If Songkran is Thailand’s loud, soaking exuberance, Loy Krathong is its quiet opposite, thousands of small, candlelit baskets released onto rivers and canals on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month. In 2026, that falls in late November, most commonly cited as the night of the 24th or 25th; because the date follows the lunar calendar rather than a fixed one, it’s worth confirming the exact night closer to the trip.
What a Krathong Actually Is
A krathong is a small floating vessel, traditionally a slice of banana trunk or a folded banana leaf, decorated with flowers, incense and a candle. Releasing one onto the water is a way of letting go of the past year’s misfortune and giving thanks to the goddess of water; it’s a genuinely lovely piece of ritual to take part in rather than simply watch.
Where to Be in Bangkok
Asiatique The Riverfront has been the city’s main celebration point since 2013, with an illuminated float procession, cultural performances and fireworks over the Chao Phraya. For something quieter and free, Wat Arun offers a more spiritual, less produced version of the same evening, while Lumphini Park’s lake draws families and couples floating krathongs on calmer water away from the river crowds.
A Note on Yi Peng
The photographs of thousands of sky lanterns rising into the night that most people associate with this festival are actually Yi Peng, a related but separate northern Thai tradition centred on Chiang Mai, held around the same dates. Bangkok’s Loy Krathong stays on the water rather than in the sky, a different, more intimate atmosphere, and no less worth experiencing for it.
Practical Notes
Unlike Songkran, Loy Krathong isn’t a public holiday, so the city carries on as normal by day. Hotel rooms along the river do sell out or rise sharply in price as the date approaches, and November happens to be one of the best-weather months to be in Bangkok besides, cooler, drier, and just ahead of peak season crowds.
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