Loi Krathong is a Thai festival that takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, this usually falls in the month of November.
The festival is celebrated by Thailand’s neighbours too, especially in parts of Laos and the Shan State of Myanmar.
Loi Krathong can be translated as “to float a basket” with “loi” standing for “to float” and “krathong” meaning “basket.”
On Loi Krathong day, people in Thailand (both foreigners and locals), launch their krathong on a river, canal or a pond, making a wish as they do so. The festival probably originates from the ancient ritual of paying respect to the water spirits. In the northern parts of Thailand, it is customary for people to also launch paper lanterns called “Khom Loi.”
The paper lanterns in this video were launched in Chiang Mai, a province in the north of Thailand.
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