School holidays in Thailand: 2024–2025

Thailand usually has 19 public holidays planned throughout the year. Festivities include royal birthdays, religious holy days, and the regular old New Year celebrations. Naturally, schoolchildren enjoy the same days off.

To help you with your family planning, this article lists all of Thailand’s school holidays (ปิดเทอม) for the upcoming few years:

An overview of school holidays in Thailand

Unlike many countries, Thailand does not use the September to June academic calendar. Thai public schools are open from May to March, with two semesters per year. These are influenced by the weather, starting in the rainy season and ending before the hottest time of the year.

Annually, the exact dates may differ slightly, but there are two main school holidays:

Semester	Months	Holidays	Duration
One	May to October	1–31 October	4 weeks
Two	November to March (exams around late February)	March–April	6–8 weeks

Private and international schools

International and private schools – depending on their curriculum – are more likely to have three terms. Generally, the school year starts at the end of August or the beginning of September, with a long summer holiday during July and August and shorter breaks for Easter and Christmas.

Public holidays in Thailand

All schools are closed on the national public holidays in Thailand, with a few extra regional variations.

Of course, some international schools may also give the children days off on their home country’s festive days; for example, American schools celebrate Thanksgiving.

What are the national holidays in Thailand for 2024 and 2025?

Usually, when a public holiday takes place on a weekend, the following Monday will be a day off.

National Day (วันชาติ) is celebrated on the late King Bhumibol’s Birthday when Thailand also observes Father’s Day.

Two of Thailand’s most important holidays are National Day and Songkran (สงกรานต์, Thai New Year). Celebrated in spring when the daily temperatures rise, the latter is a fun, three-day water-splashing festival where there are massive water fights in the streets.

The nationwide holidays for the 2024–2025 academic year

Holiday	2024	2025
New Year’s Day	Monday 1 January	Wednesday 1 January
Makha Bucha Day	Saturday 24 February (observed, Mon, 26 February)	Thursday 13 February
Chakri Memorial Day	Saturday 6 April	Sunday 6 April
Songkran	Saturday–Monday 13–16 April	Sunday–Wednesday 13–16 April
Labor Day	Wednesday 1 May	Thursday 1 May
Coronation Day	Saturday 4 May (observed, Mon, 6 May)	Sunday 4 May (observed, Mon, 6 May)
Visakha Bucha Day	Wednesday 22 May	Sunday 11 May (observed, Mon, 12 May)
Queen Suthida’s Birthday	Monday 3 June	Tuesday 3 June
Asahna Bucha Day/Dharma Day	Saturday 20 July (observed, Mon, 22 July)	Thursday 10 Jul
H.M. King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua’s Birthday	Sunday 28 July (observed, Mon, 29 July)	Monday 28 July
H.M. Queen Sirikit’s (Queen’s Mother) Birthday/Mother’s Day	Monday 12 August	Tuesday 12 August
King Bhumibol Memorial Day	Sunday 13 October (observed, Monday, 14 October)	Monday 13 October
Ok Phansa Day (End of Buddhist Lent)	Thursday 17 October	Tuesday 7 October
King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day	Wednesday 23 October	Thursday 23 October
King Bhumibol’s Birthday/National Day/Father’s Day	Thursday 5 December	Friday 5 December
Constitution Day	Tuesday 10 December	Wednesday 10 December
New Year’s Eve	Tuesday 31 December	Wednesday 31 December

What are the regional school holidays for 2024 and 2025?

In addition to the national public holidays, some areas also observe local regional festivals, such as Boon Bang Fai (บุญบังไฟ) and Loy Kratong (ลอยกระทง).

Celebrated in spring, Bun Bang Fai is a festival where locals launch homemade rockets to honor the rain gods and ask for a good monsoon season for the crops.

Loy Kratong is a traditional festival where residents float candles in decorative baskets down rivers to thank Goddess Khongkha (of water and rivers).

State schools, as well as private and international institutions, may be closed for these celebrations. Of course, the exact dates change slightly from one year to the next, so be sure to check with your child’s school. That said, they’re generally planned during these months:

Region	Holiday	2024	2025
Satun, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Yala (South)	Chinese New Year	Saturday 10 February	Wednesday 29 January
Yasothon province (Northeast)	Bun Bang Fai	Weekend 10–12 May	Weekend 9–11 May
Chiang Mai (Northwest)	Loy Kratong	Saturday 16 November	Thursday 6 November

Christmas Day isn’t officially celebrated as a public holiday in Thailand due to it being predominantly Buddhist. However, tourist and expat areas might still display secular or commercial Christmas decorations and events, catering to those who observe the day.

Do children get any additional days off?

Apart from school and public holidays, students may also get time off for the following reasons:

• Teacher training days
• Special school events or celebrations
• During exam times to study

Again, check with your child’s school to ensure you have added all the dates to your calendar.

How can you access childcare during Thai school holidays?

Your children’s school holidays may clash with your work schedule. Fortunately, especially in cities with large international populations, you can access a range of childcare options in Thailand, including:

• Daycare centers
• Kindergartens
• Au pairs/nannies
• Childminders
• Babysitters

Many expat groups can be great local resources for parents new to the area, such as:

• Chiang Mai Expats
• Bangkok Expats
• Bangkok Expat Families
• Chiang Rai Everything
• Phuket Expat Families

B.A.M.B.I. (Bangkok Mothers & Babies International) is a culturally diverse, non-profit group supporting pregnant women and parents of young children. They provide prenatal and postnatal support, organize playgroups and social programs, plus offer information to help expat families settle in Bangkok.

Many international schools also run playgroups; for example, in Bangkok, you can find the following ones:

• Spielzwerge – a German playgroup for ages 15 months to three years
• Nest by Little Treehouse Nursery – sensory play, music and movement, arts and crafts
• ABC Pathways International Kindergarten – playgroups in English and Mandarin

Ten fun summer camps in Thailand

There are many fun and educational summer camps for children to learn and play.

• iCamp Thailand
• Kids’ Academy’s English, Mandarin, and Thai Camps
• Happy Pawn Chess Club
• Beyond Code Academy Bilingual (English and Thai) Coding Camp
• Rockademy
• The Music Lab
• Curtain Up Drama & Magic Drama Classes
• Vic Hua Hin Art Camp
• Scrambled Art
• Little Llama Creative Club