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On the evening of 5 November 2025, the Loy Krathong festival illuminated cities across Thailand, including Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Known also as the “Festival of Lights,” the celebration bathed urban landscapes in a warm golden glow as countless candles and lanterns lit up the night.

Loy Krathong is one of Thailand’s most iconic traditional festivals, rooted in Buddhist beliefs and long-standing nature-worship practices. Held annually on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month, the festival invites residents and visitors alike to set candle-lit Krathong afloat on rivers and waterways while making wishes. In northern Thailand, particularly in Chiang Mai, the spectacle is heightened by the concurrent Yi Peng festival, during which sky lanterns known as Khom Loi rise into the night sky in breathtaking displays.

The term “Loy Krathong” means 'to float a Krathong' in Thai. Loy means 'to float' and Krathong refers to 'a small basket (raft) made of banana leaves'. In order to cast away misfortune from the past year and to pray for new beginnings, people place candles, incense, flowers and coins on their Krathong and release them onto rivers or lakes as an expression of gratitude to the water goddess. Today, the act is also understood symbolically as releasing personal burdens, negative emotions and fatigue into the water.

More than a touristic attraction, the festival has become a symbolic Thai ritual embodying gratitude, purification and hope. Interweaving nature (water), religion (Buddhism), artistry and community belief, Loy Krathong stands as a multifaceted tradition that reflects Thai identity and collective spirit—one that continues to be passed down across generations.

Reference : https://lrl.kr/dEMLb