Chiang Mai Lantern Festival

[kjun12]

This festival is the same time as Loi Kratong and used to be a wonderful, fun and beautiful event. They would fill the night sky with lanterns. I have already scheduled a trip there but just learned that the event has been changed. It is no longer in the city but is now 30 kilometers out of town and there is a 4000 baht charge to see it. A real downer for me.

[sglad]

This festival is the same time as Loi Kratong and used to be a wonderful, fun and beautiful event. They would fill the night sky with lanterns. I have already scheduled a trip there but just learned that the event has been changed. It is no longer in the city but is now 30 kilometers out of town and there is a 4000 baht charge to see it. A real downer for me.

I think you're referring to the specially-designated lantern-release areas outside of the city in Mae Jo, Doi Saket and Mae Rim which require a ticket admission. Yes, they are expensive-ish but because of the sheer number of people releasing lanterns at the same time, the view is truly breathtaking.

You can still take part in the festivities in the city which are free. People will be releasing lanterns around Thapae Gate, Wat Pan Tao, Three Kings Monument and Wat Lok Moli, which are all within walking distance of each other - you might have to walk anyway as some of the main roads in that area may be closed to vehicles. The opening ceremony is traditionally held at the Three Kings Monument. Maenam Ping will be where the main krathong-releasing festivities will be centred. Watch out for the fireworks; people have been hurt.

Loy Kratong is my favourite Thai festival - have fun!

[kjun12]

@sglad thank you very much for this information. This will make my trip much more enjoyable.

[arsenal]

4000 baht is outrageous. Go to Pattaya, it's free there and the beaches are awash with parties.

[sglad]

4000 baht is outrageous. Go to Pattaya, it's free there and the beaches are awash with parties.

True but tread carefully as you wouldn't want to trip on a dead whale in speedos.

[arsenal]

Oh he's not dead. He's just mentally preparing for the effort required to get up and go to the all-you-can-eat buffet.

If you've got 10 minutes to spare might I recommend John Pinette's skit on that very subject on YouTube.

[sglad]

@sglad thank you very much for this information. This will make my trip much more enjoyable.

You're welcome. Last year we floated our kratongs and released our lanterns in the Maenam Ping/Nawarat Bridge area. If I remember correctly, we could only release the lanterns between 7 pm and 1 am on the second and third days. If I'm not mistaken, the rules are negotiated year to year by the City with air traffic controllers. For more detailed information on this year's celebrations, check out the following link. There's even a timetable of the activities being organised by the City that you can print out or save in your phone.

https://www.chiangmaitraveller.com/2018-schedule-chiang-mai-thailand-loy-krathong-yee-peng-lantern-festivals/

[Patanawet]

For more detailed information on this year's celebrations, check out the following link. There's even a timetable of the activities being organised by the City that you can print out or save in your phone.

https://www.chiangmaitraveller.com/2018-schedule-chiang-mai-thailand-loy-krathong-yee-peng-lantern-festivals/

Thanks sglad for the link.
There is news on today's Khaosod about flights being cut or modified for Chiang Mai airport during the period 21- 23 November.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2018/11/13/chiang-mai-cancels-flights-so-sky-lanterns-dont-hit-planes/

I think that lantern flying is allowed everywhere between 6(or7) p.m. 'till o1:00.
Perhaps the 4000 Baht festival that the OP refers to is some organised event.

I have been many years running and always had fun at a riverside (bankside) restaurant or on the bridge.

I still cannot figure out why Loy Khratong, this year, is on the 22nd and not on 23rd which is the full moon night.
Of course not all the celebrations in Chiang Mai are Loy Khratong but also Yee Peng.

Loy Khratong , unlike Songkran, is not a public holiday in Thailand.

Enjoy, and maybe I'll see you there amongst the many thousands.

[BonTong]

kjun12 The mass lantern release festival, which I think you are referring to, was never during Loy Krathong itself, and never in the city. The confusion comes as pictures of this event have become synonymous with Loy Krathong and are often used to promote it. The massive event, used to be held in a field near Mae Jo University (maybe 10km out of town) and was organised by a nearby temple. It was free, except you had to buy your lantern there and I believe some of the proceeds went to the temple. It was usually on a Saturday, early evening a week or two before or after Loy Khratong itself. The event was so successful someone setup another one for "tourists" which is nothing to do with the original, and for which they charge a considerable sum. I think this is the 4,000 Bt event you are referring to. Avoid, it's a rip off.

