Short answer
December 2026 in Bangkok has four fixed points. The K-pop group BTS plays on 3, 5 and 6 December. The royal funeral of Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother runs from 15 to 19 December, with the cremation at Sanam Luang on Wednesday 16 December at 4:30 pm. Banks close on Monday 7, Thursday 10 and Thursday 31 December. CentralWorld holds a countdown with fireworks and drones on 31 December. The Vijit Chao Phraya river lights end on 13 December, and ICONSIAM's Christmas lights run to 25 December.
What are the main dated events in Bangkok in December 2026?
December has a few fixed dates and one very large ceremony. The K-pop group BTS plays Bangkok on 3, 5 and 6 December. Banks close on Monday 7 December, as a substitute for the 5 December birthday of King Bhumibol, on Thursday 10 December and on Thursday 31 December, according to the Bank of Thailand's list as reported by the Nation. The royal funeral of Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother runs from 15 to 19 December, with the cremation on Wednesday 16 December. Vijit Chao Phraya ends on 13 December, and ICONSIAM's Christmas lights run to 25 December.
Few December events had been announced when we checked on 2 November, so treat this page as a list of the fixed dates and look again closer to the month. The Bangkok Art Biennale continues to 28 February 2027, and our November guide covers the events that run into early December.
When is Queen Sirikit's royal funeral, and what does it change for visitors?
The Nation and The Star reported on 22 September that the royal cremation of Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother, who died on 24 October 2025, will take place at 4:30 pm on Wednesday 16 December at the royal crematorium at Sanam Luang. The ceremonies run for five days. On 15 December a royal merit-making ceremony is held at Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall at 5 pm. On 16 December the royal urn is conveyed to the crematorium at 7 am. On 17 December the relics are collected at 8 am and taken to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the Grand Palace. A second merit-making ceremony follows on 18 December at 5 pm. On 19 December a meal is offered to monks at 10 am, the relics are enshrined at the Grand Palace, and the ashes are interred at 5 pm at Wat Ratchabophit and Wat Bowonniwet. All ceremonies will be broadcast live.
Rehearsals come first. The Nation reported on 31 October that two full-scale rehearsals are set for 6 December and 12 December, after the sessions on 15 and 22 November. For the first rehearsal on 31 October the police put traffic controls on 16 roads around the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang between 06:30 and 19:30, suggested detours and advised an extra one to two hours of travel time. Expect a similar pattern on the later rehearsal days and on the ceremony days. The traffic hotline is 1197.
We did not find an announcement on public viewing, holidays, alcohol-sale limits or entertainment restrictions for the ceremony days, and the Grand Palace's schedule page had no December entries on 2 November. Check again in early December. Our alcohol hours guide explains how sales can be limited on special days, and our guide to Grand Palace hours and dress code shows how to check closures.
Which concerts are on in Bangkok in December 2026?
The big date is the K-pop group BTS, which plays Bangkok on 3, 5 and 6 December on its world tour, according to NME and TTG Asia. NME said in January that the venue would be revealed later, and the sources we read do not name it, so check the organiser's announcement for the venue and the entry times.
Amadeus Travel Intelligence, quoted by TTG Asia on 27 October, found international flight bookings for arrivals between 30 November and 6 December up 41% on last year. Hotel occupancy booked for the nights of 3 and 5 December was up 31% on average, and the average room rate in concert week was up about 15%, to US$121. Those are advance bookings, not final occupancy. If you want a central hotel in the first week of December, book soon, and expect crowded trains on the concert evenings.
Which public holidays fall in December 2026, and what closes?
The Nation reported on 28 August the Bank of Thailand's list of the remaining bank holidays in 2026. In December they are Monday 7 December, a substitute for the birth anniversary of King Bhumibol the Great, National Day and National Father's Day, which fall on Saturday 5 December; Thursday 10 December, Constitution Day; and Thursday 31 December, New Year's Eve. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 24 and 25 December, are not on the list. Friday 1 January 2027 is a bank holiday on the 2027 calendar, which we cover in our Bank of Thailand holiday list for 2027, so by our count banks are shut from Thursday 31 December to Sunday 3 January.
The list covers banks; government offices and embassies can follow a different one. Wikivoyage says large crowds gather at Sanam Luang on 5 December for the late King's birthday. This year Sanam Luang holds the Royal Crematorium, so check with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration where the 5 December observances will be held.
What light shows and Christmas events are on in Bangkok in December?
