Late every year, on the night of the full moon of the 12th lunar month, the people of Thailand come together to celebrate Loy Krathong. Often referred to as Thailand’s festival of lights, Loy Krathong is a centuries-old festival with beautiful traditions and rites. Its ceremonies and celebrations are a must-see for anyone planning to be in Bangkok during the festival. This year, the full moon falls on 14 November.
However, this year’s Loy Krathong festival is going to be more of a sombre affair than it usually is. Thailand is currently mourning the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. During the first 30 days following his passing, businesses, local councils and other organisations have been asked to tone down their entertainment and celebrations. Loy Krathong falls at the end of that first 30-day period.
For that reason, some provincial governors have decided to cancel their official Loy Krathong activities. Others have chosen to go ahead with the proceedings without some of the more celebratory aspects of the occasion. As an example, here are a few common Loy Krathong activities that are unlikely to be observed this year:
- Fireworks displays
- Traditional Thai beauty pageants
- Concerts
- Parades
But even without these activities, there is still much to enjoy during the festival. Most importantly, Thai people all over the country – from Bangkok to the most rural small towns – will still visit their local rivers and waterways to launch krathong rafts. This small gesture symbolises the release of negative thoughts and trespasses, and offers a chance to look to the future. It’s a fitting way to end the first 30 days of this mourning period.
Loy Krathong Highlight: Loy Krathong Sai Festival
Every year at this time, our guests are eager to learn where they can go to observe the Loy Krathong festivities. For guests at Centre Point Sukhumvit 10, there are many places in the local area that worth visiting. Greenspaces including Lumpini Park, Benjasiri Park and Benjakiti Park all have lakes and ponds that are used to float a krathong raft each year. These are all excellent places to visit if you would like to take part.
But we would also like to let our guests know that this is an excellent time to look outside of Bangkok for unique cultural experiences. Each province has its own subtly different way of observing the festival. For those who have the time, we often recommend travelling to Tak for the Loy Krathong Sai Festival.
Tak is an important city along the Ping River, which flows south from Chiang Mai and ultimately joins the Chao Phraya River before it passes through Bangkok. In most places, the krathongs used to mark this occasion are made from banana leaves. But at the Loy Krathong Sai festival, they are fashioned from coconut shells. It’s a lovely variation on this centuries-old tradition – and there’s certainly nothing like seeing throngs of candlelit coconut shells bobbing along in the currents of the Ping River.
This year’s festivities in Tak may be toned down significantly. However, the mayor of Tak city has announced that locals will be launching 999 krathongs in a solemn rite to honour the memory of his majesty.
