LOY KRATHONG

One of the most famous - and photogenic - Thai festivals takes place every year on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar. This festival coincides with Yi Peng, a lantern festival in the kingdom of Lanna. The krathong are small boats made of banana leaves and shaped like lotuses, in which incense sticks, candles and coins are placed. These boats are placed on the rivers to honour the spirits and to ward off sins. A truly magical light show. It is in Chiang Mai that the show is the most impressive. The city prepares itself especially for the festivities, with decorations, dance and music shows, and workshops to prepare its krathong! In the evening, thousands of paper lanterns (khom loi) illuminate the starry sky. It is on the banks of the river that the crowd rushes to float its krathong and launch its lantern, which, once filled with the hot air of the candle, flies in the sky. The lantern throwing is preceded all week by several parades on Thapae Road. In Bangkok, the fair of the Gold Mountain gives place to a night procession around Wat Sakhet, decorated for the occasion with hundreds of candles. In Sukhothai a village with craftsmen and restaurants is created for the occasion in the historical park and the evening come of superb spectacles take place around the ruins of the old kingdom.