Loy Krathong and Yi Peng 2026: dates, meaning and where to see them

On the night of the twelfth full moon, Thais go down to the water. In Bangkok they crowd the piers of the Chao Phraya; in villages they kneel at the edge of ponds and canals. Each person carries a krathong, a small round float of banana leaf folded into petals, with flowers, three sticks of incense and a candle. They light it, make a wish, and set it on the water, and the river fills with thousands of small lights drifting away in the dark.

In the north, in Chiang Mai, the same full moon is Yi Peng, and the lights go upward too. Temples are hung with paper lanterns, the old city's moat glows with candles, and on the festival nights thousands of sky lanterns rise over the Lanna capital. Together they are among the most beautiful festivals in Asia, and in 2026 they fall on the same night as Dev Deepawali in Varanasi, when every ghat on the Ganga is lit with lamps.

Loy Krathong and Yi Peng 2026 dates

What Loy Krathong means

Loy means to float, and a krathong is the float itself. The festival thanks Phra Mae Khongkha, the goddess of water, for the rivers that feed the rice fields, and asks forgiveness for using and polluting them. Many people also see the krathong as a way to let go: a lock of hair or a nail clipping is sometimes added so that bad luck floats away with it, and couples float one together to see if their candles stay side by side.

Thai tradition credits the first decorated krathong to Nang Nopphamat, a lady of the court of Sukhothai, Thailand's first capital, seven centuries ago. Historians think the story was written much later, in the nineteenth century, but it is why Sukhothai still holds one of the country's most beautiful celebrations among its ruins.

How to make or buy a krathong

• Buy one on the day from the stalls that appear near every river and pond, or make one at a temple or hotel workshop.
• Choose natural materials: banana trunk and leaf, flowers, or bread, which fish eat. Avoid foam, which floats for years.
• Light the candle and incense before you set it down, and make your wish.
• Let it go gently from the bank or a pier; do not throw it. Many piers have staff to help.

What Yi Peng means

Yi Peng belongs to Lanna, the old northern kingdom whose capital was Chiang Mai. Its name means the full moon of the second month in the Lanna calendar, which falls at the same time as Loy Krathong. Its symbol is the lantern. Khom fai, paper lanterns, are hung in temples and houses to bring merit and light the way for the Buddha. Khom loi, sky lanterns of rice paper over a bamboo hoop with a fuel cell, are released to carry misfortune away, and in temples monks lead chanting and meditation by candlelight.

The rules on sky lanterns

This is the part most visitors do not know. Releasing sky lanterns inside Chiang Mai, and anywhere near the airport, is restricted for fire safety and air traffic, and the city announces set times and places each year. Illegal releases can bring fines. Flights in and out of Chiang Mai have been cancelled or rescheduled on the festival nights in recent years because of lanterns.

If you want to release a lantern, do it at an organised event. The best known are the mass releases at Mae Jo, north of the city, where thousands of people release lanterns together after a ceremony with monks. They are ticketed, with prices commonly from about 4,000 to 12,000 baht depending on the seat and package, and the best sell out six to eight weeks ahead.

Where to celebrate

Sukhothai

If you have the time, Sukhothai is the most moving place in Thailand for Loy Krathong. In 2026 the festival at the Historical Park runs from 15 to 24 November, with a light-and-sound show among the ruined temples at 7 PM each night and an extra show at 8:30 PM on the 24th. Tickets cost 500, 900 or 1,200 baht and are sold through the festival's official channels. The park's lotus ponds fill with krathongs, and the old stupas are lit with candles.

Etiquette at the temples

• Dress modestly in temples: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off before entering halls.
• Never touch a monk if you are a woman, or hand anything to one directly; place it down for him to take.
• Keep your feet down. Do not point them at a Buddha image or a person.
• Respect the ceremony. Many temple lantern events begin with prayers; join in quietly or watch from the side.
• Mind your lantern. If you release one, make sure it is fully inflated before you let go, and never near trees, wires or roofs.

Planning a journey

A week covers it well: two nights in Sukhothai for the ruins and the festival, then four in Chiang Mai for Yi Peng, the temples of the old city and a day in the hills. We plan private journeys to Thailand on request, including the ancient capitals and the north. And if you would rather spend the same full moon on the Ganga, read our guide to Dev Deepawali in Varanasi.