5 Major Events to Watch in 2026: "Elections, Sports, Natural Disasters"
As we officially enter the year 2026, this year features major political events, sports, entertainment, and notable natural phenomena. Thairath Online highlights five key events that Thai people should pay attention to this year.
General Election The general election will be held on 8 Feb 2026 to elect 500 members of the House of Representatives to form a new government to manage the country. Voters unable to return to their registered home address for voting may register for advance voting outside their district on 1 Feb via the official website.https://boraservices.bora.dopa.go.th/election/outvote/Registration deadline is 5 Jan 2026.
Meanwhile, Constitutional Referendum The referendum will ask voters whether they approve the drafting of a new constitution. It will be held only on 8 Feb, with no advance voting, but voters may cast ballots outside their registered district by registering through the website.https://boraservices.bora.dopa.go.th/election/outvote/Registration period is 3-5 Jan 2026.
Bangkok and Pattaya City, in Chonburi Province, are special local administrative organizations with distinct powers and management separate from typical provinces. Their leaders are directly elected. The current Bangkok governor is Chadchart Sittipunt, while the Pattaya mayor, Poramet Ngampichet, will end his term on 21 May. By law, elections must be held within 45 days, so the election is expected around 5 July.
The global sporting event returns: the FIFA World Cup. This edition is jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with matches from 11 June to 19 July. The final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA, on 19 July. However, the Thai national team was eliminated in the second round of Asian qualifiers in mid-2024.
According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as of 11 Dec, the current “La Niña” (sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific below normal) will continue for about 1–2 more months and is likely to shift to ENSO-neutral conditions between January and March.
However, in the second half of 2026, there is a chance of the “El Niño” phenomenon (an abnormal warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific). Associate Professor Dr. Thorn Thamrongnawasawat from the Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, warned that mid-2026 may see El Niño causing hot weather, drought, and ocean warming. Some models predict a possible super El Niño, more severe than 2023. He explained:
“El Niño is measured by sea surface temperature in the central Pacific. When it is more than 0.5 degrees above average, El Niño conditions occur. The stronger the warming, the stronger the event. La Niña (temperatures 0.5 degrees below average) is ending now. Global warming may cause rapid swings beyond normal (-0.5 to 0.5 degrees) into El Niño. There are early signs as warm water masses flow into the central Pacific. When these accumulate, temperatures rise enough to trigger El Niño.”
“The impacts of El Niño in Thailand include heat, drought, ocean warming, coral bleaching, seagrass decline, and marine species moving away from coasts. We experienced this in 2023, causing widespread coral death and incomplete recovery. If it recurs, damage could worsen. We hope it will not become a super El Niño (2023 was moderate). Despite drought, global warming causes disruptions; rainfall may be heavy and localized or storms intense.”
It caused a stir when news broke that Tomorrowland, the world-renowned EDM music festival from Belgium, will be held in Thailand. Thailand will be the first Asian country to host it. On 26 Aug, the Cabinet approved in principle Thailand as the official host for five years, from 2026 to 2030, with government support of 2 billion baht.
The event is initially planned for three days (Friday to Sunday) in December 2026 at Wisdom Valley, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province, within the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) near Pattaya. It is expected to generate about 2.7 billion baht in net profit over five years, enhance Thailand’s international image as a global festival hub, and boost foreign tourism.