April 6 is a public holiday in Thailand to commemorate Chakri Day. The day marks the founding of the royal Chakri dynasty of which the present Thai monarch is the ninth king (Rama IX). Government offices are closed today and many people will pay their respects to previous kings of the Chakri dynasty by placing flowers and garlands at royal monuments and statues throughout Thailand.
Next week sees the major holiday of the year in Thailand with the Songkran New Year Festival. The festivities start and finish on different dates depending on where you are in Thailand, but the official public holiday dates for Songkran are April 13-15.
