Thailand's food festivals range from the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, with its yellow flags and meat-free street food, to a coffee fair near Bangkok, a durian festival in the northeast and a Christmas event at a vineyard near Hua Hin. This guide covers the events we could confirm on official calendars, the alcohol rules and how to get there.
Dates were checked in September 2026. Many events announce their dates only one or two months ahead, so confirm them with the organiser before you book flights or hotels.
Thailand's Food Festival Calendar at a Glance
| When | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 April 2026 | Amazing Robusta @ Chumphon | Chumphon |
| 1–2 May 2026 | Larb & Craft | Yasothon old town |
| 1–3 May 2026 | Satun Halal Street | Satun |
| 25–29 June 2026 | Sisaket Volcano Durian Festival | Provincial Hall grounds, Si Sa Ket |
| 10–13 July 2025 | Thailand Coffee Fest | IMPACT Muang Thong Thani |
| 3–6 October 2025 | Hat Yai Moon Festival | Hat Yai, Songkhla |
| 10–18 October 2026 | Phuket Vegetarian Festival | Phuket |
| 4–7 December 2025 | Thailand Coffee Fest "Year End" | IMPACT Muang Thong Thani |
| 11–21 December 2025 | Red Cross Fair | Lumpini Park, Bangkok |
| 20 December 2025 | Christmas in the Vineyard | Monsoon Valley Vineyard, Hua Hin district |
| 26–30 December 2025 | Traditional Northern Thai Cuisine | Lamphun |
Where the table shows a 2025 date, the 2026 date was not yet confirmed when we checked. Use it as a guide to the usual time of year.
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is also called the Nine Emperor Gods Festival. In 2026 the nine main days are 10–18 October. The Go Teng pole is raised on the evening of 9 October and lowered on the afternoon of 19 October. The dates move every year with the Chinese lunar calendar: in 2025 the festival ran from 20 to 29 October.
How to find jay food
During the festival, shops and stalls that sell "jay" food hang yellow flags with red Chinese characters. Jay food is made without:
- meat, dairy or eggs
- alcohol
- the five pungent vegetables: garlic, onion, shallot, chives and leek
The Thai word to look for is เจ (jay). If you have a food allergy, ask the vendor about the ingredients before you order.
Processions and what to wear
The festival is also a religious event. From 11 to 18 October, a morning procession leaves from a different shrine each day, starting between 06:00 and 08:00. The main shrines are Jui Tui, Bang Neow, Kathu, Sam Kong, Sapam and Tha Rue. Fire-walking and blade-ladder climbing start around 20:00, mainly from 14 to 17 October at the major shrines.
If you watch a procession:
- Wear white, with long sleeves and long trousers.
- Wear closed shoes, not flip-flops, because firecrackers are thrown along the routes. Protect your ears as well.
- Ask before taking close-up photos of anyone in trance, and do not touch the mediums.
For a visitor, eating jay food from the yellow-flag stalls is a simple way to take part.
Food and Drink Events in the Bangkok Area
Thailand Coffee Fest
Thailand Coffee Fest is held more than once a year at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, an exhibition centre in the Bangkok area. In 2025 it ran on 10–13 July in Halls 5–8, and a "Year End" edition ran on 4–7 December in Halls 11–12. The entry fee was not confirmed, so check the organiser's announcement before you go.
Red Cross Fair
The Red Cross Fair takes place in Lumpini Park in central Bangkok. In 2025 it ran from 11 to 21 December. Check the programme for the year you travel.
Regional Food Festivals
All of the events below appeared on the event calendars of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
Traditional Northern Thai Cuisine, Lamphun
This event celebrates the cooking of northern Thailand in Lamphun, a province next to Chiang Mai. The 2025 edition ran from 26 to 30 December.
Larb & Craft, Yasothon
Larb is a spicy minced-meat salad from the northeast of Thailand. The Larb & Craft event took place in the old town of Yasothon on 1–2 May 2026.
Satun Halal Street
Satun Halal Street is a halal food event in Satun, in the far south of Thailand. It ran from 1 to 3 May 2026.
Amazing Robusta @ Chumphon
This coffee event in Chumphon, in southern Thailand, is named after robusta coffee. It ran from 3 to 5 April 2026.
Hat Yai Moon Festival
Hat Yai, in Songkhla province, held its Moon Festival from 3 to 6 October 2025.
Wine and Drinks
Christmas in the Vineyard
Christmas in the Vineyard took place on 20 December 2025 at Monsoon Valley Vineyard in the Hua Hin district. It is the only wine event that we could confirm on the TAT event calendars. Its 2026 date was not confirmed when we checked, and we could not confirm the dates of other wine fairs or craft beer festivals.
Alcohol rules at festivals
On normal days, shops and restaurants may sell alcohol only during set hours, and not to anyone under 20. As of September 2026, check the current sale hours with your hotel or the TAT Call Centre (1672).
On five Buddhist holy days, alcohol sales are banned nationwide, with a few exceptions: Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asanha Bucha, Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa. Ordinary shops, convenience stores and restaurants must stop selling. These places may still sell alcohol:
- hotels licensed under the Hotel Act
- international airport passenger terminals
- licensed entertainment venues, and entertainment venues in designated tourist areas
- designated venues for major national or international events
The next of these days in 2026 is Ok Phansa, on 26 October. If you plan a drink with dinner on one of these days, choose a licensed hotel.
