Ok Phansa, the end of Buddhist Lent in Thailand

Ok Phansa is the name of a Buddhist festival that takes place on the full moon of the 11th lunar month and marks the end of Buddhist Lent.

It is a time of celebration and recognition of merit with different events and activities that will take place across the country in different provinces

Date of Ok Phansa 2025

This year, October 7, 2025 .

Description of the Ok Phansa party

Monks during Buddhist Lent.

Wan Ok Phansa (wan = day; ok = to go out) (Thai: วันออกพรรษา) is the last day of the observance of Vassa, (Buddhist Lent).

It occurs in October, three lunar months after the start of Vassa, known as Wan Khao Phansa (Thai: วันเข้าพรรษา).

For more information see: Khao Phansa: Thailand's Buddhist Lent

Ok Phansa Festival Celebration 2025: Rituals and Traditions

Naga Fireball Festival in Nong Khai.

On the day of Ok Phansa, many rituals and ceremonies enliven the Thai landscape:

1. Tak Bat Devo Ceremony

Derived from the Pali words 'Tak Bat' (meaning to give alms) and 'Devo' (referring to the Buddha's descent from heaven), this ceremony sees monks descend from their monastic residences to receive alms from the faithful.

The laity get up early to prepare food and offerings.

2. Procession of illuminated boats

As night falls, Thailand's rivers and canals are lit up with boats adorned with candles, incense, and flowers.

This captivating parade, known as 'Lai Reua Fai', symbolizes the Buddha's descent from heaven, guided by light.

In places like Nakhon Phanom, this procession is particularly grandiose and attracts tourists and locals alike.

Realization of Kathin

Kathin is a ceremony in which lay people offer new robes and other necessities to monks.

Given the wear and tear of robes during the rainy season, this ritual allows monks to have new clothes and gives lay people the opportunity to earn merit.

Most Famous Events for Ok Phansa

Rap Bua Festival in Samut Prakan. Photo: Thailand Event Guide

On Ok Phansa day there are celebrations and festivals all over the country, here are the most famous:

Ok Phansa in central Thailand

The Saraburi Long-boat Race Festival , which dates back to the golden age of the Ayutthaya and features long boat races on the Pasak River.

The Buffalo Racing Festival in Chonburi . With their jockeys attached, the buffaloes race at a surprisingly fast speed in what is also a celebration of the animal's role in the agricultural arena.

The Rub Bua Festival , an ancient Buddhist tradition of the local people of Bang Phli district in Samut Prakan .

The highlight is a magnificent barge procession of a replica of the Buddhist image of Luang Pho To along Khlong Samrong.

In Saraburi , a parade of monks and people wearing clothes that mimic angels takes place at the same time as the Devo alms giving ceremony at Wat Buddhachai temple.

Dried food, sticky rice and fruits are given to the monks.

A large group of people perform a traditional dance during the ceremony.

A ceremony celebrating the end of the annual Rains Retreat takes place at Wat Chet Riu in Chet Riu subdistrict of Ban Phaeo district in Samut Sakhon .

On this occasion, residents give alms and wash the feet of Buddhist monks.

This unique ceremony has been passed down for over a century.

During the event, local people usually wear white and also present lotus in addition to an alms offering.

In Ratchaburi Province , a number of local residents and tourists queue all night to give alms to monks at midnight during the midnight alms-giving ceremony at Wat Yai Nakhon Chum in Ban Pong District.

Legend has it that the Buddhist monk Upagupta would come to bless the inhabitants at dawn.

Ratchaburi residents believe that giving alms at this time will bring them good luck.

Ang Thong province , families gather to give alms to the monks of Wat Nang Cham.

Part of the tradition is to allow children from the temple to participate in the almsgiving activity, in order to encourage young people to participate.

Ok Phansa in the eastern region of Thailand

In Trat , the provincial governor leads state officials and local residents in local almsgiving activity, part of a religion promotion initiative that roughly translates to "The governors take you to the temple."

This activity takes place at Wat Bang Prue in the provincial capital.

Ok Phansa in northern Thailand

In Uthai Thani , 500 monks descend 449 steps from the top of Sakae Krang mountain before arriving at Wat Sangkat Rattanakhiri temple to participate in the Tak Bat Thewo alms-giving ceremony.

