( TOURISM AUTHORITY OF THAILAND (TAT) organizes biggest ever Diwali celebrations outside India in Phahurat or Little India and Khlong Ong Ang, Canal Side Festival from 16 to 31 October 2025, while the Expatriate Indian community organizes in IconSiam Mall River Park along the Chao Phraya River from 17 to 19 October 2025)
BY DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY
BANGKOK ( THAILAND) | 22 OCTOBER 2025
Diwali, the festival of light, has been celebrated in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand for the past three years, but this year it has been even grander, bigger than ever and boasts as the largest Diwali Celebrations in the world outside India. The theme of Amazing Thailand Grand Diwali Festival2025 is also very apt – “Light Unites Us”. Boasted by the huge success TAT now plans to organise another Indian mega festival – Holi, the festival of colours next year to attract the Indian tourists.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) along with the Indian Association of Thailand (IAT) in collaboration of ICONSIAM and Bangkok Metropolitan Authority have organized the festival of colours in three separate places of Bangkok – Phahurat or Little India and Khlong Ong Ang, the canalside festival from 16 to 31 October and in River Park of ICONSIAM Mall , along the Chao Phraya River from 17 to 19 October.
The opening ceremony was presided over by Mr. AttakornSirilatthayakorn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, together with Ms. Paulomi Tripathi, Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy of India, Bangkok, Ms. ThapaneeKiatphaibool, TAT Governor, and Mr. Sanon Wangsrangboon, Deputy Governor of Bangkok.
The programme included a candle-lighting ceremony symbolising illumination and goodwill, accompanied by a coordinated sound-and-light display. A Thai–Indian Ramayana performance was staged as part of the opening, combining classical Thai and Indian dance to convey the Diwali message of light prevailing over darkness. The first act, The Triumph of Good Over Evil, depicted the battle between Rama, Lakshmana, and Ravana; the second act, Return to the City, marked the homecoming of Rama and Sita; and the final act, Festival of Light, concluded with a Bollywood-inspired sequence.
Ms.Pattaraangong Na Chiangmail, Deputy Governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand told The Travel and Tourism Times that, India is the third source market for Thailand tourism after China and Malaysia and already 1.8 million Indian tourists have visited this year and the expected year end figures may be 2.3 million.
“I think that by numbers we can assume that normally right now daily numbers of Indian tourists traveling to Thailand is about 5,000 to 6,000 per day. So within the period of two weeks of the festival we aim to attract 100,000 million of Indian travelers.”
For the two countries, Thailand and India, we have a really long standing relationship. And in Thailand, a lot of our Thai arts, Thai language, or even the heritage, have a lot of influence from Indian culture. And in Thailand itself, we have a lot of Indian communities, about five million of Indian origin people live in Thailand and have settled down over the decades here.
“Apart from this, in other provinces, which have a lot of Indian tourists and a lot of Indian communities, like in Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, we also celebrate the Diwali festival as well. The IconSiam Mall has also organised the Grand Diwali Festival for the Indian Tourists who remain during this period in Bangkok and the local community,”she added.
Mr. NattachitOonsiam, Director of TAT in India said that what we aim for is not only merely by numbers, but the mutual understanding, cultural exchange between Thai, Indian and other international tourists as well to see the festival, the Diwali festival in the Thai setting. Many new flight services have started recently from India. That is also going to have a big boost in many cities. Right now I think that there are around 18 new flight operations started by Akasa Air, Indigo,Air India Express and Thai Airways etc.
“ This Diwali, why stay within familiar horizons? Head to Bangkok’s Pahurat and Khlong Ong Ang districts and witness the largest Diwali celebrations outside India , where Thai – Indian lights, rhythm and warmth meet. For visitors from Kolkata and eastern India , it’s a perfect blend of home town festival charm and cosmopolitan vibe. Embrace the festival of lights in a new light,”said Mr. Anil Punjabi, national executive committee member of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI).
He added that many tourists particularly from Kolkata and Eastern India have already booked and started going to Bangkok to enjoy and celebrate the Grand Diwali festival that took place outside their own country.
The walls outside the houses and shops have been painted with graffiti pictures displaying the culture, diyas and colourful rangoli artwork on both the sides of the road, women wearing mehndi on hands from the shops set up on both sides of the street, loud music on the background , huge crowd, street food like pani puri , toys for the kids amidst the decorative lightings above and all sides of the area, fireworks display , I wondered whether ‘Phahurat’ or Little India have turned into real India ever before.
Not only the expatriate Thai population, but visitors both Indians and foreigners and local Thai people have gathered in huge numbers in all the three spots making the celebrations even grandeur in 2025.
“ I am staying here for the last nine years though originally hail from Gorakhpur in India , but this year the sale of phuchka or pani puri is already almost four foldhigher,”said Mr. Raju Singh of Mama Restaurant in Phahurat.
Ms. Sadhna Pandey of Patna is even more ecstatic, as she had come to visit her relative’s house here on 17 October. “ My relatives runs the Vimi Collection Cloth Shop and I have joined them in the shop here to assist for the Diwali Festival and will return back to India before the Chhath Pujas as I miss my daughter who is staying there in this Diwali, but if I had not come here I would have definitely missed the Festival of my lifetime,”she added.
Mr. Javed who was selling pashmina shawls in his stall at Phahurat said that this year definitely the festival is special with more participation.
Mr. Charanjit Singh, a third generation Indian expatriate living in Thailand and one of the main organisers at ICON SIAM MALL Diwali Festival 2025 said that previous years during the Diwali festival only South Indian Tourists used to arrive here , but this year people from North, East, West and Central India has also come here to enjoy the grand Diwali celebrations. He said that 28 communities and organisations have been invited in this years celebrations which will truly showcase the country’s unity in diversity even in a foreign shore.
“Last year the three day footfall was 1,50,000 and this year is already far more inall the three locations each day . We have organised a musical show of most famous Thai rappers and they will sing Bollywood’s iconic film celebrating 50 years of Sholay’s famous ‘Yeh Dosti Hum NehiTodenge’ song to bring the over four lakhs local expatriates together with the visitors of mainland India,”he added.
Cultural performances by Thai-Indians, Live shows by local and international artists, Rangoli art and creative displays, Art and craft stalls, Indian sweets, snacks, and traditional food, Clothing, jewellery, and festival shopping, Bollywood DJ nights, Jaipuri Sufi music etc are the star attractions of the two weeks festival. Canal-side light displays and lanterns, Riverside markets and food stalls, Thai–Indian fusion snacks, street performances and music, art walls and photo corners have been set up.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), New Delhi and Mumbai office had also organised a media and influencers FAM Trip to showcase the biggest and Grandest ever Diwali Festival outside India, organized in the Land of Smiles.
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