How to Experience Bangkok’s Traditional Loy Krathong Festival in November

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand and it is a cultural and commercial hub, bringing in a large volume of visitors (local and foreign) daily. Among the wide variety of attractions in Bangkok, one of the largest tourist attractions is the Loy Krathong Festival held in November.

Where in Bangkok can you experience this festival?

The Loy Krathong Festival can be experienced in front of any waterway in Bangkok, or any other Thai city. However, it is important to not stand in front of the water bodies and get in the way of the locals if you are there to observe because the locals take this festival quite seriously. The best place in Bangkok to experience this festival is the Asiatique which is a local riverfront night market. 

The Asiatique is close to several Bangkok apartments, hotels, and villas making it a prime location for everyone in the city to gather and partake in the festival. As a great centralised location, the Asiatique is easily accessible for anyone, especially residents of apartments such as the Citadines Sukhumvit 8 Bangkok because they would be less than an hour away from the Asiatique. 

What is the Loy Krathong Festival?

The Loy Krathong Festival is an annual celebration held in Thailand to pay respect to the Goddess of Water and the Buddha as well. This festival brings people from all over Thailand together to celebrate and enjoy the beauty and vibrant colours of this festival. This festival is celebrated near freshwater bodies by releasing floating lanterns called krathongs and watching them float away. 

The significance of this festival lies in the symbolic meaning behind the floating lanterns. The symbolism is the release of every known negative energy (anger, greed, hatred, jealousy, and sadness) in your life and watching it float away as the krathong carries it away from you. This festival is done as a way to prepare yourself for the upcoming year and embrace the new year with nothing but positivity and warmth.

What is and how to make a Krathong?

The best material that you can use to create your own krathong would have to be a sustainable or biodegradable option because other materials may clog and disrupt the flow of the waterways. Materials such as styrofoam or plastic are being banned across Thailand because these materials disrupt the natural pH of the waterways and harm the freshwater ecosystems. 

The recommendation is to use bread or take a traditional approach with banana based (banana leaves, banana trunks, flowers,) materials. Additionally, you would need a biodegradable candle as well in order to light your krathong before setting it adrift down the waterway of your choice. Alternatively, you can always purchase pre-made krathongs at the local markets or festival sites, eliminating the need to spend a large amount of time making the krathongs.

Tips on how to enjoy the Loy Krathong Festival

The Loy Krathong Festival is a beautiful event that brings communities together to let go of the past, and negative emotions while focusing on the future and generating the most positive outcome for the upcoming year. Since this is one of the most important festivals in Thailand, it is important to let the locals go first and then follow them. By doing so, you would have an amazing opportunity to observe how to release the krathongs and anything else that the locals partake in as a part of the festival.

Many locals prefer to partake in this event while staying at a temple or in the vicinity of a temple in order to enhance the purging effect of negative energy. This ritual also provides a sense of mental serenity and clarity because the “letting go” feeling lessens the burden on your shoulders.