Thailand will celebrate Diwali across Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket from November 3 to 29, with seven events planned under the Amazing Thailand Grand Diwali Festival 2026.
The month-long programme, organised by the Indian Association of Thailand (IAT) and the Thai–India Trade & Tourism Association (TITTA) in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Embassy of India and public- and private-sector partners, aims to attract Indian visitors while showcasing the country’s cultural links with India.
The festival was officially launched at a press conference at the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s head office on October 29. All seven events will offer free entry and feature diya-lighting ceremonies, Indian food, devotional music, cultural performances, Bollywood concerts and festive markets.
India is one of Thailand’s important visitor markets, with more than two million arrivals annually, according to the organisers. The festival also highlights the longstanding Thai-Indian community, whose presence is woven into Thai society across generations. Its timing coincides with the start of Thailand’s high tourist season, offering opportunities for hotels, retailers and other local businesses to engage Indian travellers during the festive period.
“Festivals are among Thailand’s strongest soft power. The Amazing Thailand Grand Diwali Festival 2026 invites travellers from India, one of our most important markets, to celebrate their most beloved festival here in Thailand, alongside a Thai-Indian community that has been part of Thai society for generations,” said Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor, Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Bangkok will host four celebrations, including events at Central Bangrak, ICONSIAM, EMQUARTIER and Little India in Phahurat. The programme opens at Central Bangrak on November 3 and 4 with ‘The First Light’, featuring the festival’s first diya-lighting ceremony followed by live Bollywood music.
At ICONSIAM’s Riverpark, ‘Lotus by the River’ will run from November 6 to 8. On Diwali Day, November 8, the event will feature a diya-lighting ceremony followed by riverside fireworks. The celebrations will also extend to Central Festival Pattaya Beach in Chonburi, which will host ‘Nine Nights of Candlelight’ from November 7 to 15, and Central Festival Patong in Phuket, where ‘A Sunday of Flavour’ will mark Diwali Day with an Indian food festival.
Pattaya Beach Road will host ‘Lamps Along the Shore’ from November 13 to 15, with an opening ceremony and diya lighting on the beach on November 13. In Bangkok, the celebrations will return to Little India in Phahurat from November 20 to 24 under the theme ‘Threads of Faith’. The event will coincide with a rare convergence on November 24, when Loy Krathong, Dev Deepavali and Gurpurab fall on the same full-moon night.
The festival will conclude at EMQUARTIER’s Quartier Avenue, where ‘Music on the Avenue’ will run from November 26 to 29, ending with a diya-lighting ceremony.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is co-hosting the four events in the capital, building on the celebrations held along Khlong Ong Ang since 2022. The initiative also aims to establish Little India as a cultural landmark and highlight the shared traditions of the city’s Thai-Indian community.
“Diwali is a festival of light, hope and togetherness. For the whole of November, Thailand will glow with diyas from the banks of the Chao Phraya to the beaches of Pattaya and Phuket,” said Preecha Champi, President of TITTA, inviting Thai residents and visitors from India to take part in the celebrations.
The festival also comes ahead of the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and India in 2027. The two countries plan to mark the milestone through activities spanning tourism, trade, investment, education and people-to-people exchange. IAT and TITTA will work with public- and private-sector partners on a year-long programme of celebrations.
Puneet Agrawal, Ambassador of India to Thailand, said the festival reflected the cultural ties between the two countries, with Indian residents, Thais of Indian origin and visitors from India celebrating alongside Thai communities.
For Thailand’s tourism industry, the month-long programme offers an opportunity to combine cultural celebrations with shopping, dining and destination experiences across three provinces. Retail groups including Central Group, ICONSIAM and EMQUARTIER are preparing promotions and special privileges during the festival, seeking to attract Indian travellers during one of the busiest periods for festive travel and shopping.
With celebrations spanning Bangkok’s cultural neighbourhoods and riverside venues to Pattaya’s beaches and Phuket’s retail district, the festival aims to strengthen Thailand’s appeal to Indian visitors while giving the country’s Thai-Indian community a prominent role in one of India’s most widely celebrated festivals.