Christmas in Thailand

Christmas is celebrated to an extent in Thailand but it is not a holiday. The majority of people here are Buddhist. Our guide said they celebrate everything here, including 3 different New Years: Thai, Chinese, and International. They want everyone to be happy here I guess. We saw lots of Christmas decorations including snowmen which seemed funny in the warm weather. It was also odd to see kids going to school on Christmas Day.

Here is how we spent Christmas in Thailand:

Christmas Eve - Flew from the huge city of Bangkok to the northern-most province of Chang Rai.

Buffet dinner at hotel with live band playing Christmas music and lighting and releasing of giant floating lanterns.

Christmas Day - Breakfast buffet on outdoor terrace of hotel.

40 kilometer (about 24 miles) bike ride through villages.

Elephant ride through a river.

Casual lunch at local Chinese restaurant.

2-hour Thai massage for all of us.

Relaxation at hotel pool/riverside/jacuzzi tub.

Dinner at local traditional restaurant in town with live music playing in background.

Shopping in outdoor market. Local school girls interviewed us about Christmas for their school project.

It was not your ordinary Christmas Day and really not an ordinary day at all for us!