Phuket Province will hold the “Phuket Creative City: Kebaya Festival 2025” to celebrate the inclusion of the kebaya as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 

The festival is scheduled for 20-21 September 2025 at the 72nd Anniversary of Queen Sirikit Park (Dragon Park), located in Mueang Phuket District.

The kebaya is a traditional dress for women in southern Thailand. Thailand joined its four ASEAN partners, namely Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, in the nomination of the kebaya to UNESCO, under the title “Kebaya: Knowledge, Skills, Traditions and Practices.” All the five ASEAN countries recognize the kebaya as part of their cultural heritage. UNESCO approved the inscription of kebaya, the shared intangible cultural heritage of five countries, on 4 December 2024.

In southern Thailand, the kebaya, known as “Thai-peranakan” or “baba-yaya,” can be found in Phuket, Phang-nga, Ranong, Krabi, Trang, and Satun. Local women usually wear it on various occasions, such as formal events, festivals, and parties.

The upcoming “Phuket Creative City: Kebaya Festival 2025” will feature many activities, such as a grand parade of the festival at 16.30 hr on 20 September. Other activities include cultural shows, an exhibition, a stage play, demonstrations of peranakan handicraft-making, a walk rally, and a mini concert.

Phuket Province believes that the festival will serve as a platform enabling local people to express their cultural pride, reflecting community cooperation in promoting the favorable image of Thailand on the global stage, as well as making the country’s "soft power” better known.