Vijit Chao Phraya's river lights run until 13 December, the Nation reported, at 13 sites between Rama III Bridge and Rama VIII Bridge. ICONSIAM's Bangkok Illumination runs to 25 December, with the Blessing Tree, a Christmas tree more than 21 metres tall, and light shows daily at 18:30, 19:30 and 20:30. The Bangkok Art Biennale continues to 28 February 2027. At CentralWorld, a Disney and Pixar display called A Celebration of Wonders runs from 12 November to 3 January across more than 4,000 square metres, with themed zones that include Elsa's ice castle and artificial snow that falls four times each evening between 17:00 and 20:00, PostToday reported on 30 October.
From 25 to 31 December, Banthat Thong Road, Bangkok's food street, holds what the Nation calls its first full-scale Christmas and New Year celebration, in the style of a Thai temple fair, with festive lighting, an illuminated Christmas tree, fairground game stalls and activities for families. The organisers forecast more than 300,000 attendees per festival; that is a projection, not a count. We found no hotel Christmas programmes in Bangkok on 2 November, so ask your hotel when it publishes its Christmas Eve and Christmas Day plans.
What happens on 31 December 2026 in Bangkok?
Central Pattana announced on 19 October that centralwOrld will hold its Bangkok Countdown 2027 on 31 December, with artist performances, special shows, fireworks and drone displays, according to Thailand Hyperlinks. The artist line-up had not been announced. ICONSIAM, which held a five-day countdown on 27 to 31 December 2025, had not announced a 2027 plan when we checked.
31 December is a Thursday and a bank holiday. Our New Year's Eve in Bangkok guide covers the venues, hotel packages, trains and the rules on fireworks and lanterns.
What is the weather like in Bangkok in December, and how busy is it?
December is dry. The WMO 1991 to 2020 normals for the Bangkok Metropolis station give 11.6 mm of rain on 1.0 day, a mean daily high of 32.3 °C, a mean low of 23.2 °C and 65.6% humidity. Our best time to visit Bangkok guide calls December the driest and least humid month. The Thai Meteorological Department's outlook, which we summarise in our cool season guide, expects Bangkok minimums of 19 to 21 °C and the coldest period from late December to early February, though it expects a warmer-than-normal season overall.
Hotels are busiest around the concerts on 3 to 6 December and the New Year break. Our best-time guide names December and January as the easiest months for sightseeing, so book accommodation first and tours a few days ahead.
How can I plan a Bangkok day in December 2026?
For temples, our Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun tour is from $75 per person, meets at about 8:30 am and takes about 4 hours, with the three entrance tickets included. The Grand Palace can close or change its hours for royal ceremonies, so we check its schedule for your date and confirm before you pay. If your date is 6 or 12 December, or between 15 and 19 December, tell us early.
For an evening, our night tuk-tuk food tour is from $40 per person, starts at about 5:30 pm and ends in Chinatown at about 9:30 pm. On concert and rehearsal days, road traffic is the main risk. The Skytrain timetable page gives service hours of 05:00 to 01:00, and our BTS and MRT fares guide lists the fares.
Practical checklist
- Book a central hotel early if you arrive between 30 November and 6 December: the K-pop group BTS plays on 3, 5 and 6 December.
- Allow an extra one to two hours around the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang on 6 and 12 December and from 15 to 19 December.
- Remember the bank holidays: 7 December, 10 December and 31 December, then 1 January 2027.
- Check the Grand Palace schedule page, or phone +66 2 623 5500 ext. 2171, before a palace day.
- Look for announcements on alcohol sales and entertainment for the funeral ceremony days in early December.
Questions and answers
When is Queen Sirikit's cremation?
Wednesday 16 December 2026 at 4:30 pm at the royal crematorium at Sanam Luang, within ceremonies from 15 to 19 December, the Nation and The Star reported on 22 September. All ceremonies will be broadcast live.
Are banks open on 7 December 2026?
No. The Bank of Thailand's list, as the Nation reported it, makes Monday 7 December a substitute holiday, because the 5 December observances fall on a Saturday. Thursday 10 December and Thursday 31 December are bank holidays too.
Is Christmas Day a public holiday in Thailand?
It is not on the Bank of Thailand's list of 2026 bank holidays, which has 7, 10 and 31 December. Friday 25 December is an ordinary working day for banks.
When does the K-pop group BTS play in Bangkok?
On 3, 5 and 6 December 2026, according to NME and TTG Asia. The sources we read do not name the venue, so check the organiser.
Are the Chao Phraya river lights still on in December?
Until 13 December. Vijit Chao Phraya runs from 13 November to 13 December at 13 sites between Rama III Bridge and Rama VIII Bridge, the Nation reported.
Is the Grand Palace open in December 2026?
Its schedule page had no December entries on 2 November. Rehearsals on 6 and 12 December and the ceremonies from 15 to 19 December may affect the area, so call +66 2 623 5500 ext. 2171 or ask us before you go.