Thailand is rich in festivals and in all honesty is not a time of year when you can not find a festival to enjoy, but here are some of the most popular festivals in Thailand during the year.

Earlier this year the month of January offers the Chiang Mai Winter Fair in Chiang Mai and the River of Kings Festival of Bangkok. May Chiang offers Winter Fair, musical entertainment, competitions and even beauty pageants, and the River of Kings Festival is a bit 'more formalwith a theatrical production tells the story of Thailand.

February of the offer is further subject to Chiang Mai Flower Festival with flowers complete with floats and Bangkok China Town Festival, which celebrates the Chinese New Year.

As the season begins to turn, determines March ASEAN Barred Ground Where Festival, where the owners come together from all over the country khwan dove Muang Park in Yala province, compete and display their pigeonsPrices.

April celebrates the Thai New Year Festival in Pattaya, followed by the Songkran Festival, which takes place in Germany, but it is particularly colorful in Khao San Road, Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

May is a particularly festive month with the Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Bangkok, which celebrates the beginning of the rice season and planning for Visakha Bucha, celebrated a religious festival of the Buddha and Yasothon Rocket Festival in Germany, the largest number of awardsexplosive rockets. It is an eye and ear opening of the festival certainly suitable children and adults.

July brings the popular Candle Festival of Tung Sri Muang, Muang District, Ubon Ratchathani province. Visitors will find large, beautiful, candles displayed and presented to the local temple.

Celebrates birthday in August at the national level of Her Majesty the Queen.

September is the famous Phuket Vegetarian Festival (famous for the people bloody showimpaled by a variety of objects and not for the faint of heart) and the significantly less gory Phichit Boat Races along the Nan River.

October celebrates the Wax Castle Festival celebrated nationwide but is particularly spectacular in Sakon Nakhon, the Chon Buri Buffalo Races, and the Illuminated Boat Procession Festival along the Mekong River.

November begins the peak travel season by being another celebratory month with the Loy Krathong celebrated Nationwide, the Surin Elephant Roundup, the River Kwai bridge week in Kanchanaburi, and the Phimai Festival.

December ends the year with a nationwide celebration of the King's birthday and the Phuket King's Cup Regatta.

Festivals in Thailand are planned on the lunar calendar. Check for the exact dates of each festival before you make your hotel reservations and travel plans.

If you don't know already, Songkhran is the Thai New Year Festival.This festival is celebrated in accordance with the full moon in April each year. It lasts from 1-5 days depending on the area. It is a time of renewal, to wash off the old year and prepare for the new. It's also a time to honor your elders and hope for a blessing from them. It is a time of tradition and many ceremonies and rituals. Songkhran is very interesting and exciting, culturally and socially.

>For many Thais, expats and tourists, it is also a time for the biggest water "fight" in the world. People, young and old, male and female, rich and poor, local and foreign, line to streets of Thailand and use a variety of methods to propel water onto other people.It's like being a kid again. So much fun to get crazy for a few days. One thing I learned quickly while participating in this festival is you must waterproof anything of value, such as your wallet, passport, and mobile phone.

The weapons used for this celebration come in all shapes and sizes. I have seen large water rifles water tanks attached, water pistols, bowls, hoses, water guns attached to tanks you can strap to your back with plenty of water, and even buckets. There used to be a cylinder that resembled an air pump for balls or tires but the pressure was so great it caused injuries so it was banned. My weapon of choice is the water rifle and a water pistol for emergencies. Shops and some private residences keep plastic trash cans or other receptacles full of water so it's easy to keep your weapons full.

A few years back I had to pleasure of spending Songkhran in Phuket. The authorities limited the water playing activities to one area near Patong Beach and only for one day. The streets were closed to traffic which made the playing more enjoyable. Bands were playing, cold beer was flowing, lots of food available but expect to eat it soggy. It was a great time roaming the streets and engaging other water soaked people washing away the previous year. When I got a bit tired I would find a spot, sit and enjoy a cold beer while watching others having fun. All in all a great time. After a day of revelry, sun and water I hit the sack early, my body drained but my heart and mind content.

The water playing aside, this is a very important holiday and festival for Thai people and Thai culture. A time for families to come together and renew, a time of blessings and honoring, please keep this in mind at you are celebrating. Songkhran is during the full moon in April. If you want to join in this festival you should plan early. It has peak travel time for locals and tourism alike. It is truly a unique experience.

When planning for your retirement you should consider the possibility of retiring to Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

Why should Ubon Ratchathani be included on a list of places to enjoy your leisure days? It is a foreign country. The native language is Thai. It is far from your homeland.

Many people, when the are nearing the age of retirement face the realization that they must adjust their lifestyle. Retirement income is often much less than during their working life. Where do you make the cuts?

Ubon Ratchathani is the largest province in Thailand in terms of land mass. It is located in the northeastern region and is bordered by the Mekong River and Laos to the East and Cambodia to the south.

One of the main points for making a new home here is the cost of living. It is easy to maintain an excellent quality of life for a fraction of what it will cost in western countries in Europe, Scandinavia and North America. You can secure quality accommodations, including all utilities, for less than you have been paying the bank for your car payment. You can enjoy three meals a day of tasty Thai food for less than a single meal back home. Medical care is surprisingly affordable at one of the four major hospitals in Ubon.

You can easily travel to Ubon Ratchathani by plane, rail, bus or private auto. The city benefits from being serviced with multiple schedules daily with three major modes of transportation. The buses and trains originate and terminate between Bangkok and Ubon but there are ways to make connections for domestic travel. The buses can take you around Ubon as well as around Thailand.

There is a small but growing community of western expats who call Ubon home. You can meet others to socialize with. If you want to get a taste of your homeland there are stores and shops to acquire the ingredients your need.

If you enjoy traveling you will discover it is quite cheap and convenient to get around Thailand from Ubon. You can walk the beaches of Phuket or Samui Island for a fraction of what you would pay in Hawaii or Florida. Take a trip north to the Lanna culture and mountains of Chiang Mai.

From Ubon you can be in Laos enjoying a step back in time or head south to Cambodia and visit the awesome magnificence of Angkor Wat. The journey to these places is only a few short hours. If you are wanting to visit friends and family back home it is a one hour flight to Bangkok to make your connection.

Living in a foreign country has requirements that never come to mind when at home. The local immigration office is just a 45 minute drive from Ubon city. All the foreign embassies are a train, bus or plane ride to Bangkok away.

Retirement is a time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. You should seriously consider Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand as an option to maintain or even raise your quality of life.