I'm not sure what's happened with the event the last couple of years. It became a victim of it's own success with major traffic and transport problems with tens of thousands attending. I heard it was stopped as a result, though there was talk of alternatives starting up.

Kom Loy lanterns have always been a part of Loy Khratong/Yee Peng in Chiang Mai and their release was widespread all over the city throughout Loy Khratong and a few days either side. With the big increase in visitors and flights, along with a few fires started every year, the authorities have tried to clamp down and now the release of Kom Loys is permitted only within very limited hours during Yee Peng. These, the scene down on the river and the parades still make Yee Peng a great festival and well worth enjoying.

Don't underrate the parades; they have plenty of eye candy with lots of young guys from the colleges scantily clad in just loin cloths carrying their Khratongs in the parade.

http://asiancoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/optLoyKrathong_2Dboysfloat3.jpg
http://asiancoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/optLoyKrathong_2Dboysfloat1back.jpg

Hat tip to http://asiancoop.com/ for the pics

[kjun12]

Thank you Bon Tong for clarifying this for myself and others.

[sglad]

Thanks sglad for the link... Enjoy, and maybe I'll see you there amongst the many thousands.

You're welcome, Patanawet. Unfortunately, no more trips to Thailand this year. Need to conserve my annual leave; I only get 14 days a year and because I started work in July I only get a pro-rated amount (six days), two of which I used during a trip to Bangkok two weeks ago.

I hope you enjoy the festivities and maybe even loy a kratong on my behalf. :)

[Patanawet]

You're welcome, Patanawet.
I hope you enjoy the festivities and maybe even loy a kratong on my behalf. :)

Will do. And raise a glass to you later at Ram Bar or Secrets.

[aussie_]

No lanterns or fireworks in Pattaya. Banned from sale. There will still be parties at the beach. Not quite the Loy Kratong we used to enjoy.

[Smiles]

If you've not been to Loy Kratong at Sukhothai it is something you really should not miss. There are four or five lakes on the grounds which the kratongs are floated out on, and the number of lakes makes Sukhothai a bit less chaotic and a great deal more gentle.

At the end of the evening you can buy a semi-expensive ticket to the VIP and watch the quite spectacular show: all the backdrops are the actual ruins of Sukhothai, itself back-lit with golden lights. The whole thing reflected in the pool in front.

Well worth the journey.

8450


8451


For myself, the best Loy Kratong night I've ever been to was the countryside of Surin Province. A small lake surrounded by rice fields and eukalyptus trees.
It was cold that night out there, but everyone having fun. These girls are two of Pot's sisters (he has 6 more somewhere!) . . . the one in the white sweater and hat could down Thai whiskey faster and with fearsome abandon than four strong men.


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Some mighty kratongs sailing downstream. My tiny kratong was held in my palms waiting to be launched and when I glanced across at this giant sea-goer I looked down on mine and developed a short-lived penis envy out there in the boonies.


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[frequent]

It’s not in my nature to be the Grinch that stole Loy Krathong, but as I recall a major source of pollution in the Chao Phraya at this time of year comes from the polystyrene “floats” that people use rather than the traditional banana leaves. That lets me segue to the editorial on plastic bag pollution in this week’s Guru magazine (available yesterday in my local coffee shops). While I endorse the sentiments expressed the Thais have yet to wake up to the horrors of plastic straws which - at 7-11 at least - come in their own plastic wrapping. No wonder Thailand has such a poor reputation around that sort of pollution

[Smiles]

"It’s not in my nature to be the Grinch . . . "Yer yer yer ... and here I thought my misspelling of "eukalyptus" (should be "eucalyptus") would have Green Peace up my ass as quickly as I could say 'blowjob'.
But no no, our own somewhat-esteemed graduate of The Utah University of Boredom wants to "talk staw" to hardly-anyone-listening.

[frequent]

Yer yer yer ... and here I thought my misspelling of "eukalyptus" (should be "eucalyptus" ...You’re simply not that interesting, Smiles

[gaomymy1]

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[frequent]

I’m pleased to read the report in this morning’s Bangkok Post that city cleaners have found only 5.3% of krathongs were made of styrofoam