Thai people love to celebrate. The largest and most popular festivals in Chiang Mai are Loy Krathong and Yi Peng, also known as the Lantern Festival, which takes place in November. Join the locals as they release thousands of tiny floats into the river and scores of paper lanterns into the sky.

According to the language dictionary, Loi means "flow" while Krathong means "a small container made of leaves that floats on water during the Loi Krathong festival". Loi Krathong is claimed to have been started in Sukhotai City by a king consort named Nopphamat. On a full moon night, Thai people float their krathong in rivers, canals or ponds, while making a wish. This festival stems from an ancient rural ritual honoring the spirits of water. The Krathong Festival is thought to have been introduced in Chang Mai City in 1947, and has since been incorporated into the local culture.

Yi Peng

Loi Krathong coincides with the Lanna (northern Thailand) festival known as Yi Peng. Yi means 'two' and peng means 'full moon day'. Yi Peng refers to the full moon day of the second month according to the Lanna lunar calendar. Crowds of sky lanterns launched into the air. A khom loi is made of cheesecloth, stretched over a bamboo or wire frame, to which a candle or fuel cell is attached. When the fuel cell is ignited, the hot air generated is trapped inside the lantern and creates enough lift for the khom loi to soar into the sky.

This video describes the festive and beautiful Loy Krathong Yi Peng lantern festival:

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