With more than 10% of the population descendants of ethnic Chinese and the ever-present influence of the big country to the north, it’s no surprise that the Chinese lunar new year is a big deal in Thailand.
Ethnic Chinese celebrate by paying respects to their ancestors. In cities and towns all over the country, people put together traditional offering ceremonies, where elaborate feasts are prepared and laid out as a gift to the spirits. People also offer symbolic gifts to their ancestors. If you walk the streets in the run up to the New Year, you’ll see vendors selling paper telephones, paper money, and even paper whiskey bottles! People buy these paper items and burn them as offerings, too.