Short answer
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February, in the Year of the Goat, according to Wikipedia. It is not a national public holiday in Thailand; only some southern provinces observe it. Bangkok's 2027 programme had not been announced by 2 November 2026. In 2026 the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) listed lights on Yaowarat Road from 7 February to 1 March, 18:00 to 23:00, while the district office cancelled the official street shows during mourning for Queen Sirikit. Look for 2027 plans from late January.
When is Chinese New Year 2027, and is it a public holiday in Thailand?
Chinese New Year 2027 is on Saturday 6 February, the first day of the Year of the Goat, according to Wikipedia's date table. Wikipedia says the Thai observance is usually celebrated for three days, starting on the day before Chinese New Year's Eve. For 2027 that is, by our count, Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 February. Thaiger names the three days Wan Chai, for shopping and preparation, Wan Wai, the most important day, with offerings to household gods and ancestors and the reunion dinner, and Wan Thiao, the day of celebration, when people wear new red clothes and elders give red envelopes.
It is not a national public holiday. Wikipedia says government agencies observe it as a holiday only in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Satun provinces. VietnamPlus, reporting from Bangkok in February 2026, says the same: it is not an official public holiday in Thailand, but Bangkok and other cities hold festivities because of their large Chinese-Thai communities. The Bank of Thailand's 2027 calendar, as the Nation reported on 28 August, has no entry for 6 February; our 2027 holiday list has the dates it does list. That day is a Saturday, and Thursday 4 and Friday 5 February are ordinary working days.
Will there be a Chinese New Year festival on Yaowarat Road in 2027?
Nothing had been announced on 2 November 2026, and we found no 2027 plan on TAT's news site. The last two years suggest when to look. In both 2025 and 2026 the Yaowarat lights were switched on ten days before Chinese New Year: on 19 January 2025, for 29 January, and on 7 February 2026, for 17 February. TAT announced its 2026 Bangkok programme on 5 February, twelve days before the festival. If the pattern holds, look for 2027 plans from the third week of January.
In 2025 TAT listed the Amazing Light Decorations on Yaowarat Road from 19 January to 9 February, with an opening ceremony at 19:30 on 19 January at the Chinatown Gate at Odeon Circle. In 2026 TAT listed illuminations from Odeon Circle to the Chaloem Buri intersection from 7 February to 1 March, daily 18:00 to 23:00, under the theme Ride the Fortune, Share the Future. Thaiger reported on 6 February that the district office had cancelled the official street celebrations out of respect during the national mourning period for Queen Mother Sirikit. Food stalls, gold shops and the red-lit streets stayed open without stage shows, and the usual performances and large festival crowds were not to take place on 17 and 18 February.
In a full-size year the street changes. Wikipedia says the road is closed to traffic during the festival and becomes a full pedestrian street, and Wikivoyage describes street festivities, lion dances and food fairs. We cannot say which kind of year 2027 will be, so plan the evening so that it works either way.
Which temples and shrines are busiest at Chinese New Year?
Wikivoyage says the temples in Chinatown will be more packed than ever during the festival, and recommends Wat Mangkon Kamalawat and the Thien Fa Foundation's Guan Yin shrine. It lists Wat Mangkon Kamalawat as open from 06:00 to 17:00 daily and free, and calls it one of Chinatown's liveliest temples; those hours are undated, so check them. Wat Traimit, the Temple of the Golden Buddha, stands near the start of Yaowarat Road at Odeon Circle, according to Wikipedia.
Burning incense and paper offerings is part of the day, and the smoke is a health issue. Thaiger reported that temples now encourage electronic firecrackers and shorter incense sticks. On 16 February 2026 the Pollution Control Department warned that incense, firecrackers and joss paper release harmful pollutants including PM2.5, expected to rise in Bangkok on 16 and 17 February. It asked people to use short or electric incense and, if they must burn it, to do so in open or well-ventilated places. It named children, older people and people with respiratory disease as the higher-risk groups, so keep a visit short and step outside when the smoke builds. Our temple etiquette guide has the dress and shoe rules.
What should I eat in Yaowarat at Chinese New Year?
Thaiger lists the lucky foods of the season: a whole fish, because its Chinese name sounds like surplus; uncut longevity noodles; mandarin oranges, for their golden colour and round shape; and nian gao, which Thais call khanom kheng. Wikipedia says Yaowarat Road turns into a large food street at night. Wikivoyage adds that each street restaurant specialises in one particular dish and that simple meals cost around 50 baht per dish, an undated figure.
