Loy Krathong 2026: Where to Float in Bangkok and Khon Kaen

On one night each November, the rivers, lakes, and canals of Thailand fill with candlelight. Small banana-leaf vessels drift out from the banks, each carrying a flame, a few flowers, and someone’s wish for the year ahead. This is Loy Krathong, and in 2026 it falls on Wednesday, 25 November.

Where you spend that evening changes it completely. Bangkok offers the largest scale in the country, with lit temples along the Chao Phraya and lake parks glowing beneath the skyline. Khon Kaen offers something slower and more local, rooted in Isan tradition and rarely written about in English.

Here is what the festival means, where to float your krathong in both cities, and how to plan the night so it stays unhurried.

What is Loy Krathong 2026?

Loy Krathong is Thailand’s largest and oldest floating lantern festival. Loy Krathong is an act of gratitude to water and a release of the year just gone. “Loy” means to float and “Krathong” is the vessel itself.

This year, the festival falls on Wednesday, 25 November 2026.

The date moves each year because the festival follows the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar, instead of the Gregorian one. That is why the 2025 celebration landed in early November while the 2026 edition sits at the end of it. 

• Date: Wed 25 November
• Lunar timing: Full moon, 12 month
• Busiest hours: 20:00 to 22:00
• Public holiday: No

The ritual happens after dark on the night itself, though several cities run cultural programming for a few days around it. Loy Krathong is not a Thai public holiday, so shops and transport run as normal, and evening traffic is heavier rather than lighter.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand publishes confirmed regional programmes closer to the date. For the same period at Ad Lib Khon Kaen, see the property’s events and happenings calendar.

How to Float a Krathong?

According to tradition, the vessel is cut from a banana trunk and dressed with folded banana leaf, flowers, a candle, and incense. The ritual takes less than a minute.

1. Light the candle and the incense sticks.
2. Hold the krathong at forehead height and pause.
3. Make your wish, or simply say thanks.
4. Lower it to the water and push gently, without splashing.
5. Watch until the flame is out of sight. If a candle stays lit, it’s a good sign.

Loy Krathong or Yi Peng? Loy Krathong Festival Venues

The sky full of glowing lanterns you have seen in photographs is Yi Peng, not Loy Krathong. Loy Krathong is celebrated nationwide and happens on water. While Yi Peng is a Northern Thai tradition centred on Chiang Mai, and it involves releasing paper lanterns into the air.

What makes things confused is that the two fall on the same nights, which is how the imagery gets mixed. In fact, outside the north, you can expect candlelight on water rather than lanterns overhead.

Destination	Where it happens	What makes it different
Bangkok	Chao Phraya River, Lumpini Park, Benjakitti Park, ICONSIAM, Asiatique	Largest scale and easiest access. Choice of river spectacle or quiet lake parks
Chiang Mai	Ping River, Tha Phae Gate, citywide	The only city pairing Loy Krathong with Yi Peng sky lanterns on the same nights
Sukhothai	Sukhothai Historical Park	Claimed birthplace. Multi-day programme among lit 13th-century ruins
Khon Kaen	Bueng Kaen Nakhon, Khon Kaen University	Isan framing: Sithan Festival, molam music, regional food. Rarely covered in English
Ayutthaya	Historical park and riverside temples	Ruins-and-river setting, close enough for a Bangkok day trip
Phuket	Saphan Hin, Patong Beach, Laguna lagoons	Release into the sea rather than a river. Noppamas pageants at the main sites
Tak	Ping River	Loi Krathong Sai: coconut-shell krathongs floated in long linked chains
Mae Hong Son	Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu	Loi Krathong Sawan: krathongs released from a hilltop, as there is no river
Samut Songkhram	Mae Klong River, Amphawa	Banana-trunk krathong tradition, framed around sufficiency-economy practice
Nakhon Phanom	Mekong River	Lai Reua Fai illuminated boats. Isan’s version of the tradition, but held at Ok Phansa in October, not on Loy Krathong night

Sky lantern releases are restricted in many parts of Thailand for aviation and fire safety, particularly near airports and in dense urban areas. So if you want to enjoy the lantern, check local rules before buying one.

