A vibrant land with so many cultures to flaunt, among the most popular events are The Mekong Friendship Festival; Phra That Phanom Homage-Paying Fair, which occurs at the end of January attracting thousands of Buddhist devotees who pay homage to the famous Phra That Phanom, a relic of the Lord Buddha; Chinese New Year and Dragon & Lion Parade, held every year by local resident of Chinese descent to honour the Golden deity for his benevolence; Straw Bird Fair , as straw is a plentiful by-product in rice farming, the local villagers of Chai Nat create from it, large colorful straw birds representing the more than 85 species that are found in the Chai Nat Bird Park. The straw birds are put on show in a fair that also features local handicrafts and culinary delicacies; Songkran Festiva, a traditional Thai New Year that is an occasion for merrymaking in Bangkok as well as in other parts of the country marked with religious ceremonies as well as public festivities. Venture out into the streets and get soaked in a spirit of fun and goodwill; Royal Ploughing Ceremony , celebrating the official commencement of the rice growing season and is staged at Sanam Luang, the large field across the Grand Palace . Colorful costumes are worn by the participants who perform various ceremonies that are believed to forecast the abundance of the next rice crop; the Candle Festival, which puts on show beautifully crafted beeswax candles and a lot many other festivities!
