Thai Father's Day
Next: December 5, 2026
A yellow flower for Dad.
The story
Where it comes from
Thailand's National Father's Day, Wan Pho Haeng Chat, falls on 5 December, the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), who was born in 1927 and is honoured as the 'Father of the Thai Nation'. The first Father's Day was held on 5 December 1980, at the initiative of the head of a Thai association of education volunteers. A royal announcement in 2019 fixed 5 December each year as both National Day and National Father's Day, and the government keeps it as a public holiday.
How it's celebrated
Homes and offices fly the national flag, and many people make merit by offering food to monks. Children give their fathers a garland, bow to ask for a blessing and say thank you; schools encourage Father's Day essays and poems. The government names model fathers, and volunteer and public-service activities run through December. The symbol of the day is the yellow canna lily, dok phuttharaksa.
Did you know
- The canna is yellow because yellow is the colour of Monday, the day of the week on which King Bhumibol was born, and its Thai name means 'the Buddha protects'.
- Thailand's Mother's Day is 12 August, the birthday of Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, and model mothers are honoured that day in the same way.
- 5 December is also World Soil Day, chosen by the UN in honour of King Bhumibol's work on soil.
The greeting
สุขสันต์วันพ่อ · Suk San Wan Pho
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