🔄 Updated 7 Jul 2026
The short version: two festivals fall on the same night. Loy Krathong is celebrated across Thailand — people float a small decorated raft (a krathong) on a river, lake or canal to let go of the past year and make a wish. Yi Peng is the northern Lanna tradition, strongest in Chiang Mai, where thousands of paper sky lanterns (khom loy) rise into the night. They land on the full moon of the 12th lunar month, usually November — the date shifts each year, so check a calendar before you book. There's a free public side along the rivers and the old-town moat, and a separate world of expensive ticketed mass-release events. Read the respect and safety & environment notes below before you go.
Yi Peng vs Loy Krathong: two festivals, one night
It's easy to blur the two together, but they're distinct. Loy Krathong is the nationwide one: loy means to float, and a krathong is a small raft, traditionally made from a banana-trunk slice decorated with folded leaves, flowers, a candle and incense. You light it, make a wish, and set it on the water — a gesture of gratitude and of letting the old year drift away. Yi Peng (sometimes written Yee Peng) is the northern Lanna festival that happens at the same time, and its signature is the khom loy — the paper hot-air lantern released into the sky. Chiang Mai is where the two overlap most vividly, with lanterns above and krathong on the Ping River below.
When is Yi Peng & Loy Krathong 2026?
The festival falls on the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar, which almost always lands in November (occasionally very late October). Because it follows the moon, the exact dates move every year — so unlike Songkran's fixed April dates, you do need to check a calendar before booking flights and hotels. Chiang Mai's Yi Peng events usually spread across two or three nights around the full moon, with the big ticketed mass releases often held on a separate date from the public celebrations. See how it fits the year on our Thailand festival calendar and best time to visit guides.
| Place | The scene | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Chiang Mai | The heart of Yi Peng — sky lanterns, Ping River krathong, temple ceremonies and a lantern-lit old town | The full experience, sky lanterns included |
| Bangkok | Loy Krathong along the Chao Phraya and in park lakes; riverside hotels and temples light up | Floating a krathong with a city backdrop |
| Sukhothai | Loy Krathong's spiritual home — candlelit ruins, a light-and-sound show at the old kingdom | History and a quieter, ceremonial mood |
| Ayutthaya | Krathong floated among the riverside temples and ruins of the old capital | Ruins-and-river atmosphere near Bangkok |
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Plan my festival trip →Chiang Mai: the heart of Yi Peng
If you go for one lantern festival, make it Chiang Mai. For a few nights the old town glows: temples like Wat Phan Tao are lit with hundreds of candles, the Tha Phae Gate area hosts ceremonies and processions, and people gather along the Ping River to float krathong while sky lanterns drift overhead. There are free public releases in some spots and paid ticketed events elsewhere (more on that below). Base yourself in or near the old town so you can walk to the river and the temples. See what else to do on the Chiang Mai attractions page and the Chiang Mai city hub.
Where to stay in Chiang Mai for the festival
Staying in or beside the old town puts you within walking distance of the river, the moat and the lantern-lit temples — and rooms sell out early for the festival, so book well ahead.
See Chiang Mai hotels →Free riverside scenes vs the paid mass-release events
This is the part that surprises people. The famous photos of thousands of lanterns rising in perfect unison come from ticketed mass-release events held at private venues outside the city — organised, ceremonial, and genuinely spectacular, but expensive and quick to sell out (tickets often run into the hundreds of dollars and go months ahead). Alongside those, the free public celebration plays out along the Ping River, the old-town moat and around Tha Phae Gate: you can float a krathong, watch lanterns go up, and soak in the atmosphere for the cost of a krathong from a street stall. Both are worth doing — just know which one you're buying.
