Do you do Christmas in Thailand? .

[Boo]

To those with living in Thailand with kids, do you do Christmas and if yes, how?

Do you go all out, food tree, gifts, santas mince pie and a carrot for the reindeer or is it more adapted to thailand life?

We only did once in Thailand when my son was 2 but we had a tree and decorations and my uk family had posted some gifts for the boy, we didnt do traditional food as mil doesnt have an oven but it was still magical for the boy, now, every year since, my mil puts the tree up and wears her santa hat. Lol.

I think if we were living there now in our own place I would do the whole shebang, I enjoy the cooking and it's a once a year fun time to eat festive food and make merry with the family like we do in the UK.

So share your Thailand christmas.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

We did this year for the first time. Roast turkey, with all the trimmings, Christmas trees and presents. The only thing we didn't have was Christmas pudding!

[Halion]

I find it a useful tool in maintaining identity, culture and tradition. It is once a year thank God as the costs are very high and it entails lot of time in shopping and preparation, however, for me and those that share the table it is well worth the expense and effort.

[godden]

We did this year for the first time. Roast turkey, with all the trimmings, Christmas trees and presents. The only thing we didn't have was Christmas pudding!

well i had Christmas pud with lashings of custard so there.

[NoshowJones]

We did this year for the first time. Roast turkey, with all the trimmings, Christmas trees and presents. The only thing we didn't have was Christmas pudding!

I got invited down to the South of Thailand by a very kind TV member along with two others. We all had a great time, got well fed. I was treated to one of the best meals I ever had in my life by the kind TV member, and his wife and another TV members wife were also great company.

[chasntong]

I have done every year for the past 12 years the step-daughters used to wait for Father Christmas by putting out biscuits and milk Christmas Eve for Santa and they were always excited when some of it was gone in the morning and their presents were under the tree, now we do it for the grand children, even for the latest who is 3 months old.

For Christmas Lunch we had potted smoked salmon, turkey etc, Christmas pudding, for the evening we had sausage rolls, smoked ham, mince pies and cream.

[Rinrada]

Most of the "wains" and probably the parents in our local villages have never seen a Santa Clause so thought that we had better do something about it.

Not really my 'scene" but turned out that I enjoyed it.

Loaded up with a couple of hundred prezzies and went round in the back of our pick up (wife and pu yai ban driving/directing) giving the old Santa wave and Ho Ho Ho bit and as said good responses from everyone.

Later we had prepared loads of rice soup and ...wotever they put in it ...and sat around with the final 50 plus kids ..just being funny......needless to say I had a nice bottle of wine later...RED of course.....

Rudolph ran off into the jungle but I assured everyone that he will be back in time for next year....

all tae gether ..Rudolph the red nosed ...etc....

[khunPer]

Have celebrated Xmas for the last five years, since our little daughter turned three; she loves it and now masters everything with tree and decoration herself, plus wrapping gifts in nice paper. The tree comes up around the 20^th so not getting bored before the actual event.

My Thai girlfriend and other Thais we invite I presume mainly enjoy Xmas for the dinner, if not a Thai neighbouring family with child/children already celebrating some kind of Xmas tradition with tree and gifts. We dine at home and I will cook a traditional Nordic dinner (in Scandinavia we celebrate the 24^th in the evening) of crispy pork in oven, brown-sugar-sweeten potatoes and double cream sauce, which has become pepper sauce to give it some bit of spicy Thai-style taste – actually so popular among our Thai friends, that it’s on request several times during the year. Chocolate and Danish butter cookies are also served.

We do not put any religion into Xmas apart from “believing in Santa” – my daughter is Thai national and I presume Buddhist – just the cosy tradition a bit adapted to our living in Thailand, often supplemented with a snowy Xmas movie on video or in cinema, like Disney’s “Frozen” this year.

So most important is that Santa can find his way down here even we missed the chimney when I build my Thai house, but he’s a good old friend of me and knows where I am – comes by the evening of 24^th even most of his business in this area is in the morning of the 25^th – and my daughter’s fine tree shows him the last bit of the way to our house…!

Ho, ho, ho…

[Ghostnigel]

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Most of the "wains" and probably the parents in our local villages have never seen a Santa Clause so thought that we had better do something about it.

Not really my 'scene" but turned out that I enjoyed it.

Loaded up with a couple of hundred prezzies and went round in the back of our pick up (wife and pu yai ban driving/directing) giving the old Santa wave and Ho Ho Ho bit and as said good responses from everyone.

Later we had prepared loads of rice soup and ...wotever they put in it ...and sat around with the final 50 plus kids ..just being funny......needless to say I had a nice bottle of wine later...RED of course.....

Rudolph ran off into the jungle but I assured everyone that he will be back in time for next year....

all tae gether ..Rudolph the red nosed ...etc....

....had a very shiny nose...555, well done Sir, you did a wonderful gesture, so thoughtful...applause!

[stupot1952]

Worst Christmas in Pattaya I have ever known all bar's around cosy beach dead

[nuananddon]

We also had a great meal, lots of family and friends came,Santa showed up with gifts for the young ones. Wife and I do this every year for the last 12 years. She always makes sure there is plenty of food and the bar is my reasponibity. This year we catered a pig roast and that turned out just great, Thai guys did a wonderful job on ole porky.

[ianf]

We did this year for the first time. Roast turkey, with all the trimmings, Christmas trees and presents. The only thing we didn't have was Christmas pudding!

Yep! I did it too, roasting an eighteen pound turkey, with all the trimmings, made a traditional Christmas Cake and a Pudding; invited 12 friends around; gave everyone a present, drank a glass or two of wine and generally had a good winter festival. First time since I've been in Thailand and come to think of it: first turkey I ever roasted, first Christmas cake (etc etc) ... continued on page 94.

[BIGJIMMY]

This was our first Christmas with the little fella - and definitely the last, next Christmas he'll be nearly two and we'll go back to the UK for December for sure.

[NBD]

It used to be a case of putting on a Santa hat and getting drunk, but this year my daughter is nearly 2 and just about old enough to have some idea of what was going on. Tree, presents, roast duck, neighbours around eating (that happens more than once a year, truth be told). It was great and I can't wait for next year.