Christmas in Thailand

Let’s face it folks, Christmas does not come naturally to Thai people.They try their very best (as they do in all ways) to please their guests, but it’s just not the same. First of all, Jesus ain’t the main man around these parts. It’s Buddha. So there’s that. And while you still hear relentless Christmas carols playing in the mall, the spiritual side of the holiday is pretty much absent. “Oh Holy Night” is strictly background music, especially to people who don’t speak English.

But Thai people do not turn their back on an opportunity to celebrate. And the fact that there are thousands of Westerners and ex-pats around is as good an excuse as any to eat, drink, and be merry.

They put up Yule displays and some of them are pretty comical. They often look like a parody of the real thing, although come to think of it, I’ve seen plenty of that back in the States.

The closer you get to the front lines of tourism, the more sophisticated Christmas becomes. At the nicer hotels and fancy shops, you can find some impressive set-ups, but even those fall short in light of the ever present BLING found year round in The Kingdom. Christmas barely makes a dent in the visual landscape.

Wherever you may be in the world, Merry Christmas!! In the words of Tiny Tim, “Bless us, every one.”