Makha Bucha

The date, and a three-day weekend

Makha Bucha Day 2027 is Sunday 21 February, the full moon of the third Thai lunar month, and Monday 22 February is the substitute holiday.

That makes a three-day weekend for banks and offices, from Saturday 20 to Monday 22 February.

The alcohol rules apply on the holy day itself, Sunday 21 February. On Monday, shops sell as normal.

Build the weekend around the holy day: Saturday out, Sunday at the temple, Monday out again.

What is Makha Bucha Day?

Makha Bucha Day honours the day 1,250 monks gathered to hear the Buddha teach, without being called. The Buddha gave them a short summary of his teaching, the Ovada-Patimokkha.

"Makha" is the name of the third lunar month, and "bucha" means to honour.

It's the first of the big Buddhist days of the year, with Visakha Bucha in May and Asalha Bucha in July to follow.

The candle walk

Makha Bucha Day in Thailand starts with food for the monks in the morning and ends with a candle walk at the temple after dark.

The candle walk is called wian thian. People hold a lit candle, three incense sticks and a flower, and walk three times clockwise around the main hall, in silence. The three circles stand for the Buddha, his teaching and the monks.

Buy a candle set at the gate; entry is free, and the walk starts around 7 to 8pm at most temples. Pick the temple first, and the car drops you at the gate.

Can you drink alcohol on Makha Bucha?

Yes, in the right place. On the Buddhist holy days, shops stop selling alcohol, but licensed hotels, international airport terminals and licensed places in designated tourist areas can still serve, under the Office of the Prime Minister's notice (checked November 2026).

That means 7-Eleven and Family Mart won't sell you beer on Sunday 21 February, and an ordinary bar or restaurant won't pour.

The easy fix: buy what you need the evening before. Read the full rules on our Thailand nightlife laws page.

What to book first

The villas and the cars go first on a three-day weekend, so book them by December.

• Pool villas by the sea: Pattaya and Hua Hin are a short drive from Bangkok. A Pattaya pool villa costs from ฿12,500 a day.
• Cars: your own van for the long weekend, to the temple and back.
• Koh Phangan beds: the Full Moon Party is expected on Monday 22 February, the night after the holy day.
• Your own river boat: for up to 16, for a Saturday on the river before the quiet Sunday. Tanner quotes the boat to your plan.

Plan it with Tanner, and the villa is held for the long weekend.

Candle walks in Bangkok

For Makha Bucha in Bangkok, go to Wat Benchamabophit, the Marble Temple, for monks walking the grounds by candlelight.

Photo: BerryJ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wat Saket, the Golden Mount, holds a smaller and quieter walk on its hilltop with the city lit up below. Be on the stairs by 6:30pm.

Wat Phra Kaew draws the biggest crowds.

Cover shoulders and knees, take your shoes off at the hall, and keep phone lights and flash off during the walk.

See our Bangkok guide for the rest of the weekend, then book a car to the Golden Mount.

Candle walks in Chiang Mai

On Makha Bucha Day in Chiang Mai, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep and Wat Sri Soda have held a joint ceremony, with thousands of people in white walking with candles.

Photo: ยศวัจน์ นิธิปัญญาวัฒน์, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wat Umong, Wat Jed Yod and Wat Chedi Luang hold candle walks too, and the smaller temples can finish early.

Get there early. See our Chiang Mai guide for the days either side, and book a room in the Old City.

Does the Full Moon Party move for Makha Bucha?

Yes. The Full Moon Party steps off Buddhist holy days, and in February it moves a day for Makha Bucha.

For 2027 we expect it on Monday 22 February, the evening after the holy day, and we confirm it with Haad Rin in January.

Read our Full Moon Party guide, and hold your Koh Phangan beds before the long weekend fills them.

Where to spend the weekend

Pattaya is the easy pick: your own pool villa and bar, the beach close by, and Bangkok two hours away by road.

AI

Photo: AI-generated image

• Pattaya: the villa weekend; see Pattaya.
• Bangkok: Saturday on the river, Sunday at the Golden Mount, Monday back in the clubs.
• Chiang Mai: the temple city for the candle walk itself.
• Koh Phangan: the Full Moon Party on Monday.

Hotel bars can still serve, so the Sunday drink is easy anywhere. Ask Tanner which city fits your weekend.

A Makha Bucha weekend for 12, all in

Here's the weekend most groups book: a Pattaya pool villa from Saturday to Monday, a DJ by the pool on Saturday, and the bar poured.

For 12: the villa for 3 days from ฿37,500, a DJ ฿8,000 and an open bar ฿18,000. That's about ฿63,500 for the group, with cars matched to your plan.

Here's the tip: the shop ban is on the Sunday only, so the villa bar goes in on Saturday afternoon.

Tanner's pick: Pattaya, with the Golden Mount in Bangkok on the way home if the group wants the candle walk.

Ask Tanner to price your long weekend.

After Makha Bucha

The Monday after Makha Bucha is a normal day for bars and clubs, so plan the big evening for Monday 22 February.

Two weeks before, Chinese New Year falls on Saturday 6 February, a regional holiday in four southern provinces only. Bangkok's Chinatown still celebrates.

See the full year on our Thailand public holidays page.

Makha Bucha at a glance

• Date: Sunday 21 February 2027; Monday 22 February is the day off.

• What: the Buddhist holy day for the 1,250 monks; candle walks after dark.
• Alcohol: shops stop selling; licensed hotels and tourist-area bars can serve.
• Best for groups: a Pattaya villa weekend, with the bar stocked on Saturday.
• Book by: December for villas and cars.

Checked October 2026. Plan it with Tanner.