Thailand
Sat Thai 2027: expected 30 September, dawn offerings at temples across Thailand
At a glance
- Dates
- Next: 30 September 2027 (est.)
- Where
- Temples across Thailand; biggest in Nakhon Si Thammarat
- Getting there
- Not listed
- Cost
- No tickets or fees; alms by donation
- Limits
- Shoulders and knees must be covered; shoes off before the hall
The 2026 edition has passed
Dates last checked: 13 October 2026
The festival
The sweets left for hungry ghosts end up grabbed by the living
At dawn on the 15th day of the waning moon in the tenth lunar month, people bring krayasart and other food to temples for the monks. After the chanting, families dedicate the merit to relatives who have died. There is no parade or show, and taking part simply means giving alms at a temple.
Krayasart is made from popped rice, nuts, sesame and sugar, pressed into bars or slabs. It is eaten in every region of Thailand and turns up at markets and around temples in the days before the festival.
In the south the period is called Sat Duean Sip, the Tenth Month Festival. People believe hungry ghosts, pret, are let out into the human world during the tenth month, so families carry offerings to the temple on trays called hmrub. Each sweet on the tray has a meaning: khanom la is clothing, khanom phong a raft for crossing the river of the dead, khanom deesum money and khanom kong jewellery.
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See plans
Details
Any temple will do for the dawn offering, with no registration and no show. By the Thai lunar calendar it is the 15th day of the waning moon in the tenth month.
How the date is set
Sat Thai always falls on the 15th day of the waning moon in the tenth lunar month. The Thai lunar calendar does not map onto fixed solar dates, so the day usually lands somewhere in September or October. In 2027 it is expected on 30 September.
Where to take part
Any Thai temple will do. Go at dawn, give alms and follow the local families as they make offerings to the monks. There is no sign-up and no ticket.
The Tenth Month Festival in Nakhon Si Thammarat
The Nakhon Si Thammarat festival is the largest in Thailand, centred on Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Thung Tha Lat Park and the City Hall grounds. In 2025 it ran 12–26 September, with a hmrub tray procession, illuminated floats in front of City Hall, and contests in nang talung shadow puppetry, children's recitation, poetry and sepak takraw.
How to take part
Sat Thai is a day for families to make merit at temples, and there is nothing staged for visitors. Offerings happen at dawn and the chanting is in Pali, so what a visitor can join in is the almsgiving. For a bigger spectacle, only the Nakhon Si Thammarat festival really fits.
Temple etiquette
Cover shoulders and knees, take off your shoes before entering the hall and move quietly. When offering to the monks, wait behind the local families rather than stepping in front of them. There is no set amount for donations.
Costs
There are no tickets or fees. You only spend what you choose to donate and the cost of any krayasart or other offerings you bring.
Good to know
- Where
- Temples all over Thailand. The largest version is the Tenth Month Festival in Nakhon Si Thammarat, centred on Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Thung Tha Lat Park and the City Hall grounds
- Core offering
- Krayasart, a sweet made from popped rice, nuts, sesame and sugar, found in every region of Thailand
- Meaning
- In the southern belief, hungry ghosts (pret) are released to the human world in the tenth month, and families make merit at temples for their dead relatives
- Best time
- Dawn, when most alms and offerings are given
FAQ
5
What is Sat Thai?
Sat Thai falls on the 15th day of the waning moon in the tenth Thai lunar month, a day for making merit for relatives who have died. At dawn people bring krayasart and other food to temples for the monks, then dedicate the merit to their ancestors.
What is krayasart?
The signature Sat Thai offering, a bar or slab of popped rice, nuts, sesame and sugar. It is eaten all over Thailand and is easiest to find at markets just before the festival.
Where can you join Sat Thai?
At any Thai temple. The largest celebration is the Tenth Month Festival (Sat Duean Sip) in Nakhon Si Thammarat, centred on Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Thung Tha Lat Park and the City Hall grounds.
Do you need to sign up to take part?
No. Go to a temple at dawn, give alms and join the offering to the monks. There are no tickets.
What temple etiquette applies during Sat Thai?
Cover shoulders and knees, take off your shoes before entering the main hall, and do not interrupt families making offerings. There is no set amount for donations.
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