Loy Krathong Bangkok 2026: where to float a krathong
Loy Krathong falls on the full moon of the twelfth month of the Thai lunar calendar. In 2026 that is Tuesday 24 November. On the night, people across Bangkok float a krathong, a small raft of banana trunk and leaves decorated with flowers, a candle and three incense sticks, on a river, canal or park lake. The custom is to thank the water goddess, Phra Mae Khongkha, and to let go of the past year's bad luck. Many people add a coin, or a clipping of hair or nail, before they push it off.
The night itself is the main event, but the city runs official festival sites for most of the second half of November, and the Golden Mount temple fair and the Vijit Chao Phraya light festival overlap with it. This guide covers where to go, what is allowed and how to get there. The Loy Krathong listing on the map collects hotel dinners, cruises and parties as they are announced.
The city's official festival sites
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has announced five festival sites for 2026, plus a separate cultural fair at Mahakan Fort. The dates are from the BMA's announcement; times for most sites have not been published yet.
| Site | Dates | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Wat Saket and the Golden Mount | 17–29 Nov | Old town |
| Rama VIII Bridge, Chao Phraya riverside | 17–29 Nov | Bang Phlat |
| Phra Sumen Fort | 23–25 Nov | Banglamphu |
| Mahakan Fort | 23–25 Nov, 17:00–22:00 | Old town |
| Khlong Prem Prachakon, by Don Mueang police station | 23–25 Nov | Don Mueang |
| Khlong Prem Prachakon, by Wat Samian Nari | 23–25 Nov | Bang Khen and Chatuchak |
Mahakan Fort: the old-town fair
The fair at Mahakan Fort, the white fortress on Ratchadamnoen Klang below the Golden Mount, has the fullest programme. For three evenings it has khon masked dance, likay folk theatre, rod puppets and a phong lang band from the northeast. There are free workshops on making a krathong from natural materials, folding flower garlands and making Thai sweets, and free Thai costumes to wear for the evening. A small market runs on land and on the canal, with community food and crafts, and a large krathong sits on the water as the centrepiece.
Phra Sumen Fort and the Banglamphu riverside
Phra Sumen Fort stands in Santichaiprakarn Park at the river end of Phra Athit Road, a short walk from Khao San. The Phra Nakhon district office runs the site from 23 to 25 November. The park looks onto the Rama VIII Bridge, which is lit at night, and the riverside steps are one of the easiest places in the old town to reach the water.
The canal sites in the north
The two sites on Khlong Prem Prachakon are run by the northern district offices and are the local choice for people living along the Red Line. They are smaller and less crowded than the river.
The Golden Mount temple fair
Wat Saket, the temple of the Golden Mount, holds Bangkok's best-known temple fair in the same weeks. The Golden Mount Temple Fair runs from 17 to 29 November, and relics of the Buddha are on show at the Golden Mount for veneration from 17 to 26 November. Expect food stalls, fairground games and rides, stage shows and a long queue of people climbing the lit stairs to the gold chedi at the top. The fair is free to enter. Mahakan Fort is a five-minute walk away, so the two make one evening. The old town guide covers the area.
Parks
The BMA opens its public parks late for Loy Krathong. In 2025 it opened 33 parks across 21 districts until midnight on the night. The 2026 list has not been published yet, but the usual choices are Lumphini, Benjakitti, Chatuchak Park and Santichaiprakarn. The parks are the calmest option for families: the lakes are still, the paths are lit, and krathong sellers set up at the gates.
The river
The Chao Phraya is where the largest crowds go. Piers such as Tha Tien, across from Wat Arun, and Phra Athit fill up from early evening. Asiatique and ICONSIAM usually hold their own events with a stage, fireworks over the water and a place to float a krathong; check each venue's plans for 2026. Many riverside hotels and dinner cruises sell Loy Krathong packages that include a krathong, and they tend to sell out by mid-November.
This year the river is also lit by Vijit Chao Phraya 2026, the Tourism Authority of Thailand's light festival. It runs from 13 November to 13 December at 13 riverside sites, with light and sound shows, projection mapping, drone shows and fireworks, and public viewing is free. The boat guide explains the express boats and cross-river ferries.
Beyond the city centre
In Nonthaburi, EJAN Fair x Moon Rim Lake runs from 21 to 25 November at IMPACT Lakeside in Muang Thong Thani. It is a free five-day fair beside the lake, timed for Loy Krathong.
Rules and what to float
The BMA's rules are strict and are enforced at official sites and in parks:
- Foam krathongs are banned. Use one made of banana trunk, banana leaves or other natural materials.
- The BMA also asks people not to float bread krathongs, which pollute the water, and asks each family to share one krathong to cut waste.
- Sky lanterns, fireworks and firecrackers are banned.
- Alcohol is not sold inside public parks.
Krathongs are sold at every park gate and pier on the night, usually for 30 to 100 baht. Buy one shortly before you float it, because the flowers wilt within a few hours.
Tips for the night
Arrive before 19:00 if you want space at the water's edge, especially at the piers. The BTS and MRT are very crowded between 18:00 and 22:00, and taxis are hard to find near the river, so plan to walk part of the way. Keep phones and bags zipped near the water and watch children on the pier edges. Krathong-making workshops, like the one at Mahakan Fort, are a good way to spend the early evening before floating your own. The festivals calendar has the rest of the year.
Getting there
- Wat Saket and Mahakan Fort: MRT Sam Yot, then a ten-minute walk along Ratchadamnoen Klang; or the Khlong Saen Saep boat to Phan Fa Lilat pier.
- Phra Sumen Fort: Chao Phraya Express boat to Phra Athit pier.
- Rama VIII Bridge, Bang Phlat side: MRT Bang Yi Khan, then a short walk or taxi to the riverside.
- Khlong Prem Prachakon sites: SRT Red Line to Wat Samian Nari or Don Mueang station, then a short taxi.
- Lumphini Park: MRT Lumphini or Silom. Benjakitti Park: MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, or BTS Asok and a short walk. Chatuchak Park: MRT Chatuchak Park or BTS Mo Chit.
- Asiatique and ICONSIAM: the free shuttle boats from Sathorn pier, below BTS Saphan Taksin.
- IMPACT Muang Thong Thani: the MRT Pink Line branch to Impact Muang Thong Thani station.