In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Loy Krathong, Thailand’s festival of lights, falls on the full moon, Tuesday 24 November 2026. People float small baskets (krathongs) of banana leaf, flowers, a candle and incense on rivers, canals and park lakes. The Tourism Authority of Thailand lists a Bangkok Loi Krathong Festival from 17 to 29 November 2026 along the Rattanakosin waterways, with sites at Rama VIII Bridge, Phra Sumen Fort, Maha Kan Fort and the Prem Prachakon Canal. The riverside crowds gather at Iconsiam, Asiatique The Riverfront and Wat Arun. Buy a krathong made of banana leaf, flowers or bread, not styrofoam, and leave sky lanterns to Chiang Mai. Or book a tour: the Loy Krathong day dinner cruise on the Chao Phrayaad (from ฿1,669, 2 hours) serves an international buffet and lets you float a krathong from the boat. For timing across the year, see the best time to visit Bangkok.
The meaning of Loy Krathong
Loy means to float and a krathong is a small lotus-shaped vessel, so the festival’s name is “float a basket”. It marks the end of the rainy season.
The festival carries three purposes:
- Giving thanks to water: worshippers thank Phra Mae Khongkha, the goddess of waters, for the water that feeds the rice and carries the boats.
- Apology for pollution: releasing the basket is an apology for fouling the waterways.
- Letting go of bad luck: people put fingernail clippings, strands of hair or small coins in the basket. As it drifts away, it carries the misfortune with it.
The 2026 programme along the Rattanakosin waterways
The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Loi Krathong calendar (TAT Newsroom) lists the Bangkok programme as “Preserving Thai Traditions Along the Rattanakosin Waterways”, 17 to 29 November 2026, at five main sites and along one historical route:
| Site | Dates in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rama VIII Bridge, Bang Phlat District | 16 to 25 November |
| Phra Sumen Fort, Phra Nakhon District | 23 to 25 November |
| Maha Kan Fort, Phra Nakhon District | 23 to 25 November |
| Prem Prachakon Canal, next to Don Mueang Police Station | 23 to 25 November |
| Prem Prachakon Canal, Wat Samian Nari | 24 November |
| Historical route: Wat Saket, Wat Ratchanatdaram, Wat Thepthidaram and Maha Kan Fort | 17 to 29 November |
Kasetsart University in Bangkok also holds a Loi Krathong festival on 23 and 24 November 2026, open to visitors.
More places to float a krathong
Anywhere with open water works, from the river to a park lake.
Iconsiam, on the Thonburi bank
Charoen Nakhon Road · BTS Charoen Nakhon (Gold Line) · free shuttle boat from Sathorn Pier
Iconsiam’s river terrace is one of the main riverside gathering points on the Thonburi bank. The Gold Line stops at Charoen Nakhon, beside the mall, and a free shuttle boat runs from Sathorn Pier, next to BTS Saphan Taksin.
Asiatique The Riverfront
Charoen Krung Road · free shuttle boat from Sathorn Pier
A riverside night-market complex with a boardwalk on the water. It gets very busy in the evening, so go early to avoid the queue for the shuttle boat back to Sathorn Pier.
Wat Arun and the temples on the river
Rattanakosin and Thonburi riverbanks
Wat Arun’s central prang is lit at night, and worshippers go down to the river to float krathongs with the temple behind them. On the other bank, the route from Wat Saket to Maha Kan Fort is part of the official programme above.
Park lakes
- Lumpini Park (MRT Silom or BTS Sala Daeng): the city’s oldest park has a central lake below the Silom and Sathorn towers.
- Benjakitti Park (MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre): boardwalks run round a lake in the middle of the city.
- Saranrom Park (near the Grand Palace): a royal garden with lotus ponds.
Dinner cruises on Loy Krathong night
A dinner cruise puts you on the river for the evening, past Wat Arun and the Grand Palace, with the krathong floated from the boat or the pier. GetYourGuide prices are its lowest “from” prices, in baht. Both of the first two listings are for the festival night itself.
Loy Krathong day dinner cruise
From ฿1,669 · 2 hours · buffet and a krathong
Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya River: Loy Krathong Dayad is an evening cruise with an international buffet dinner and a krathong to float under the moon.
Luxury cruise with Thai performances and fireworks
From ฿2,200 · 2 hours · 5-star cruise
Bangkok: Loy Krathong Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phrayaad is a luxury 5-star cruise with a buffet dinner, Thai performances and fireworks on the river.
An established dinner cruise with Loy Krathong departures
From ฿1,128 · 4.4 stars from 5,474 reviews · 2 to 4.5 hours
Bangkok: White Orchid Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise with Free Beerad lists Loy Krathong sailings from Asiatique and ICONSIAM, on the upper and lower decks, among its options, with a buffet dinner and live music. The usual sailings are covered in Chao Phraya dinner cruises compared.
What a krathong is made of
Polystyrene foam baskets once choked the city’s waterways, and the rule now is to float only a krathong that breaks down in the water.
A banana-leaf krathong. Photo: Nina R from Africa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
| Krathong material | What to know |
|---|---|
| Banana trunk and leaves | The standard krathong; it breaks down in the water |
| Bread dough | Fish eat it, which suits the closed lakes in the city parks |
| Ice | Melts completely and leaves only the flowers |
| Styrofoam | Do not use or buy one |
| Plastic pins and staples | Choose a krathong held together with wooden toothpicks or bamboo pins |
Buy your krathong from the stalls outside temple gates and park entrances. Stalls take cash only, so carry 20, 50 and 100 THB notes.
No sky lanterns in Bangkok
Do not release sky lanterns (khom loy) in Bangkok. They belong to Chiang Mai’s Yi Peng festival; here they drift over the flight paths into Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang and over dense neighbourhoods, where they are a fire risk. Float a krathong instead.
Practical tips for visitors
- Bring a lighter. Vendors can run out of matches during the rush to the water after dark.
- Use rail and boat. The roads round Iconsiam, Asiatique and Saphan Taksin are heavily congested on the night. Use the BTS Skytrain, the MRT and the river shuttle boats.
- Book a cruise before you arrive. The Loy Krathong sailings are one-night events.
For a bed on the river, see hotels on the Chao Phraya River.
Common questions
What date is Loy Krathong in Bangkok in 2026?
Loy Krathong is held on the night of the full moon of the 12th Thai lunar month, which falls on Tuesday 24 November 2026. The Tourism Authority of Thailand's Bangkok programme along the Rattanakosin waterways runs from 17 to 29 November 2026.
Where can I float a krathong in Bangkok?
On the Tourism Authority of Thailand's 2026 programme: Rama VIII Bridge, Phra Sumen Fort, Maha Kan Fort and the Prem Prachakon Canal near Don Mueang, plus the Wat Saket, Wat Ratchanatdaram and Wat Thepthidaram route. Riverside venues such as Iconsiam and Asiatique and park lakes such as Lumpini Park are the other usual choices.
Are sky lanterns allowed in Bangkok during Loy Krathong?
No. Sky lanterns (khom loy) belong to the Yi Peng festival in Chiang Mai; they are not released in Bangkok, where the airports' flight paths run over the city.
What should a krathong be made of?
Banana trunk and leaves, flowers or bread, which break down in the water. Do not use a styrofoam krathong or plastic pins and staples.
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