Calendar: Chinese New Year in Thailand (February 12)

Thais like to party and have the sanuk, so why not three New Year celebrations? The Western New Year on January 1, the Chinese New Year in January/February and the Thai New Year (Songkran) in April.

All over the world, Chinese people celebrate the new year with the congratulatory wish: "Gong Xi Fa Cai!", the festivities last no less than 15 days. If you want to experience some of that, visit Chinatown in Bangkok. Chinese New Year is also celebrated in Chiang Mai, Phuket and Trang. Thailand has a large Chinese community and many Thai people have Chinese ancestors. An estimated 14% of Thailand's 65 million population are of Chinese descent, the result of a long history of Chinese immigration to Thailand.

Chinese New Year is celebrated on the first to the fifteenth day of the first month of the Chinese calendar. The first day is the day on which the second (sometimes the third) new moon occurs after the winter solstice. It is celebrated not only in China and Taiwan, but also in many Chinatowns around the world. At the same time, other East Asians, such as Koreans and Vietnamese, celebrate their New Year. Mongols and Tibetans (losar) also celebrate it on the same date.

For the Chinese this is the beginning of the year 4719 and that is celebrated worldwide. This fact is also celebrated in the Netherlands and Belgium by the Chinese community with lots of red decorations, fireworks, performances, gifts and good food. In Thailand, extra tourists are expected during this period, but due to the corona pandemic, that will not be the case this year.

Chinese New Year February 12, 2020 – The Year of the Ox

The ox, cow or bull is the second animal in the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac according to the Chinese calendar. Characteristics according to Chinese astrology: powerful and reliable, a born leader, a hard worker, prefers to choose the shortest path, gentle and patient, but can also be quite stubborn, sometimes stubborn.