Happy Diwali to all

I was just sitting here wondering why it is that here in Bangkok we do NOt celebrate Indian New Year while it is that we do celebrate Western, Chinese and Thai New Yeras.

Anyway, Happy Diwali to all (a day late, yeah I know that akready).

Arent Diwali and loy Kratong the same thing in different countrys?

Arent Diwali and loy Kratong the same thing in different countrys?

Close, I see. Both are based on the respective lunar Hindu (India) or Thai (Buddhist) calendars and "usually occur in November" but Diwali looks like new moon (last week) and Loy Krathong full moon (next week). So they are 2 weeks apart. I suppoose in some years Diwali could be b4 LK, vice versa.

Diwali is a "business" New Year in India. There are numerous solar related New Years. One is in March!!! That could be for '11 Jan - western, feb- chinese, march - India, then April Thai!!!!

[Smiles]

I was just sitting here wondering why it is that here in Bangkok we do NOt celebrate Indian New Year while it is that we do celebrate Western, Chinese and Thai New Yeras.
Anyway, Happy Diwali to all (a day late, yeah I know that akready).
Thai New Year is celebrated because it's (1) Thailand (as in: 'Their Country') and (2) because it's a grand water-throwing party-of-parties.[/*:m:2r6c20g7]
Chinese New Year is celebrated here because of (1) the very large and ubiquitous Thai-Chinese minority and the even larger number of Thai folks who may have some vague tie to a 'Chinese' ancestry even if it's long in the past and they don't self-identify as 'Chinese' anymore ... and (2) because it's a grand party filled with dragons and fireworks and palm reading and good luck fiddlesticks.[/*:m:2r6c20g7]
Western New Year is 'kind of' celebrated in Thailand because it's a time of wild parties and a more-than-normal inflow of money chinging through the cash register. There is no #2.[/*:m:2r6c20g7]
A 'party' appears common to all three.

Indian New Year is hardly celebrated because (1) it is not associated (by Thais) with 'A Party' and little known, and (2) because Indians are not particularly liked by Thais and (3) Indians wouldn't show up to it anyway, not wanting to close down 3 or 4 million cheap suit shops.

and (2) because Indians are not particularly liked by Thais...

An understatement even by Smiles standards, although I think they despise Pakistanis even more.

Thais are (generally) fastidious about personal cleanliness and cannot abide body odour.