Bangkok Thailand
Things to do in Bangkok in December 2026
808 Festival 2026 are among the dated December highlights in Bangkok. Your dates are set below — see which events fit and get a plan of the best nearby places.
By TripSapien Research · Updated June 3, 2026
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Bangkok in December 2026
Weather
TempTemperature
89°F / 73°F
31.5°C / 22.5°C
RainPrecipitation
6d
0.4in · 9.6mm
LightDaylight
11.4h
Driest month. Peak tourist season — book hotels and Ayutthaya day trips ahead. Evenings cool enough to need a light layer.
Events & festivals
Event calendar- Dec 1 – Dec 31
Bangkok Art Biennale 2026
A city-wide contemporary art festival featuring installations, performances, and exhibitions by international and Thai artists across multiple venues in Bangkok. — Tickets available online and at participating venues; some outdoor installations are free.
Source: festival research
- Dec 1 – Dec 31
Trooping of the Colours
The Trooping of the Colours in early December is an impressive annual event
Source: Month Signals
- Dec 4 – Dec 6
It's three days of EDM madness at the 808 Festival held in Bangkok, Thailand.
Source: festival calendar
- Dec 8
Loy Krathong Festival 2026
The traditional Thai festival of lights where people float decorated baskets (krathongs) on waterways to pay respects to the water spirits. — Public event, no booking required; popular spots may get crowded.
Source: festival research
- Dec 10 – Dec 20
Bangkok International Festival of Dance and Music 2026
An annual festival showcasing classical and contemporary dance and music performances by international and local artists. — Tickets required; available online and at the venue box office.
Source: festival research
- Dec 15 – Dec 21
Bangkok Design Week 2026
A week-long event celebrating design, creativity, and innovation with exhibitions, workshops, and talks held across the city. — Many events are free; some workshops require prior registration.
Source: festival research
Show all 8 events for December
- Dec 24 – Dec 25
Christmas in Bangkok 2026
City-wide Christmas celebrations including markets, light displays, and special events in shopping malls and hotels. — Most events are free; some special dinners or shows require booking.
Source: festival research
- Dec 31
New Year's Eve Countdown 2026
Public celebrations with fireworks and live performances at central locations such as CentralWorld and Asiatique. — Free public event; arrive early for good viewing spots.
Source: festival research
Going in December? Check these against your dates.
Public holidays & long weekends
Banks and government offices close; museums, restaurants and shops may have limited hours.
- Dec 5King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Birthday
- Dec 5King Bhumibol's Birthday
- Dec 10Constitution Day
- Dec 31New Year's Eve
- Dec 10-Dec 13Long weekend with bridge day
- Dec 31-Jan 3Long weekend with bridge day
Planning checklist
- 1Check the 8 dated Bangkok events for anything that overlaps your exact December dates before assigning fixed sightseeing days.
- 2Hold flexible plans around the 4 public holidays in Thailand; museums, markets, and government-run sights can switch hours.
- 3Group each Bangkok day by nearby neighborhoods, then validate saved places against your dates before exporting the checked route to Google Maps.
About Bangkok
City overview
Bangkok is the densely-packed Thai capital where 14th-century royal temples sit a BTS Skytrain stop away from glass-tower malls. The city sprawls along the Chao Phraya river — the river is still the fastest way across the historic core — and the neighborhoods feel like separate cities pressed together: Rattanakosin's gilded palace district, Sukhumvit's expat-and-skybar belt, Yaowarat's Chinatown food alleys, Khao San's backpacker corridor.
Food & drink
Bangkok's food scene is the city's headline attraction — street stalls outnumber restaurants, and Yaowarat (Chinatown) and Banglamphu both have evening food alleys where most dishes are under 100 baht. The Thai canon (pad thai, tom yum, green curry, som tam, mango sticky rice) is everywhere, but the city is also a destination for regional Thai cooking (Isaan in the north-east, southern Muslim-Thai curries) and Chinese-Thai dishes invented here over a century of immigration. Bangkok currently holds more Michelin stars than any other Thai city.
Top sights
Ranked for December suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.
- 1Lumphini Park
- 2Chatuchak Weekend Market
- 3Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
- 4Chao Phraya Express Boat (orange flag line)
- 5Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
- 6Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
- 7Wat Saket (Golden Mount)
- 8Talad Rot Fai Ratchada (Train Night Market)
- 9Jim Thompson House
- 10Yaowarat Road (Chinatown food street)
1Lumphini Park
4.5★ · 40,117outdoorOpen dailyBangkok's central green lung — paddleboats, monitor lizards in the lake, tai chi at sunrise. Flanked by Si Lom and Lumphini MRT stations.
Wikipedia
2Chatuchak Weekend Market
4.4★ · 55,541outdoorClosed MonOver 8,000 stalls across 27 sections — clothing, food, plants, antiques, pets. Saturdays and Sundays only.
WikipediaTake MRT to Kamphaeng Phet (not Chatuchak Park) — the exits drop you inside the market.
3Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
4.8★ · 7,982indoorOpen dailyA 46-metre gilded reclining Buddha plus the country's oldest massage school — both inside the same temple complex, walking distance from the Grand Palace via MRT Sanam Chai.
Show 7 more sights
- 4Chao Phraya Express Boat (orange flag line)
- 5Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)
- 6Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
- 7Wat Saket (Golden Mount)
- 8Talad Rot Fai Ratchada (Train Night Market)
- 9Jim Thompson House
- 10Yaowarat Road (Chinatown food street)
Neighborhoods
1Rattanakosin (Old Bangkok)
The historic royal island between the river and Khlong Banglamphu. Grand Palace, Wat Pho, the National Museum, and most of the city's tourist-postcard sights cluster here. Quiet after dark.
2Sukhumvit
A long east-west axis along the Sukhumvit Line BTS — international restaurants, rooftop bars, condo towers, and most of the city's nightlife. Each soi has its own character: Thonglor for craft cocktails, Asok for shopping, Nana/Soi Cowboy for the controversial side.
3Silom & Sathorn
The financial district by day, Patpong night market and Silom Soi 4 after dark. Embassies, towers, the start of the Silom Line BTS at Sala Daeng. Closer to the river than Sukhumvit.
4Siam Square
The commercial centre — Siam Paragon, MBK, CentralWorld, Siam Discovery all within a 500m radius. The BTS Siam interchange is the closest thing Bangkok has to a single geographic centre.
5Yaowarat (Chinatown) & Phahurat
Multi-storey gold shops, neon signage, and the city's densest concentration of Chinese restaurants and street-food vendors. Phahurat, the adjacent block, is Bangkok's Little India — Sikh temple, sari shops, samosa stalls.
6Banglamphu / Khao San Road
Backpacker district north of Rattanakosin — cheap guesthouses, tuk-tuk touts, 7-Elevens, and the famous Khao San Road party strip. Quieter Soi Rambuttri parallel has bars and street food.
Show 24 more neighborhoods
- 7Arun Amarin
- 8Ban Bang Mot
- 9Ban Bat
- 10Bang Chak
- 11Bang Kapi subdistrict
- 12Bang Kho Laem
- 13Bang Kho laen
- 14Bang Khun Thian
- 15Bang Krasaw
- 16Bang Lamphu
- 17Bang Phai
- 18Bang Phlat
- 19Bang Pho
- 20Bang Plat
- 21Bang Rak
- 22Bang Sue
- 23Bangkok Noi district
- 24Bangkok Old Town
- 25Bangkok Yai district
- 26Banglamphu
- 27Bowon Niwet subdistrict
- 28Bueng Kum
- 29Bukkhalo
- 30Chakkrawat
Day trips
80km / 1.5h by train from Hua Lamphong, or 2h by bus
Ayutthaya
The former Thai capital sacked by the Burmese in 1767. The UNESCO-listed ruins of brick temples and beheaded Buddha statues are a half-day if you rent a bicycle on arrival.
100km / 1.5h by minibus from Victory Monument
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
The most-photographed floating market in Thailand — wooden boats stacked with mango, papaya, noodle bowls. Touristy but iconic; arrive before 09:00 to see it before the day-tripper crowds.
130km / 2.5h by train from Thonburi station
Kanchanaburi & the Bridge over the River Kwai
World War II history (the Death Railway, JEATH War Museum, Allied war cemetery) plus the Erawan waterfalls in the nearby national park. Doable as a long day or better as an overnight.
Getting around
The BTS Skytrain (Sukhumvit + Silom + Gold lines) and MRT metro (Blue + Purple + Yellow + Pink lines) cover most of the modern city — both run roughly 06:00–24:00. Buy a Rabbit card for BTS at any station (200 baht: 100 stored + 100 issuance). For the historic core stick to the Chao Phraya Express Boat (orange flag, 14 baht) — Bangkok's road traffic is genuinely notorious and the river is faster than a taxi for any palace-and-temple itinerary.
Check this shortlist against your dates
TripSapien starts with the sights on this page or places you paste, then checks hours, closures, booking pressure, and neighborhoods for your exact December dates.
Common questions about Bangkok in December
- Will the places on my list be open when I'm in Bangkok in December?
- TripSapien checks each place against the exact dates you're in Bangkok and flags closures before the trip.
- How do I plan Bangkok days without crossing the city twice?
- TripSapien groups your places by neighborhood so each day stays in one or two areas instead of zig-zagging. It also flags places that sell out, so timed tickets and reservations don't fall through.
- What to pack for Bangkok in December
Pack for December's weather, not a generic Bangkok checklist.
- Light, breathable daytime clothes for average highs around 32°C / 89°F.
- Breathable evening clothes because nights stay near 23°C / 73°F.
- A small umbrella or packable shell for scattered rain across about 6 days.
- How many days do you need in Bangkok
- 4 days covers the main Bangkok highlights at a realistic pace. Add 3 extra days if you want the listed day trips.
- Is Bangkok worth visiting in December
- Yes. December in Bangkok averages 32°C / 89°F highs, 23°C / 73°F nights, and about 6 rainy days.