Loy Krathong 2026: Dates, Where to Go, Lantern Rules

Every November the same question returns in the group chat: "Where are we floating our krathong this year?" It usually ends at the nearest riverbank, because nobody wants three hours of traffic. Yet Loy Krathong is one of the few nights of the year when choosing the right place changes the whole evening, from being squeezed against a crowd you can't see over to floating a krathong among ancient ruins lit by thousands of candles.

This guide covers how certain the date really is (sources disagree), how Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Sukhothai compare, the lantern rules that get people fined, which krathongs don't harm the river, budgets, and how to survive a night when mobile networks collapse and taxis vanish.

When is Loy Krathong 2026?

Loy Krathong falls on the full-moon night of the 12th lunar month, so it moves around the Gregorian calendar. In 2025 it was 5 November; in 2026 it is expected on Tuesday night, 24 November 2026, almost three weeks later.

Sources do not fully agree. I found some listing 24 November and others 25 November, and one saying TAT announced a Chiang Mai programme running 24-26 November. So:

• Don't book non-refundable stays until TAT or the destination province publishes an official programme.
• Big events in Sukhothai and Chiang Mai run for several days (Sukhothai has run for 10+ days in past years), so you have some flexibility.
• Loy Krathong is not a public holiday, and this year it falls on a Tuesday. Check the year's calendar with Tetono's holidays tool.

All information here is as of October 2026. Programmes are not fully announced, so I lean on past years' patterns and say so each time.

The short origin story

The festival honours Phra Mae Khongkha, the water goddess, asking forgiveness for the water we use and pollute all year, and symbolically floating away bad luck. A popular legend ties it to Sukhothai and "Nang Noppamas", though historians debate how old that is; the Sukhothai association is nonetheless deeply embedded in Thai identity.

The north adds another layer: Yi Peng. "Yi" means two and "Peng" means full moon, the full moon of the second month in the Lanna calendar, which coincides with the 12th month elsewhere. Northerners celebrate with krathongs, lanterns and sky-lantern offerings.

Comparing the three main regions

Bangkok: close, but pick your spot

Photo: Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Bangkok has hundreds of floating points, but a few get all the attention:

• The Chao Phraya near Wat Arun: events have been held there in past years (14-16 Nov in 2024). The gold prang at night is the image people come for.
• ICONSIAM / Asiatique: riverside, near BTS Saphan Taksin, big events every year and the densest crowds.
• Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem (Hua Lamphong): the "Sai Sin Haeng Sai Nam" festival has run for years (13-16 Nov in 2024), easy via MRT Hua Lamphong.
• Public parks: Bangkok usually opens dozens of parks across 20+ districts until midnight (33 parks were announced in 2025). Benjakitti and Lumphini are far calmer than the river, ideal for small children and older relatives.

Tip: with family, choose a park. For the Chao Phraya photos, go on a night other than the exact full moon; riverside events often run several days and crowds thin considerably.

Chiang Mai: plan before you go

Chiang Mai during Yi Peng is full of Lanna lanterns, with a major parade on the main day and krathongs floated on the Ping River near Nawarat Bridge. The famous photo of thousands of lanterns rising needs two facts:

1. You cannot release sky lanterns inside Chiang Mai city. It sits within the airport safety zone, so the mass releases you see are dedicated events outside the city with tickets or packages.
2. Prices vary hugely. Travel guides cite everything from free temple events to roughly 4,900 baht for a full release package, and tickets often sell out months ahead. Never pay a page you can't verify; confirm with the organiser or TAT first.

For a cheaper version with a similar feel, walk the old city's Lanna lanterns, watch the parade and float a krathong at the Ping, with no entry fee. Rooms should be booked this month. More planning in the Chiang Mai travel guide.

Sukhothai: floating among ruins

Photo: Tang2bar — CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

For many people Sukhothai is where Loy Krathong feels "right". Events at Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai historical parks have included the candle-and-fire (เผาเทียนเล่นไฟ) tradition, processions, light-and-sound shows and krathong floating among the ruins (18-27 Nov in 2023; 8-18 Nov in 2024). For 2026 some sources suggest roughly 16-25 November, which is not yet official.

