Chinese New Year
And it’s New Year all over again, Chinese New Year this time. But every bit as festive, fun, and maybe a little bit more colorful than the New Year we just finishing recovering fun.
The Thai people love celebration, any excuse to have fun is a good one, and with a large ethnically Chinese population to seed it, the Chinese New Year is out-shined only by the Thai New Year in general celebratory exuberance. Special foods, parades, “ang pao”, prayers, and of course lots and lots of fireworks – it’s an explosive feast for all five of your senses.
Yaowarat Road, the seat of China Town, is the epicenter of the holiday hullabaloo. Packed with stalls and shops selling exciting food, holiday related tokens and decorations, fireworks, and everything Chinese, there is barely enough room for all of the parading and celebrating that passes through it.
And it will be jumping for two weeks around the holiday, and there are about 10 days of formal celebration around the holiday so there is plenty of time to take part in a temple ceremony if you’re so inclined.
Of course, we have to mention it, ang pao. The little red envelopes stuffed with money for the children, the grandparents, and others seeming worthy and needing of something like a red envelope stuffed with money. Chain restaurants and stores often offer ang pao coupons during the Chinese New Year for savings in the store or on a meal if you have a chance to visit any of the locations of that store/restaurant again during your stay in Thailand. It might also be a fun thing to do if you have small children who might enjoy some extra shopping money of their own while they’re in Thailand.
On top of the coupons and gift certificates, many of the shops in the malls will offer discounts and specials for the Chinese New Year, so it’s a great time to a take shopping tour of the city with some New Year’s celebration worked in. Contact us for more details on taking a 10 hour, self-guided shopping/new year tour of the city, with all the advice you need from us before and our English speaking driver-guides while you explore the Chinese New Year!!
