The Rap Bua Festival runs from 19 to 27 October 2026 at Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan, the district that is also home to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Its centrepiece is a replica of the temple's revered Buddha image carried along the canal on a barge while people on the banks throw lotus flowers onto it. This briefing, from a Thailand DMC for travel agents, covers the dates, the day that matters, and why this year the flooding in Samut Prakan has to be checked first.
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What Rap Bua is
The tradition goes back more than 200 years, to a Buddha image, Luang Pho To, that was found floating along the Samrong Canal and enshrined by local people at Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai. Each year, near the end of Buddhist Lent, a replica of Luang Pho To is placed on a barge and taken along the canal, and people along the route throw lotus flowers onto it as an offering. Thailand's Ministry of Culture recognised Rap Bua as national intangible cultural heritage in 2012.
Around the procession the festival adds cultural performances, traditional boat races, folk entertainment and a fair of local products. The Tourism Authority of Thailand lists the 2026 festival at Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai from 19 to 27 October in its October events calendar, published on 29 September.
The day that matters
The lotus throwing is fixed by the lunar calendar, on the 14th day of the waxing moon in the 11th lunar month, the day before Ok Phansa. Ok Phansa falls on 26 October this year, which puts the throwing on Sunday 25 October 2026. The festival's day-by-day programme and the start time for 2026 had not been published when this was written. In 2025 the throwing began at 7:00, so plan on an early start and confirm the time once the schedule is out.
The other festival days are worth less on their own. For a client who wants to see Rap Bua itself rather than a temple fair, the morning of 25 October is the one to hold.
How agents can use it
An arrival or departure morning. Because the temple is in the same district as Suvarnabhumi, Rap Bua is one of the few festivals a client can see on the way to or from a flight. A client landing late on 24 October, or flying out on the afternoon of 25 October, could fit the procession in with a private transfer and luggage held in the vehicle.
A Bangkok culture morning. For clients staying in the city, the procession makes a morning excursion, back in Bangkok by lunchtime. Our Samut Prakan guide covers the province and our Bangkok guide the city.
Keep it small. The banks are crowded and the view depends on where you stand, so this suits couples and small private groups better than a coach group. Ask your Thailand DMC for a guide who can explain what the crowd is doing; without context, the procession is just a boat going past. Our guide team and Thailand DMC transport team can handle both.
Check the floods first
Samut Prakan was the worst-affected province in the flooding of late September. On 29 September it had the largest number of affected residents in the country, with flooding across six districts. Our briefing on the Bangkok floods and airport access covers what that means for transfers.
So do not sell Rap Bua yet as a fixed part of a programme. Offer it as an option for 25 October, and confirm in mid-October that the festival is going ahead as listed, that the canal route is running and that the roads to the temple are clear. A Thailand DMC on the ground can check that for you the week before. For the full range of ground services, see our Thailand DMC services.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Rap Bua Festival in 2026?
TAT lists it from 19 to 27 October 2026 at Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan.
Which day is the lotus throwing?
It falls on the 14th day of the waxing moon in the 11th lunar month, the day before Ok Phansa. In 2026 that is Sunday 25 October. Confirm the start time once the programme is published; in 2025 it began at 7:00.
How close is it to Suvarnabhumi Airport?
Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai is in Bang Phli district, the same district as Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is why it can fit around an arrival or a departure. Journey times depend on traffic and on road conditions after the floods.
Will the floods affect the festival?
Samut Prakan was the province hit hardest by flooding in late September. The festival was still listed by TAT on 29 September, but confirm in mid-October that it is going ahead as planned before you commit a client.
