What to expect when sailing in Thailand at Christmas

If you are sailing in Thailand over Christmas, you may be wondering what to expect as only a small minority of the Thai population is Christian, so Christmas isn’t an official public holiday in Thailand. However, over 90% of the Thai population are Buddhist and as Buddhism is well-known for it’s tolerance of other religions including Christianity, then you can expect to see a major festival such as Christmas also being enjoyed by the Thai people.

Sanuk! The Thai people love any excuse to party and Sanuk is a fundamental part of the Thai culture so expect to to see decorations around the resorts, hotels and shopping malls at this time of year! You will probably also hear the sound of Thai school children singing ‘Jingle Bells’ as part of their English lessons!

Tourism is such a major part of the Thai economy, particularly Christmas and New Year, that anyone holidaying or sailing in Thailand over Christmas won’t miss out on any Christmas festivities as plenty of the resorts and local restaurants will hold gala dinner and special evening receptions as part of the celebrations.

So fear not, expect to be fully part of the festivities when you are sailing in Thailand this Christmas!