- The paid mass releases — a set-piece evening with a coordinated launch of many lanterns at once; ticketed, pricey, and sold months in advance. Buy only from the official organiser and read exactly what's included
- The free public scene — the rivers, the moat and Tha Phae Gate, where locals and visitors mingle, float krathong and release the occasional lantern where it's allowed. No ticket needed
- The temples — candlelit ceremonies (Wat Phan Tao is a favourite) that are free and deeply atmospheric; go early and keep quiet and respectful
- The processions — decorated floats and parades on certain nights around the old town, free to watch from the street
Not every event lets you release a lantern
Many of the free public spots are for floating krathong and watching, not for launching your own sky lantern — releases are restricted in a lot of the city for safety. If releasing a lantern yourself matters to you, that's mostly what the ticketed events are for. Either way, only light one where it's clearly permitted.
Loy Krathong beyond Chiang Mai
Loy Krathong is celebrated all over Thailand, so you don't have to be in the north to take part. In Bangkok, people float krathong along the Chao Phraya and on park lakes, and riverside hotels and temples light up. Sukhothai is widely seen as the spiritual home of Loy Krathong — its candlelit ruins host a famous light-and-sound show at the old kingdom. Ayutthaya offers a similar ruins-and-river mood closer to Bangkok. See the Bangkok and Sukhothai city hubs to plan around it.
Where to stay for Loy Krathong elsewhere
A riverside base makes floating a krathong effortless — pick Bangkok for a city night on the Chao Phraya, or Sukhothai for candlelit ruins.
See Bangkok hotels →Plan the trip around the festival
The guides most travellers pair with the lantern festival — from the city hub to getting around:
Respect the meaning
The lantern festival is joyful, but it's rooted in gratitude and Buddhist tradition, not just photos. Floating a krathong is an act of thanks to the water and a way to let go of the past year; the temple ceremonies are quiet, sacred occasions. A little care goes a long way toward being a welcome guest rather than a nuisance.
- Keep temples calm. The candlelit ceremonies are for reflection — dress modestly, lower your voice, and don't block worshippers for a photo
- Ask before you photograph people in their private moment of floating a krathong or praying, and be gentle with your flash and space
- Learn the gesture, not just the aesthetic. Floating a krathong is a wish and a thank-you — treat it as more than a prop
- Follow what locals do around the river and the temples when you're unsure; for the wider picture, read our Thailand etiquette & culture guide
Safety & the environment
This is the part people skip, and it matters. Sky lanterns are open flames that drift where the wind takes them, so their release is tightly restricted near airports — around festival time Chiang Mai regularly cancels or delays flights and enforces no-launch zones, and stray lanterns cause fires and litter. Floating krathong, meanwhile, leaves waste in the water. None of this ruins the festival — it just means releasing and floating responsibly, only where it's allowed.
- Only release a lantern where it's clearly permitted — never near an airport, flight path or no-launch zone. Authorities set these limits because lanterns genuinely disrupt flights
- Check your flights if you're travelling in or out of Chiang Mai around the festival; schedules are often adjusted for the lantern period, so build in buffer time
- Choose a biodegradable krathong — banana trunk, leaves and flowers, not foam (styrofoam is banned in many places for good reason). Some organisers collect them from the water afterwards
- Mind open flames and crowds — candles, lanterns, dry season and dense crowds don't mix casually; keep children and loose clothing clear
- Follow the local rules on where and when releases are allowed; they change year to year and exist to keep everyone safe
For getting to and around the north during the busy festival window, see our Thailand transport guide.
🗓️ Thailand festival calendar
Every major festival, month by month
💦 Songkran guide
The April water festival, explained
🙏 Etiquette & culture
Temples, dress and manners
🏔️ Northern Thailand itinerary
Build the festival into a northern route
💡 Know before you go
The festival follows the 12th-month full moon, usually in November. Check a calendar before you book — and note the ticketed mass releases can be on a different night from the public celebrations.
Those iconic photos come from paid events that sell out months ahead and cost a lot. The free riverside and temple scenes are beautiful too — decide which you're after.
Sky lanterns disrupt air traffic, so flights around the festival are often delayed or cancelled and releases are restricted near the airport. Leave buffer time and only launch where permitted.
Choose a biodegradable krathong over foam, and release lanterns only where it's clearly allowed. It keeps the festival beautiful for the next year.
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