How to plan marketing around the Thai calendar
Short answer: Start with the fixed public holidays, such as Songkran on 13 to 15 April, then add the periods when routines change, like the school term and the rainy season. Colour each week one of three ways: restock ahead, good for testing because sales are steady, or don't read campaign results because holiday movement distorts them. This keeps your TikTok budget from peaking in weeks when the store may be out of stock.
Thai PBS counted 21 official public holidays for 2026. The 2027 list depends on the cabinet's announcement, but the anchors (New Year, Songkran, Labour Day) sit in the same place every year.
When behaviour shifts
| Period | What may happen to store buying (assumption, check against your own data) | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| New Year | People travel; stores on travel routes and in tourist areas get busier | Check stock before the break; don't judge campaigns that week |
| Songkran | People go back to their home provinces; city and provincial sales swap places | Target videos and ads where people will be, not where they usually live |
| School term starts | Family morning and evening routines return | Good for products bought daily |
| Rainy season | Fewer trips out; buying close to home may matter more | Test convenience-led messages |
| Online mega-sale days | TikTok Shop spikes for a short window | Use them for online value packs, separate from store plans |
The middle column is an assumption, not sales data. Compare it with your own per-store sales from last year if you have them.
Three colours on the calendar
- Red, restock: two to three weeks before a long holiday, ask the distributor to confirm delivery rounds and warehouse stock.
- Green, test: weeks with no holiday and no major promotion. These are the weeks for test-versus-control store comparisons.
- Grey, don't read: long-holiday weeks. Sales move because people move, not because of your campaign.
Spend TikTok budget by colour
- Put the big ad spend in green weeks, where you can measure it.
- In red weeks, run short reminder videos in areas with stock. Don't launch something new.
- If you must run something in a grey week, note that its results can't be used to decide anything.
Limits
- The behaviour column is a general assumption, not data from any store.
- Special holidays change each year. Thai PBS reported that the cabinet withdrew the proposal for extra 2026 holidays for further study, so always check the latest announcement.
- Store promotion calendars come from the buyer or your distributor; this page doesn't cover them.
FAQ
When should we build the calendar? Before the next promotion planning round with your distributor, because delivery rounds are booked in advance.
When should a new product launch? Green weeks are the easiest to read. Launching just before a long holiday makes week-one numbers hard to interpret.
What data do we need? Last year's weekly per-store sales, the list of stores carrying the product, and your distributor's delivery days.
Sources
- Thai PBS, 2026 holiday calendar (Thai): https://www.thaipbs.or.th/news/content/500481
- Thansettakij, Songkran 2026 calendar (Thai): https://www.thansettakij.com/general-news/655314
- Test stores versus control stores: https://www.flowupth.com/en/insights/test-vs-control-stores
Related guide: First Year in Thailand: How to Split Budget Between TikTok and 7-Eleven
Next step: Not sure where your product should start? Send the Flowup team your product and where it sells today, on LINE or by email.
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