Culture in Hua Hin

Hua Hin offers a host of events throughout the year and there is always something to see or participate in. Hua Hin, in addition to the many annual festivals, also offers a wide range of cultural events such as the annual Jazz Festival which, for the past few years, has been held at Hua Hin beach. Here, internationally renowned jazz artists perform, and up to 150,000 people shows up on the beach as the audience.

Hua Hin is also host to events such as the annual Royal Regatta, with hundreds of sailboats taking part, along with many other water sports competitions here among kitesurfing. Hua Hin is preferred by large parts of Thailand as the seat of the events due to its location and popularity among visitors. It is never boring in Hua Hin.

Please find a few cultural events below, that we strongly encourage you to participate in during your stay

One of the very best loved traditions and holidays in Thailand falls on April 13th each year (Song Krahn is April 13th to 15th but only officially celebrated in Hua Hin on April 13th). Originally Song Krahn began as a tradition that was celebrated to honor and bless the water spirits to nurish crops at the farm lands but it is in modern time been transformed into a folk festival where everyone, children and old, meet on the street for a one day long gigantic water festival where nobody is safe from having water thrown water on them. Huge water guns are taken into use, and everything from buckets of water to cars with big tub filled with ice water are being used to maximum water carnage.

It is highly recommended to participate in the Song Krahn festival where everyone is on the street, everyone is happy and no-one is too good to get wet - this goes for Thais aswell as foreigners. So if you don't like getting wet, you should probably stay indoors on April 13th to 14th - But on the other hand, what fun is it sitting at home when the party is outside?

Every year in November, Thailand is celebrating Loy Krahtong, originally a tradition where the Thai people honors and celebrates the water. Today it is more an annual event where family and friends come together and puts out beautifully decorated banana leaf boats in the water and sends rislamper aloft. It is also a day for celebration beauty contests where the girls do their makeup and hair, and march through the streets in large parades.

Loy Krahtong does not fall on the same date each year, but usually is held in November and always on a day with a full moon. In 2011, Loy Krahtong is celebrated on 10th November. There are parades through town most of the morning and at early evening it is time to put the banana boats in the water. This happens in all large lakes, and especially at the beach. Banana Boats can be purchased at some of the many stalls that are set up for purpose. The boats are decorated with banana leaves, flowers, small candles and incense sticks. After Thai tradition, a coin (5 or 10 baht) is attached before the boat is put into the water.

Loy Krahtong is an event for the whole family and should not be forgotten during your stay in Thailand.