and an incense stick as a reminder of the Triple Gems. The actual date varies each year because it falls on the 15th day of the waxing moon in the 6th lunar month.
6th June 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
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2nd to 12th July 2015
Thai Food & Fruits Festival
This looks very similar to, and is held in the same location as, the annual vegetarian festival. It's on Supasarnrangsan Road close to the Siang Teung rescue centre.
4th July 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
9th to 15th July 2015
Chinese Festival Songkhla
The following description is from my friend, author and anthropologist, Marlane Guelden:
The Old Chinese area of Songkhla will be having its annual festival and street fair on Nang Ngam Road from July 9 to 15th, which is about 5-9 pm every night. There are performances, talks on history and many vendors. The street is beautifully lit with red lanterns. The main Chinese temple is the City Pillar Shrine (San Jao Lak Muang). There are now several wall murals in the area: one of men drinking coffee at a café modeled after former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and a famous local noodle seller on Raman Road, one of women with smart phones in traditional dress on Yaring Road, and one with statues of men carrying rice sacks at the Red Rice Mill on Nakhon Nawk Road. I understand this is a project of a local university to get more people interested in the heritage area and it certainly has drawn in visitors while also causing some driving congestion.
30th July 2015
Asaan-ha Boo-chaa Day
Today is the 15th day of the waxing moon of the eighth lunar month. It was this day during the Buddha's lifetime that he delivered his first sermon to five disciples at the deer park in Benares, India.
Tomorrow is the start of the Buddhist Lent, or Rains Retreat, which lasts for three months. Traditionally, Thai males ordained as monks during this time. In addition to learning about Buddhism, keeping the men in temples also kept them from walking on and damaging crops. Nowadays, it is still traditional for Thai males to ordain as monks, but the ordination period is often less than a week.
As usual for these important days in the Buddhist calendar, there will be ceremonies at all temples involving processions with candles and incense sticks.
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1st August 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
9-18 August 2015
Agricultural Fair
This is a regular event at the Prince of Songkla University every August and it attracts tens of thousands of people from all over southern Thailand. It's actually very good and caters to a wide variety of people. Farmers can buy a new tractor, while members of the public can buy a new car, truck or motorbike. There are lots of plants, pets, and handicrafts on sale. Many of the handicrafts are from Chiang Mai and they are not available in Hat Yai at other times of the year.
To be completely honest, a lot of the fairs and festivals in Hat Yai aren't really worth going to, but this is an exception. I have been attending since 2004 and like to visit the fair at least once a year.
16th August 2015
Sikarin Hat Yai Half Marathon
Apparently, this is the fifth time that this event has taken place. The poster I saw had very few details apart from the fact it is being organised by the Sikarin private hospital on Niphat Songkhro 1 Road.
The telephone number to call for more details is +66 (0)74 366966.
16th August 2015
Bike For Mom
I saw posters for this event in Bangkok, therefore it seems to be a nationwide event being run in several places. 'Mom' refers to the Queen, in the same way that Thais refer to the King as 'Father'. This is the first Sunday after Mother's Day in Thailand, which is also the Queen's birthday.
There's a website for the event, but it's all in Thai. A map of the route is shown here and if you wish to participate you will need to register (long tabian). Registration can be done through the website.
If you have any questions you can direct queries through the website or send an e-mail to: songkhla@moi.go.th
18-19 August 2015
PSU Science Week
This event is also referred to as PSU Open Week. For a few days in August the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) opens its doors to the public and coach loads of school kids arrive in Hat Yai from all over southern Thailand. The idea is for them to get a taste of university life, but instead many sneak off and spend their time in Tesco Lotus or, since it opened, Central Festival. Many come from very rural areas and a trip to the 'Big City' of Hat Yai is exciting for them. It seems a waste spending the whole day inside a boring university so they go off and have fun elsewhere. This is an event that's really intended for high school kids, but anyone can attend. Thais have an obsession with ghosts and you will find the longest queue outside the department of pathology where there are real cadavers on display inside. The kids look terrified when they see dead bodies, but this is one thing that they don't want to miss.
If you have any questions, there are two phone numbers:
+66 (0)74 287093
+66 (0)74 287111
23rd August 2015
Merit Making Ceremony
Once a year, Niphat Uthit 3 Road (
Map 3) is closed to traffic early on a Sunday morning for a massive merit making ceremony that takes place involving 10,000 or more monks. In addition to local Thais, lots of Malaysian and Singaporeans attend. When the monks are ready to receive their alms, it becomes a bit of a scrum as everyone tries to get their offerings in the alms bowls.
The date is normally the first Sunday after Mothers' Day in Thailand, which is 12th August (the Queen's birthday). In 2015 the first Sunday after Mothers' Day is 16th August, however, posters that started to appear in mid-July tell me that this year the event will be held on Sunday 23rd August.
I'm not sure why this is, but this year there is a lot happening on 16th August so that is maybe the reason why the date has changed.
It is best to arrive as early as you can. The posters I have seen advertise the event as starting at 6am.
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5th September 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
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3rd October 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
13-21 October 2015
This is quite a major Chinese festival in Hat Yai and goes on for nine days. It is another festival based on lunar dates and therefore the actual date changes each year. The venue is along Supasarnrangsan Road. Lots of regular restaurants close for the duration of the festival (or just serve vegetarian food) and lots of vegetarian stalls open. You can watch devotees perform acts of ritualised mutilation by having their bodies pierced with various objects. There is a lot of blood and it isn't for the squeamish.
23rd October 2015
Chulalongkorn Day
King Rama V was a very special king for the Thai people. He was born on 20 September 1853 and died on 23 October 1910. He is remembered every year on the anniversary of his death. In Hat Yai there is a large Rama V statue inside the municipal park and a lot of people attend early in the morning on 23 October. If you plan on going, get there before 9am.
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7th November 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
25th November 2015
This festival falls on the full moon day of the 12th month, which is normally in November. Thais float (loy) their 'gratongs' on the nearest convenient body of water. Inside the gratongs they place a nail clipping, some of their own hair and a coin. Ask around to find out where you can participate. At PSU in the afternoon there is a parade with lots of pretty girls. In addition to floating gratongs, there are also beauty contests staged to find 'naang nopamaat' (a Thai legend). Loy Gratong is a far more civilised occasion than Songkran and normally very enjoyable.
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5th December 2015
H.M. The King's Birthday
There are normally special events arranged to celebrate the King's birthday. A few years ago I attended a candlelit fireworks display centred around the reservoir within the Prince of Songkla University. It was a very enjoyable and emotional experience. Keep your ear to the ground and ask the locals if they know about any special events that are taking place. This is also Fathers' Day in Thailand.
5th December 2015
Bullfights are held at the Hat Yai bullfighting arena once a month. These normally take place on the first Saturday of the month, but check first because the dates can change as a result of public holidays, etc. The bouts start at around 10am.
December 2015
Christmas
Thailand is a Buddhist, and therefore atheist, country. However, Thais like getting dressed up and they like coloured fairy lights. The department stores are decorated with Christmas decorations in the run up to Christmas and Jingle Bells can be heard over the PA system while you are shopping.
31st December 2015
New Year's Eve
Thais make a big thing of New Year and there is a big countdown ceremony around Lee Gardens Plaza. You will also see and see a lot of fireworks.
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