Lunar New Year festivals and prayers are marking the start of the Year of the Snake around Asia and farther afield.

Thais flocked to Bangkok's Chinatown Monday to shop for food, decorations, and offering items on Monday ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations. The Chinese Lunar New Year, also called the Spring Festival,

Lunar New Year tourists are flocking to Thailand. The holidaymakers, many from China, are expected to boost tourism, which has been struggling to recover from the pandemic.

Chinese tourists visiting Thailand for Lunar New Year are worried about being kidnapped by gangsters to work in hellish scam centers, despite efforts to reassure them.

For many, the Lunar New Year is a time to reflect on people they have lost. But it's also a time to set intentions and welcome the new energy of the future.

Food is also symbolic for the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. In the North, Banh Chung, a sticky rice cake with banana leaves, is typically the most popular dish. In Central Vietnam, the savory Bánh Tét cake with rice and green beans is often used to celebrate the new year. Thịt Kho Tàu – a pork and egg dish – is very popular in South Vietnam.

Lunar New Year is based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It begins with the first new moon and ends with the Lantern Festival on the next full moon, 15 days later. The Chinese zodiac operates on a 12-year cycle of animals. 2025 marks the Year of the Snake.

Thailand's consumer spending over the Lunar New Year period could rise 4.5% to a five-year high of 52 billion baht ($1.54 billion), helped by government stimulus measures and higher income, a survey showed on Friday.

People in Bangkok, Thailand, gathered at the Leng Noei Yi temple, also known as the Dragon Lotus Temple, on Tuesday to celebrate the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year. The Chinese Lunar New Year also called the Spring Festival,

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China in 2025, Siam Paragon-a global landmark and a premier destination for both Thai and international visitors-is hosting a grand Lunar New Year celebration,