Events
The annual rhythm of the city — from April's citywide water fight to November's floating lanterns and international fireworks, with the dates and what each one actually costs.
Pattaya’s calendar has two clear peaks. April brings Songkran, which the city stretches into a week-long water fight and finishes with its own Wan Lai day. November brings the quieter, prettier pairing of Loy Krathong and the International Fireworks Festival, days apart and at the start of the best weather of the year.
Almost everything on this page is free to attend. What costs money is the accommodation around it — every date below moves hotel rates, and the two November events plus December's festival week are the hardest times of year to book late.
| Event | Dates | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattaya Music Festival | Several weekends in March (2026 edition ran 6–28 March) | Pattaya Beach, Jomtien, Lan Pho Naklua park, Koh Larn | Free |
| Songkran & Pattaya’s Wan Lai water fight | 13–15 April nationally; Pattaya’s Wan Lai day on 19 April | Citywide, centred on Beach Road | Free |
| Loy Krathong | Full moon of the twelfth lunar month — reported as 24–25 November in 2026 | Pattaya Beach, Jomtien, Naklua waterfront | Free; krathong floats around 50–150 THB |
| Pattaya International Fireworks Festival | 27–28 November 2026 | Pattaya Beach, from Bali Hai Pier to North Pattaya | Free from the beach and Beach Road |
| Tomorrowland Thailand | 11–13 December 2026 | Wisdom Valley, near Pattaya | Ticketed — the 2026 edition sold out |
| Thai long weekends & Koh Larn crowds | Every Thai public holiday | Citywide; worst on the Koh Larn ferries and Motorway 7 | — |
March
Several weekends in March (2026 edition ran 6–28 March)
Free beachfront concerts across several weekends, with stages spread along the bay and even out on Koh Larn. Top Thai pop, rock and hip-hop acts play Fridays and Saturdays — it is one of Thailand’s biggest free music events. Hotel rooms near Beach Road fill on show nights, and the beach road traffic is best avoided entirely from late afternoon.
April
13–15 April nationally; Pattaya’s Wan Lai day on 19 April
Thai New Year officially runs 13–15 April, but Pattaya extends the party all week and closes it with its own Wan Lai day on 19 April, when Beach Road becomes one enormous, cheerful water battle. Expect soaked everything, gridlocked traffic and genuine chaos. Waterproof your phone in a pouch, do not ride a motorbike, keep cash in a sealed bag, and either commit to it fully or plan your trip around it — there is no staying dry.
November
Full moon of the twelfth lunar month — reported as 24–25 November in 2026
Thousands of candlelit krathong floats are set adrift from the beaches to carry away the old year’s misfortunes. It is one of Thailand’s most beautiful nights, and Pattaya’s three kilometres of west-facing shoreline give it more room than most cities. Buy a biodegradable krathong from the beachfront vendors — banana trunk and leaves rather than polystyrene — and join in. Lunar dates shift each year, so confirm with the Tourism Authority of Thailand close to your trip.
November
27–28 November 2026
Two nights of competitive pyrotechnics over Pattaya Bay, with international teams firing choreographed displays. Shows typically begin around 19:15–19:30 and run to about 23:30, with beachside concerts and food stalls through the evening. The whole three-kilometre beachfront is a viewing gallery and costs nothing; the rooftop bars and sea-facing hotel balconies along Beach Road are the prized seats and book out well in advance.
December
11–13 December 2026
The Belgian mega-festival’s Thai edition lands just outside Pattaya in December, which reshapes the whole city’s accommodation and transport picture for that week whether or not you are going. If you are visiting Pattaya in mid-December without a ticket, book rooms and airport transfers early and expect elevated rates.
Year-round
Every Thai public holiday
Pattaya is Bangkok’s weekend beach, so every Thai public holiday sends the capital coastward: hotel rates jump, Motorway 7 crawls and the Koh Larn ferries run full from early morning. If your dates are flexible, plan island days midweek. If they coincide with a long weekend, book rooms, transfers and any tour with a fixed departure well ahead.
Exact dates for lunar-calendar festivals shift each year — check the official Tourism Authority of Thailand calendar close to your trip.
Songkran runs 13–15 April nationally, but Pattaya continues through the week and holds its own Wan Lai water-fight day on 19 April, centred on Beach Road. That final day is the biggest of the lot in Pattaya specifically.
27–28 November 2026, over Pattaya Bay. Displays usually start around 19:15–19:30 and run until roughly 23:30, and the whole beachfront from Bali Hai Pier to North Pattaya is a free viewing area.
Yes. The displays are fired over the bay and are visible free of charge from the beach and Beach Road along the full three-kilometre front. Paid seating only exists at rooftop bars and sea-facing hotels, which book out early.
Loy Krathong falls on the full moon of the twelfth Thai lunar month, reported as 24–25 November in 2026. Because it follows the lunar calendar the date moves each year, so confirm with the Tourism Authority of Thailand before booking around it.
Yes. The 2026 edition runs 11–13 December at Wisdom Valley, just outside Pattaya. Tickets for that edition sold out, but the festival still affects Pattaya hotel rates and transfers for the whole week.
November is the strongest month: Loy Krathong and the International Fireworks Festival fall within days of each other, and it sits at the start of the cool, dry season. April is the most intense — Songkran — but the heat is at its peak and the water fight is unavoidable.