Thailand Father’s Day & National Day (December 5): King Bhumibol’s Birthday

On December 5, Thailand celebrates National Day and Father’s Day (Wan Pho Haeng Chat) together. The date is the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great (King Rama IX), who reigned for 70 years and was revered as the “father of the nation”. Thais wear yellow, honour their own fathers and remember the king’s work for the country.

Overview
Date	December 5 every year
Honours	King Bhumibol Adulyadej (born December 5, 1927)
Reign	1946–2016 — the longest in Thai history
Official names	National Day; Father’s Day; King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great Commemoration Day
Colour of the day	Yellow (the colour of Monday, the day of the week he was born)
Father’s Day flower	Canna
Holiday type	Public holiday

King Bhumibol: A Remarkable Life

King Bhumibol was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States, while his father was studying medicine at Harvard. He came to the throne in 1946 at just 18. During his reign he became famous for thousands of Royal Projects in rural development, irrigation, crop substitution and soil conservation, and for his philosophy of the “Sufficiency Economy” — moderate, balanced and self-reliant living.

He was also an accomplished jazz saxophonist and composer, a sailor who won a gold medal at the 1967 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, and an inventor who held patents. He died on October 13, 2016.

Because King Bhumibol championed soil conservation, the United Nations chose his birthday, December 5, as World Soil Day.

👉 Same day: World Soil Day — December 5

Timeline

Year	Event
1927	Born on December 5 in Cambridge, Massachusetts
1946	Accedes to the throne
1950	Coronation; marries Queen Sirikit
1980	December 5 becomes Thailand’s Father’s Day
2006	60th anniversary of his reign
2016	Passes away on October 13
2017	Royal cremation ceremony; December 5 continues as National Day and Father’s Day

How Thais Celebrate

• Wearing yellow shirts and decorating buildings with the king’s portrait and yellow flags.
• Honouring fathers — children give their fathers a canna flower, cards and gifts, and families share a meal.
• Merit-making — offering food to monks early in the morning.
• Candle-lighting ceremonies in the evening at Sanam Luang in Bangkok and across the country.
• Volunteer and charity activities in the king’s memory, including tree planting and blood donation.

Father’s Day Around the World

Country	Date
Thailand	December 5
USA, UK, Canada, India and many others	Third Sunday of June
Germany	Ascension Day
Spain, Italy, Portugal	March 19 (St. Joseph’s Day)
Australia and New Zealand	First Sunday of September

👉 Father’s Day hub: Father’s Day wishes, quotes and ideas

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