People also offer sticky rice and dry food to the monks.

In Chiang Mai , residents and tourists dress in white and give alms to 99 monks and novices at the Grand Pavilion in Rajapruek Royal Park.

Participants also donate money to cover the education and medical costs of monks in the Mae Hia sub-district.

In Chiang Rai , Buddhist residents and tourists from the province give alms to monks one minute after midnight, on the 15th day of the 11th lunar month.

The practice of almsgiving is an important part of the Buddhist faith, and is believed to bring good fortune through merit.

The tradition of midnight almsgiving in Chiang Rai incorporates elements of Lanna culture.

Participants carrying rice and dried food lined up on both sides of the road from the entrance of Wat Ming Muang to the Chiang Rai Clock Tower.

Similarly, in Nan , local residents participate in midnight alms giving for the monks at Wat Koo Kam.

Giving alms at the end of Buddhist Lent, also known among the Lanna as Peng Pud, is believed to bring fortune and success.

Ok Phansa in northeast Thailand

The famous Naga fireball festival .

One of the most mysterious events in the Thai calendar, it revolves around the still-unexplained fireballs that burst into the sky from the Mekong River each year.

Naga Fireball Festival in Nong Khai. Photo: The Nation Thailand

In Nong Khai , a large number of residents and tourists gather to give alms at the Tak Bat Devo festival to the monks of Wat Siri Maha Katchai, Wat Udom Mahawan, Wat Pho Sri Wat Yod Kaeo Wat Pradit Thammakhun Wat Sri Khun Mueang Wat Si Si Mueang and Wat Chai Porn.

Similarly, in Nakhon Phanom , the Tak Bat Devo almsgiving was held at the Naga Monument in Nakhon Phanom Municipality with a large number of participants honoring the merit event.

The Nakhon Phanom Illuminated Boat Procession A procession in which locals float the Lai Reua Fai, illuminated boats, on the Mekong River.

Procession of illuminated boats in Nakhon Phanom.

Loaded with food, flowers, incense sticks, candles and handmade lanterns, the boats offer a spectacular sight.

Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival with amazing wax sculptures and longboat races on Nong Han Reservoir.

Intricate sculptures in the form of entire cities, elaborate deities and shrines are paraded around the city and help increase international recognition of this event.

Ubon Ratchathani marks the end of Buddhist Lent with a procession, circumnavigating its central temple chapel three times with two sacred trees used in place of a wax castle.

Roi Et province , local residents hold a Kuan Khao Thip ceremony at Bueng Phalan Chai, the lake in the heart of the provincial capital with an island that contains the city's pillar shrine.

The Kuan Khao Thip ceremony involves creating a large batch of rice porridge, stirred with oars.

The porridge will be distributed as alms to the monks of the various temples in the municipality.

Ok Phansa in southern Thailand

Surat Thani Chak Phra Festival and Boat Races on the banks of the Tapi River and Naris Bridge.

Floral floats fashioned into mythical creatures from Buddhist folklore parade, while boat races attract teams from several southern provinces.

In Nakhon Si Thammarat , residents of the Lim Lam Num Num Tha Num Dee community participate in an ancient ceremony known to locals as Lak Phra Thang Num at Wat Phattasema temple.

During the ceremony, an Ayutthaya-period Buddha statue, Phra Issarachai, is transported from the temple and placed on a beautifully decorated barge which is then pulled into the river and along the waterway.

Buddhists from the Deep South gather in Yala province to participate in a Chak Phra ceremony, marking the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat.

The event attracts around fifty boats carrying monks from various temples in the south as well as from Songkhla province.

In Songkhla province , residents parade a sacred cloth through the municipal area before using it to wrap the province's central pagoda.

The activity also includes a mass almsgiving, undertaken to bring merit to all participants.

Buddhists in the predominantly Muslim province of Yala will buy flowers, curries and sweets for alms.

Military and police personnel, as well as security volunteers, are closely monitoring activities to ensure public safety during this religious event.

Source: Wikipedia , thaifestivalblogs.com, bangkokjack.com