Basing yourself well matters more than usual on this night, because roads slow to a crawl from early evening. Ad Lib Bangkok sits in a quiet Sukhumvit alley beneath a banyan tree, minutes from the BTS and MRT lines that reach both the lake parks and the river.

You can be back under the tree well before midnight. Browse thethings to do around Ad Lib Bangkok orrooms and suites at Ad Lib Bangkok to plan the stay around it.

Loy Krathong 2026 in Khon Kaen: The Isan Celebration

Khon Kaen celebrates Loy Krathong on its own terms, which might slightly differ from most regions in Thailand.

Sithan International Festival, or Boon Somma Bucha Nak

Held at Khon Kaen University, this is the city’s headline Loy Krathong celebration. It brings the floating ritual together with Isan cultural programming, light installations, and community activities across the campus lake.

Loy Krathong 2026 in Khon Kaen will be celebrated on November 24-25, 2026, with the main full moon night falling on Wednesday, November 25, 2026.

Bueng Kaen Nakhon

The city’s central lake, and its most natural gathering point. The perimeter is walkable, the stalls set up along it, and the water sits calm enough that candles stay lit.

The sound and taste of an Isan night

Molam and regional music rather than a national soundtrack, and Isan food at the stalls: grilled meats, som tam, sticky rice. The scale stays human.

A month worth staying for

November runs into one of the strongest stretches in the regional cultural calendar, leading towards the Khon Kaen International Silk Festival in December.

For the wider view, the rooftop at KaenKaew Live House on the 28th floor reads the whole city at once on a night when it is lit from the water up. See the Sithan International Festival page and things to do in Khon Kaen for more.

Planning the Night: Timing, Transport, and Etiquette

For a relaxed and truly fulfilling day at the festival, you might want to check out some following tips when planning the itinerary.

• Arrive before sunset. The water looks best in the half hour after dark, and the crowd thickens from 20:00 to 22:00.
• Take the train in Bangkok. BTS and MRT keep moving when roads do not. Allow extra time for the walk back from riverside venues.
• Carry cash. Krathong sellers and food stalls rarely take cards, and mobile coverage drops in dense crowds.
• Bring a small torch. Riverbanks and lake edges are uneven, and the lighting is atmospheric rather than useful.
• Dress modestly at temple sites. Cover shoulders and knees, and remove your shoes where asked.
• Ask before photographing people mid-ritual, and keep quiet during blessings and processions.
• Take your rubbish with you. Nothing that will not break down should go into the water.

Conclusion

Choose the evening you actually want, and the rest of Loy Krathong takes care of itself. Bangkok gives you scale, temple light, and a river that carries thousands of candles at once. Khon Kaen gives you a slower version with Isan music, local food, and space to breathe. Both reward arriving early and staying somewhere you can walk back to.

Book direct for the best rate at Ad Lib Bangkok or Ad Lib Khon Kaen, and become a member for up to 15% off the Best Flexible Rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you release sky lanterns in Bangkok during Loy Krathong?

Sky lantern releases are restricted in many parts of Thailand, particularly near airports and densely populated urban areas, due to aviation and fire safety concerns. Regulations vary by district and venue, so check local rules before purchasing or releasing a lantern. In Bangkok, Loy Krathong is primarily celebrated as a water-based festival rather than through airborne lantern releases.

Where can I buy a krathong, or should I make my own?

Krathong vendors typically set up near major floating spots from late afternoon on Loy Krathong night. Making your own is also straightforward and takes around 20 minutes using a slice of banana trunk, banana leaves, flowers, a candle, and incense. Some hotels and community groups also organize krathong-making workshops in the days leading up to the festival.

Where is the best place to celebrate Loy Krathong in Isan?

Khon Kaen is one of the most accessible choices in Isan, with the Sithan International Festival at Khon Kaen University and krathong floating activities at Bueng Kaen Nakhon in the city centre. In Nakhon Phanom, the festival takes a distinctive form with the Lai Reua Fai, an illuminated boat procession along the Mekong.