Trade-offs:

• Distance: about 5-6 hours by car from Bangkok, so not a day trip. Stay at least two nights.
• Rooms: limited near the old city. Book early, or stay in the new town and travel in.
• Fees: I could not find confirmed park or night-show fees for this year. Check with Sukhothai Historical Park directly.

For a longer route see cool-season trips 2026, and use the EV trip planner to map charging stops if you drive an EV.

Other provinces

To avoid distance or crowds, past years also had notable events in Lamphun (million-lantern festival), Mae Hong Son (sky krathong at Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu), Khon Kaen (Bueng Si Than), Sakon Nakhon (Nong Han), Samut Songkhram (banana-stem krathongs in Amphawa), plus Pattaya, Samui and Krabi. These details are from 2023, so check 2026 dates. Near Bangkok, see long-weekend trips near Bangkok and the Ayutthaya guide.

The rule people get wrong: lanterns, fireworks, rockets

• Bangkok announces a ban on sky lanterns, fireworks, rockets and firecrackers every year. 2022 reporting cited up to 3 years in jail or a fine up to 60,000 baht, or both (past-year reporting; check this year's announcement).
• Lanterns endanger aircraft, so control is strict near Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and Chiang Mai airports.
• Fallen lanterns become litter and the wire or fuel can snag power lines and roofs.
• To see a real release, attend an official, ticketed site, not a street-stall lantern you launch yourself.

Krathongs that don't hurt the river

Photo: FredTC — CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

The photo above shows riverside water where banana-leaf krathongs sit among foam boxes and packaging. Bangkok has cleared krathongs from its canals the next morning and campaigned against foam and bread for years. Picking the right material and not leaving bags on the bank reduces the work for whoever cleans up at dawn.

Realistic budget

These are rough ranges from the sources I found, not standard prices:

A family of four floating krathongs in a Bangkok park with snacks usually spends under 1,000 baht in total. For Chiang Mai or Sukhothai, rooms and transport are the main cost.

Surviving the full-moon night

1. Arrive before 5:30 pm. Crowds build from about 6 pm and peak 8-10 pm.
2. Fix a meeting point in advance. Mobile networks often slow or drop calls; text instead of calling.
3. Offline maps + power bank. Photos and video drain batteries (see the power bank comparison).
4. Use public transport. In Bangkok take BTS Saphan Taksin or MRT Hua Lamphong; parking is scarce and many roads close.
5. Leave before the finale, or walk 10-15 minutes from the river before calling a Grab. Fares surge and pick-ups jam.
6. Watch your valuables. Carry little cash and keep your phone in a pocket when not shooting.

Common mistakes

• Booking non-refundable before dates are confirmed.
• Buying lantern tickets from unknown pages. Scammers appear every year; verify with organisers or TAT.
• Launching a store-bought lantern in the city. Illegal and dangerous.
• Floating a foam krathong because it's cheaper. You save pennies; someone else cleans it up.
• Going on the exact full-moon night when you could go the night before or after.
• Wrong footwear. Wet ground and narrow steps; wear non-slip sandals or shoes.

Verdict: how to choose

• Young kids / short trip → a public park in Bangkok or your own province
• History lovers, memorable photos → Sukhothai, at least two nights
• Photographers, Lanna culture → Chiang Mai Yi Peng; book rooms and tickets now
• Food and riverside strolling → Chao Phraya / Khlong Phadung Krung Kasem; arrive early, use public transport
• Always → banana-stem and real-flower krathongs, no self-launched lanterns, and re-check official 2026 dates before you travel

Planning more of the season? The 2026 vegetarian festival guide covers another October event, and the cool-season guide is a good next step for the rest of the year-end trips.

Sources

• Loy Krathong 2026: Dates, What to Expect — eSIMPass (30-150 baht krathongs, Bangkok spots, crowd and network notes)
• UME Travel — Thailand Lantern Festival 2026 & 2027 and Thailand Highlights — Lantern Festivals (2026 dates, Chiang Mai lantern limits, ticket range)
• Thansettakij — Loy Krathong events 2023 (2023 programme)
• PRD — Loy Krathong festivals 2024 (2024 dates)
• Matichon — Bangkok opens parks, bans lanterns and fireworks (prior-year city measures)