Chinese New Year 2027 in Bangkok: Dates, Yaowarat and Tips

Chinese New Year 2027 in Bangkok falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, the start of the Year of the Goat. Bangkok has one of the largest Thai-Chinese communities in the world, and for a few days the city's Chinatown along Yaowarat Road turns red and gold: lanterns over the street, lion dances outside gold shops, queues at the temples and a lot of very good food. This guide covers the key dates, where to go, what happened in recent years, and how to enjoy it without getting stuck in the crowds.

Last checked: October 2026. At the time of writing no official 2027 programme has been published for Yaowarat. The festival is normally announced by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) a few weeks before the date, usually in January. We will add events to the calendar for February 2027 as they are confirmed.

Chinese New Year 2027: key dates

The lunar new year moves each year with the moon. For 2027, standard lunar calendars agree on these dates:

Day	Date	What happens
Wan Chai ("spending day")	Thursday 4 February	Families shop for offerings, fruit, roast meats and gold
Wan Wai ("worship day"), New Year's Eve	Friday 5 February	Offerings to ancestors and gods at home and at shrines
Wan Tiew ("outing day"), New Year's Day	Saturday 6 February	Visiting family, temples and Chinatown; red envelopes
Lantern Festival	Saturday 20 February	Traditionally closes the 15-day new year period

Thai-Chinese families follow these three days ("chai, wai, tiew") closely. For visitors, the eve and the first day are the busiest in Chinatown, and the weekend timing in 2027 means the crowds will be large.

Is Chinese New Year a public holiday in Thailand?

No. Chinese New Year is not on Thailand's published national public holiday list for 2027, so government offices, banks and most businesses keep normal hours. Many Thai-Chinese family businesses do close for a few days, and in Chinatown some shops, gold dealers and street food stalls take time off around the New Year. Note that Makha Bucha Day falls about two weeks later, on Sunday 21 February 2027, with Monday 22 February as the substitute holiday. That is a Buddhist holy day, and alcohol sales are normally restricted on it.

Where to celebrate Chinese New Year in Bangkok

Yaowarat Road (Chinatown)

Yaowarat is the heart of it. In a normal festival year the road is closed to traffic for the main celebration and turns into a long pedestrian street with a stage, lion and dragon dances, Chinese opera, food stalls and lantern displays. The official opening has often been held near Odeon Circle, at the Chinatown Gate end of the road, and in recent years has been presided over by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. In 2025, for example, she opened the Yaowarat festival on 29 January, with the street event held over 29 and 30 January.

Even outside the official event, the area is busy over the New Year days. Gold shops along Yaowarat do brisk business (gold is a traditional New Year purchase), stalls sell red decorations, mandarins and offerings, and the side streets around Sampeng Lane and Charoen Krung are packed.

What happened in 2026

It is worth knowing that the main festival does not run every year. In 2026, Samphanthawong District announced that the Yaowarat Chinese New Year Festival, planned for 17 and 18 February, was cancelled because of the national mourning period for Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother. Celebrations still went ahead in a quieter form: TAT lit up Yaowarat Road with festive lanterns from 7 February to 1 March 2026, and its Thailand Chinese New Year Festival activities moved to Siam Paragon from 14 to 18 February. Malls and shrines around the city, including CentralWorld and ICONSIAM, also held their own events.

Whether the full street festival returns for 2027 has not been announced. If it follows the usual pattern, expect an announcement from TAT or the BMA in January 2027.

Chinese temples and shrines

For many Thai-Chinese families the New Year starts with a temple visit to make merit and pray for a good year. The best-known places in and around Chinatown are:

• Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (also called Wat Leng Noei Yi), on Charoen Krung Road. Bangkok's most important Chinese Buddhist temple and the busiest on New Year's Day. Expect long queues and thick incense smoke. The MRT station right outside is named after it.
• Wat Traimit, near Odeon Circle, home of the Golden Buddha. It is a Thai Buddhist temple, but it sits at the start of Yaowarat and draws big New Year crowds.
• Chinese shrines along Yaowarat, Charoen Krung and Song Wat Road, many of them more than a century old. Smaller and calmer than the big temples.
• The Poh Teck Tung Foundation on Phlap Phla Chai Road, a charity shrine where many people make New Year donations.

Dress respectfully (shoulders and knees covered), keep your voice down inside the halls, and do not stand in front of people who are praying to take photos.