Fruit Festivals
Sisaket Volcano Durian Festival
The Sisaket Volcano Durian Festival ran from 25 to 29 June 2026 on the Provincial Hall grounds in Si Sa Ket, in the northeast. It shows the province's "volcano" durian, which has a geographical indication (GI), a label that protects a product from a specific place.
We could not confirm 2026 dates for other fruit festivals, so check with the TAT Call Centre (1672) before you plan a trip around one.
Useful Thai Food Phrases
| English | Thai | Say it as |
|---|---|---|
| Delicious | อร่อย | aroi |
| Not spicy, please | ไม่เผ็ด | mai phet |
| A little spicy | เผ็ดนิดหน่อย | phet nit noi |
| Vegetarian (jay) | เจ | jay |
| No MSG | ไม่ใส่ผงชูรส | mai sai phong chu rot |
| The bill, please | เก็บเงิน | kep ngoen |
| How much? | เท่าไหร่ | thao rai |
Food Festival Tips
- Carry cash in small notes for food stalls, offerings and temple donations.
- Go early to avoid the biggest crowds, and bring wet wipes and drinking water.
- Dress for temples. Cover your shoulders and knees, take your shoes off before you enter a temple hall, and do not point your feet at Buddha images or monks.
- Ask before you take photos of people, especially at religious rituals.
- Expect road closures. Roads close for parades and processions. Allow extra travel time, and agree a pickup point away from the route with your driver.
Getting to Food Festivals
Smile Taxi Service fares are fixed, per vehicle (not per person) and one way, with expressway tolls included. A sedan takes up to 3 passengers with 2 bags, an SUV up to 5 with 4 bags, and a van up to 7 with 5 bags.
- Bangkok (Red Cross Fair, Thailand Coffee Fest): Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok costs 600 THB by sedan, 800 THB by SUV or 1,100 THB by van: book a sedan from Suvarnabhumi to Bangkok. Don Mueang Airport to Bangkok costs 600 THB by sedan, 800 THB by SUV or 1,000 THB by van: book a sedan from Don Mueang to Bangkok. For a drop-off at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, send the address on WhatsApp or LINE to confirm the fare.
- Hua Hin (Christmas in the Vineyard): Bangkok to Hua Hin costs 2,000 THB by sedan, 2,300 THB by SUV or 2,800 THB by van: book a sedan from Bangkok to Hua Hin. For a drop-off at the vineyard, send the address to confirm the fare. See also How to Get from Bangkok to Hua Hin.
- Phuket (Vegetarian Festival): Phuket Airport to Patong Beach costs 1,000 THB by sedan, 1,100 THB by SUV or 1,400 THB by van: book a sedan from Phuket Airport to Patong Beach. For Phuket Town there is no fixed fare, so ask for a quote. To visit several shrines in one day, the full-day Phuket Tour (up to 10 hours) costs 2,800 THB by sedan, 3,200 THB by SUV, 3,600 THB by van or 4,100 THB by VIP van: see tours and day trips. From Bangkok, see How to Get from Bangkok to Phuket.
- Hat Yai (Moon Festival): Suvarnabhumi Airport to Hat Yai costs 14,000 THB by sedan, 16,000 THB by SUV or 18,000 THB by van: book a sedan from Suvarnabhumi to Hat Yai.
- Si Sa Ket, Yasothon, Lamphun, Satun and Chumphon: there is no fixed fare. Ask for a quote on WhatsApp or LINE.
Airport pickups include 60 minutes of free waiting, counted from the actual landing time. You pay the driver in cash (THB) at the end of the trip. If you can only pay by card, message the team for a PayPal payment link (a 5% fee is added). Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup. After that, a cancellation or change costs 25% (less than 24 h), 35% (less than 12 h) or 50% (less than 2 h) of the price, and a no-show 100%, also when you pay the driver in cash (details). Not every driver speaks English, but you can request an English-speaking driver when you book, subject to availability. See all routes on the price list.
Emergency Numbers
Save these numbers before a big festival: Tourist Police 1155 (24 hours, several languages), ambulance 1669, police 191 and the TAT Call Centre 1672.
FAQ
When is the Phuket Vegetarian Festival in 2026? The nine main days are 10–18 October 2026. The pole raising is on the evening of 9 October.
What does the yellow flag mean during the Vegetarian Festival? The shop sells jay food: no meat, dairy, eggs, alcohol, garlic, onion, shallot, chives or leek.
When is Thailand Coffee Fest? It is held more than once a year at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani. In 2025 it ran on 10–13 July and 4–7 December.
Can I buy alcohol on Buddhist holy days? Not in shops or ordinary restaurants on Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asanha Bucha, Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa. Licensed hotels and international airport terminals may still sell it.
Is there a durian festival in Thailand? Yes. For example, the Sisaket Volcano Durian Festival ran from 25 to 29 June 2026 in Si Sa Ket.
Are there wine festivals in Thailand? The one we could confirm is Christmas in the Vineyard at Monsoon Valley Vineyard in the Hua Hin district, held on 20 December 2025. Check for the 2026 date.
To reach a food festival by private car, book your transfer or message us on WhatsApp or LINE.