Loy Krathong Festival – Phuket, Thailand

Where: Throughout Thailand with the most popular venues being Phuket and Chiang Mai.

When: Wednesday November 28, 2012

Where To Stay: Phuket Hotels

Occuring on the full moon of the twelfth month of the Thai lunar calendar, Loy Krathong is the release of handmade lotus-shaped offerings, called krathong, that float out on to the river, originally believed to be a way of paying respect to the spirit of the waters. Loy Krathong Festival dates back to 700 years ago in the Sukhothai kingdom.

It is believed that if your krathong floats away from you, you will have good luck in the upcoming year. But if it floats back to you, then you’re luck might not be as favorable.

The Krathong is traditionally created from banana leaves and can contain anything including most often food, flowers and candles. It is mostly biodegradable so it disintegrates within a couple of days and is not harmful to the fish. For visitors, krathongs can be purchased from stalls along the streets.

In addition to the release of the Krathong, the festival also includes decorated rafts, raft competitions, fireworks, and beauty contests. Often times, people release floating lanterns into the sky, as they do during the Yee Peng Festival, the week prior.