Malls and hotels

If you want the decorations without the crush, the big malls usually run Chinese New Year displays, lion dance shows and food fairs. In 2026 TAT's main programme was at Siam Paragon, and CentralWorld and ICONSIAM held their own celebrations. Many hotel Chinese restaurants run set menus for the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve; book early, because they fill up. Check the Siam and Pathum Wan area page and the Riverside page for what is listed closer to the date.

What to eat in Chinatown at New Year

Chinatown is one of Bangkok's great food streets at any time of year, and New Year adds festive specialities. Look out for:

• Mandarins and pomelos, symbols of luck and prosperity, sold everywhere.
• Khanom kheng and khanom tian, steamed sweet rice cakes made for the offerings.
• Roast duck and pork, part of the offering trays and family meals.
• The street food Yaowarat is famous for every night: noodles, seafood, grilled skewers, dim sum and Chinese desserts.

Remember that some well-known stalls and restaurants close for a few days around the New Year. If you have a specific place in mind, check its own social pages before you go. Our best weekend markets guide has other places to eat your way around the city.

How to get to Yaowarat

• MRT Blue Line: Wat Mangkon station is right in the middle of Chinatown, on Charoen Krung Road. Hua Lamphong is a 10-minute walk to Odeon Circle. Wat Mangkon station is very crowded on New Year's Day; exiting at Hua Lamphong or Sam Yot and walking can be quicker.
• Chao Phraya Express Boat: get off at Ratchawong pier and walk up Ratchawong Road into Chinatown.
• Taxi or ride-share: possible, but traffic around Yaowarat is often gridlocked on festival days, and roads may be closed if the official event runs. Ask to be dropped a few streets away.

Tips for Chinese New Year in Bangkok

• Wear red if you want to blend in. Avoid all-black or all-white outfits, which are linked to mourning.
• Go early or late. The temples are calmest early in the morning. Yaowarat's street food peaks after dark.
• Carry small notes for stalls and temple donations, and keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket in the crowds.
• Red envelopes (ang pao) are given by elders and employers to children and staff. As a visitor you are not expected to give them, though it is a kind gesture if you are visiting a Thai-Chinese family.
• Expect closures. Some Chinatown businesses close for several days. Gold shops are busy before and on New Year.
• Check for road closures once the official programme is published, especially around Odeon Circle and Yaowarat Road.

More to do in Bangkok in February 2027

Chinese New Year in 2027 lands on the same weekend as several sports and cultural events, and February is still cool, dry season. Valentine's Day (Sunday 14 February) and Makha Bucha (Sunday 21 February) fall in the same month. For races, our running races calendar lists the early-2027 events, and the art spaces in our Bangkok art galleries guide include several in Talat Noi, right next to Chinatown. If you are in town in November, Song Wat Week 2026 is a good introduction to the creative side of the same neighbourhood.

For the rest of the season, browse the Chinatown area page, festivals and what is on this weekend. Planning further ahead? See our Songkran 2027 Bangkok guide.

FAQ

When is Chinese New Year 2027?

Chinese New Year 2027 is on Saturday 6 February 2027. New Year's Eve, when families make their main offerings, is Friday 5 February. It starts the Year of the Goat.

Where is the best place to celebrate Chinese New Year in Bangkok?

Yaowarat Road in Chinatown is the main focus, with lion dances, lanterns, food and temple visits. Wat Mangkon Kamalawat is the most important Chinese temple. Big malls such as Siam Paragon, CentralWorld and ICONSIAM also run celebrations.

Has the 2027 Yaowarat Chinese New Year festival been announced?

Not yet (last checked October 2026). The programme is normally published by TAT and the BMA in January. In 2026 the main street festival was cancelled because of the national mourning period, though the road was still decorated with lanterns.

Is Chinese New Year a public holiday in Thailand?

No, it is not a national public holiday in 2027. Banks and government offices stay open, but many Thai-Chinese businesses close for a few days.

How do I get to Chinatown for Chinese New Year?

Take the MRT Blue Line to Wat Mangkon or Hua Lamphong, or the Chao Phraya Express Boat to Ratchawong pier. Avoid driving if you can: traffic is heavy and roads may be closed.

What should I wear?

Red is lucky and very popular. Cover your shoulders and knees if you plan to visit temples or shrines, and wear comfortable shoes for crowds.