Wikivoyage also says most shops close at 17:00, with Yaowarat Road itself the exception, and that many stores close at weekends, which matters because 6 February is a Saturday. The festival may change this, so check before you plan a meal around one stall. Our Chinatown food tour guide lists the usual evening hours and Monday closures, and our guide to what to eat in Bangkok covers ten dishes and how to order them.
How crowded is Bangkok at Chinese New Year, and how do I get to Yaowarat?
The festival is a tourism peak. TAT projected about 1.25 million international visitors, up 10%, and 2.3 million domestic trips for 13 to 22 February 2026, with tourism revenue of about 42.23 billion baht. We found no 2027 projection, but book flights and hotels early if your dates are around 6 February.
Wikipedia says Wat Mangkon station on the MRT Blue Line serves Yaowarat Road. Wikivoyage adds that Hua Lamphong and Sam Yot stations also line Charoen Krung Road, and calls Rachawongse an ideal Chao Phraya Express Boat stop for central Yaowarat. The BTS does not serve Chinatown; see our BTS and MRT fares guide. In a year when the road is closed to traffic, a taxi can only drop you at the edge, so expect to walk the last stretch. Wikivoyage says Phahurat, next door, becomes deserted at night, while the Pak Khlong Talat flower market becomes lively.
Which malls and hotels celebrated Chinese New Year in 2026?
The 2026 programmes show what to look for in 2027, but none is confirmed. TAT's main festival was at Siam Paragon from 14 to 18 February, with a Thai-Chinese greeting ceremony on the first evening, lantern displays and performances by four Chinese troupes. ICONSIAM held a prosperous Chinese New Year on 12 to 17 February, with a 32-metre dragon performance, according to VietnamPlus. CentralWorld ran a month of displays from 30 January to 1 March, with six nights of live performances on 12 to 17 February, Thaiger reported, and Asiatique ran its Art of Luck campaign from 1 February to 4 March with a ceremony on 11 February.
Hotels sold set menus and festive dinners, among them the JW Marriott's Man Ho restaurant on 15 to 21 February and the Peninsula's Lion and Dragon dance on the morning of 17 February. Hotel menus and mall schedules are usually published in the weeks before, so check each venue's own page from late January.
Can I plan a Chinese New Year evening with SB Excursions?
Our night tuk-tuk food tour is from $40 per person. It starts at about 5:30 pm, stops at Wat Arun, the Giant Swing and the Pak Khlong Talat flower market, and ends with a street-food meal and dessert on Yaowarat Road at about 9:30 pm. In a year when Yaowarat is closed to traffic the end point may change, and we have not set a special programme for 4 to 6 February. Send us your date on WhatsApp, and we confirm the plan before you pay.
For a quieter way into the old city on the morning of 6 February, our Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun tour is from $75 per person and takes about 4 hours, with the three entrance tickets included. We check the Grand Palace's schedule for your date before we confirm.
Practical checklist
- Mark Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 February 2027, and look for the Yaowarat programme from the last week of January.
- Do not count on a public holiday: banks keep their usual hours.
- Keep temple visits short, and step outside from heavy incense smoke if you have breathing problems.
- Reach Yaowarat by MRT to Wat Mangkon, and expect to walk the last stretch if the road is closed.
- Book flights and hotels early for the first week of February.
- Ask us on WhatsApp about the tuk-tuk food tour for your date.
Questions and answers
When is Chinese New Year in 2027?
Saturday 6 February 2027, the first day of the Year of the Goat, according to Wikipedia. The Thai-Chinese observance usually runs three days from the day before Chinese New Year's Eve, which by our count is 4 to 6 February.
Is Chinese New Year a public holiday in Thailand?
Not nationally. Wikipedia lists it as a holiday for government agencies in Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Satun, and the Bank of Thailand's 2027 holiday list, as the Nation reported it, has no entry for 6 February.
Will Yaowarat have a Chinese New Year festival in 2027?
It had not been announced on 2 November 2026. In 2025 TAT listed lights from 19 January to 9 February. In 2026 it listed lights from 7 February to 1 March, but Thaiger reported that the official street celebrations were cancelled during mourning for Queen Sirikit.
Is Yaowarat Road closed to traffic at Chinese New Year?
Wikipedia says the road is closed to traffic during the festival and becomes a pedestrian street. Whether that happens in 2027 depends on the programme, which had not been announced.
Which temple should I visit for Chinese New Year in Bangkok?
Wikivoyage recommends Wat Mangkon Kamalawat and the Thien Fa Foundation's Guan Yin shrine, and says temples are more packed than ever during the festival. It lists Wat Mangkon Kamalawat as open from 06:00 to 17:00 daily, undated.
What foods are lucky at Chinese New Year?
Thaiger lists a whole fish, uncut longevity noodles, mandarin oranges and nian gao, which Thais call khanom kheng.