How to celebrate the European New Year in Thailand

New Year’s Eve is undoubtedly the most beloved holiday of all mankind. And New Year’s Eve in Thailand is a triple holiday celebrated here according to the Chinese calendar, the European style, and the traditional one, the Songkran. If you decide to celebrate this holiday in Thailand, you can be sure that snow-white beaches, rousing show programs and exotic fruits await you here.

If you decide to celebrate this holiday in Thailand, you can be sure that white beaches, rousing show programs and exotic fruits are waiting for you.

European New Year in Thailand has been celebrated in the country not so long ago – since 1940, when King Rama the Fifth decided to get closer to the West, establishing January 1 as an official holiday according to the Gregorian calendar. By the way, the Thais themselves are not fully “got used” to such an initiative, so the country still celebrate as many as three New Years – by the Thai calendar in April and Chinese New Year in Thailand, which is celebrated near the end of January.

Most locals treat December New Year’s Eve quietly – for many it’s a mundane day like any other. But in the resort cities of Pattaya and Bangkok the Christian holiday is celebrated in a big way. After all, this is the period when the big cities are filled with tourists and local young people who have already loved the European New Year as a native holiday.

Christian New Year

To prepare for the celebration in the cities since the early December – the streets, squares, stores, shopping centers are decorated with neon lights, which on an ordinary day is quite a lot. Toward the end of the month in Pattaya and Bangkok lit bright and colorful lights almost every street. Christmas tree – the main attribute of the New Year is loved by local residents. But it’s hard to find a real tree in the country (they just don’t grow here), artificial “beauties” made of PVC are replacing them.

How to celebrate the New Year in Thailand?

The atmosphere of the holiday in the city can be felt as early as December 31, when tourists from Europe fill the streets, beaches and shopping centers of the cities. Russian, German, English and French speech can be heard everywhere.

If you want to celebrate the New Year in this “smiling” country (winter holidays in Thailand) by sitting at a table in a restaurant or other establishment, it is best to book seats in advance, because on New Year night all “hot” places may simply be busy. Do you want to celebrate the New Year noisily and cheerfully? Go to Wolkin Street in Pattaya or Bangla Road in Phuket – on December 31 crowds of tourists gather there, and a beautiful girl in a colorful suit kindly greet you with a smile in any institution.

You want to spend New Year’s Eve in style – go straight to the restaurant. New Year’s Eve dinner at a luxury restaurant will cost about $ 350 (10 thousand baht). Of course, there is no limit to perfection – you can afford to lose everything in your purse. The feast at the restaurant will be accompanied by live music, entertainment from the toastmaster and, of course, exotic dishes from the chef.

Holidays for the New Year in Thailand in an expensive establishment are not in your plans? Numerous beer bars, sidewalk restaurants with verandas and inexpensive cafes open their doors to you. The festivities are inexpensive and the night is a lively, fun-filled affair.

The golden mean between expensive chic and street pubs are the waterfront restaurants. Dining out is as affordable as in a serious establishment, and the “neighbors” are not the walking crowd but the sound of the surf, the twinkling of table lamps, and a snow-white beach. The waterfront is a great place for those who have decided to meet the New Year in Thailand away from the hustle and bustle of the big resort city.

The waterfront is a great place for those who have decided to celebrate the New Year in Thailand away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.