15/05/2026
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐢 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬: 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬
About a month after the celebration of the Thai New Year (Songkran), Chiang Mai enters another festive season. In late May and early June, the city celebrates two major religious events: the local Inthakin Festival, and the nationwide Buddhist holiday Visakha Bucha Day, which in Chiang Mai is accompanied by the traditional overnight pilgrimage up Doi Suthep, known as Tiew Khuen Doi.
Although many Thai people themselves perceive these two celebrations as part of a single season of sacred merit-making ceremonies marking the beginning of the rainy season, they actually have different origins. Even their dates are calculated differently.
Visakha Bucha is always tied to the full moon of the sixth lunar month, while the Inthakin Festival is determined according to separate northern Thai (Lanna) calendrical traditions. Because of this, the dates of the two festivals may partially overlap, follow one another directly, or sometimes coincide almost completely.
🗓️ In 2026, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣 𝙁𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡 takes place from 24 to 30 May, while 𝙑𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙠𝙝𝙖 𝘽𝙪𝙘𝙝𝙖 𝘿𝙖𝙮 falls on 31 May.
In any case, for visitors who happen to be in Chiang Mai during this period, these are among the most genuinely local and spiritually meaningful events you can experience anywhere in northern Thailand.
So let’s take a closer look at what these festivals are, how they differ, and how you can take part in them. We’ll begin with 🌸 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣 𝙁𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡.
💡𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧?
In Thailand, every city has a sacred pillar regarded as its spiritual center and protective heart. In Chiang Mai and other cities of northern Thailand, these pillars are locally known as Sao Inthakin.
The word Inthakin comes from the ancient Indian term Indakhila — “the Pillar of Indra.” In Hindu and Buddhist cosmology, Indra is the king of the gods. The Thai word sao simply means “pillar” or “column,” specifying that this refers to a physical sacred pillar, while Inthakin is its holy name — the pillar bestowed by Indra himself.
📍𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐒𝐚𝐨 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐢?
According to tradition, when King Mangrai founded Chiang Mai in 1296, the city pillar was placed in a temple called Wat Inthakin — on the site where Wat Sadeu Muang stands today, near the Three Kings Monument.
During the period of Burmese rule, Chiang Mai fell into decline, and the city pillar was eventually buried beneath the ruins of Wat Inthakin. In 1800, after the Lanna Kingdom regained its independence and the city began to revive, the pillar was rediscovered by order of King Chao Kawila.
It was then moved to a specially constructed shrine building known as the Viharn Sao Inthakin, located within the grounds of Wat Chedi Luang. On the original site of Wat Inthakin, Wat Sadeu Muang was later built — a temple whose name literally means “the navel of the city.”
Nowadays, both temples are closely associated with the annual celebration honoring the sacred pillar - the Inthakin Festival.
🙏 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥?
Once a year, the pillar becomes the center of the city's ritual life — for seven days. On the opening and closing days, official religious ceremonies are held with the participation of senior monks, government officials, and representatives of Chiang Mai province and municipality, followed by ceremonial processions through the Old City.
Throughout all seven days, the Viharn Sao Inthakin remains open for public worship from morning until evening. Worshippers carry traditional Lanna offering sets known as khan dok, typically consisting of white and yellow flowers, candles, incense sticks, banana-leaf arrangements (bai sri), and sometimes sheets of silver or gold foil. These offerings are placed at the base of the pillar shrine.
Buddhist monks conduct chanting ceremonies at regular intervals throughout the day, beginning around 8 a.m. and continuing until approximately 5 p.m. The sound of continuous Pali chanting forms a constant spiritual backdrop inside the viharn.
Each evening, cultural performances take place in the temple courtyard and surrounding festival grounds. These include traditional Lanna dances, northern Thai folk music, classical instrumental ensembles, and theatrical performances based on Lanna legends.
Traditionally, these performances are intended not only to entertain visitors, but also to honor and delight the spirit of the city pillar itself — reflecting the ancient belief that offerings of beauty, music, and art strengthen the sacred bond protecting the city.
😊 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭?
The festival is a genuine religious ceremony — but yes, you're welcome to join. Dress modestly (temple rules apply), bring flowers if you'd like to make an offering, and simply follow what others do. The evening cultural performances are a good entry point if you're not sure where to start.
𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙖𝙩: the rainy season has its own plans. The forecast is not encouraging — though praying for the city's protection from the elements seems entirely appropriate given the occasion. — at Wat Chedi Luang.
Credit to facebook; content and photos , awesome photos and well descript
