Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has inaugurated a 27-day Diwali festival in Bangkok, billed as the longest celebration of its kind outside India…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has inaugurated the Amazing Thailand Grand Diwali Festival 2026 in Bangkok, marking the start of a 27-day celebration billed as the longest Diwali festival outside India. The celebrations, taking place throughout November, aim to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and strengthen people-to-people ties between India and Thailand.
The inauguration ceremony was held at ICONSIAM Bangkok in the presence of Indian Ambassador to Thailand Puneet Agrawal, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt and Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool, the Indian Embassy in Thailand said in a post on social media platform X.
The ceremony featured a performance of Kuchipudi, the traditional Indian classical dance form, by a cultural troupe from India.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) presented the performance as part of the inauguration, highlighting India’s diverse artistic traditions and cultural heritage.
27-day festival celebrates India’s cultural diversity
The Amazing Thailand Grand Diwali Festival 2026 is being organised across Thailand through a collaboration between the Indian Embassy, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Indian diaspora associations.
Spanning the entire month of November, the festival offers visitors from different faiths and backgrounds an opportunity to experience India’s cultural diversity through Diwali celebrations.
Describing the festivities as a reflection of the growing relationship between the two countries, the Indian Embassy highlighted the strong cultural and people-to-people connections shared by India and Thailand.
“The enthusiastic celebration of Diwali across Thailand is a symbol of the deep and ever growing cultural and people-to-people connect between India and Thailand,” it said.
Diwali celebrations bring Indian culture to San Antonio
Meanwhile, Diwali was also celebrated with enthusiasm in San Antonio, Texas, in the United States, through a joint initiative by the City of San Antonio and Anuja SA, the San Antonio-Chennai Sister City Alliance.
Consul General D.C. Manjunath joined San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, city council members and community leaders for the celebrations, the Consulate General of India in Houston said in a post on X.
The festivities featured the Diwali River Parade, with colourful floats representing different Indian states, alongside traditional cultural performances, music and Indian cuisine.
Thousands of visitors gathered along San Antonio’s River Walk to enjoy the celebrations, which showcased India’s cultural traditions and the spirit of Diwali.
The Consulate said the event highlighted the growing cultural relationship between India and San Antonio, as well as the important role played by the Indian-American community in strengthening people-to-people connections between India and the United States.
