Yi Peng and Loy Krathong (Lantern Festival)
Yi Peng and Loy Krathong (Lantern Festival)
Yi Peng and Loy Krathong (Lantern Festival)
4.5
About
Yi Peng, a festival of lights celebrated mainly in the north of Thailand, overlaps with Loy Krathong, which is celebrated during the full moon of November and is Thailand's 2nd most important festival after Songkran. It is a time to be with family and friends and to make merit. People gather near lakes, rivers and canals to launch paper lanterns into the sky, and to float their 'krathongs' with loved ones. Krathongs are circular rafts made from banana tree trunks, which are decorated with flowers, candles and incense sticks. These offerings create a wonderful show of lights, both in the sky and on any body of water. It is believed that if you and your partner's rafts stay together after being launched, you will have a happy future together.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
188 reviews
Excellent
134
Very good
31
Average
7
Poor
6
Terrible
11
CELINE B
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
This event is a disaster.
They put no effort in organizing and putting attenders safety first. The whole event is just a scam to over charge tourists. Would not recommend to my worst enemy.
They put no effort in organizing and putting attenders safety first. The whole event is just a scam to over charge tourists. Would not recommend to my worst enemy.
Written 27 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick Silva
Sintra, Portugal17 contributions
Nov 2022
Visiting Chiang Mai during the festival is truly a sight of beauty! However the Lantern festival was a bit of a let down. Perhaps it was because it's was the first year after Covid, but there was a huge lack of staff members during the actual launch of lanterns, which posed a bit of danger since it was windy and a lot of lanterns caught on fire in the middle of the crowd.
The festival shows (before the actual launch of lanterns) was lacking and poorly visible if you are not in the first rows since the stage is on ground floor.
The festival shows (before the actual launch of lanterns) was lacking and poorly visible if you are not in the first rows since the stage is on ground floor.
Written 4 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ng Adeline
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia374 contributions
Nov 2019 • Family
Once in a life time experience, the Yi Peng& Loy Krathong festival. There were celebrations for approximately 3 days. Very interesting culture exposure and there were street parade by the locals, floats made of flowers, cultural costumes and endless night markets with varieties of food, souvenirs etc..
Written 14 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
M ASHOK
Pune, India339 contributions
Nov 2019
We are regular visitors to Chiangmai so this time we visited to view this festival.
As our Hotel Top North is next to Thape Gate we could attend the programs connected
to LOI KRATHONG and few parades and let me say it was really worth it. We could get
good seats also the parade was well managed .Locals really take care to make the floats beautiful and all the tourist enjoy them.
We tried to go to river where the lanterns are lit and let go to sky the best sight.
Will be back again next year.
As our Hotel Top North is next to Thape Gate we could attend the programs connected
to LOI KRATHONG and few parades and let me say it was really worth it. We could get
good seats also the parade was well managed .Locals really take care to make the floats beautiful and all the tourist enjoy them.
We tried to go to river where the lanterns are lit and let go to sky the best sight.
Will be back again next year.
Written 7 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
donpC9763PA
Toronto, Canada33 contributions
Nov 2019
People float Krathongs ( boat shaped receptacles with flowers, sparklers, lamps etc.) into Mae Ping River and hundreds and hundreds of lanterns are released in the sky which is also lit up with occasional fireworks making it very spectacular. On the next day you will definitely be amazed to see a very colorful parade at night with lots of intricately decorated floats which are very well lit. This is truly a fantastic festival which should not be missed if you are visiting Chiang Mai in November.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vratin Shah
Mumbai, India1Â 167 contributions
Nov 2019
We went to see the event early night, but the place was too crowded and event just started which we were not able to see. The actual lantern release was rare during early hours, only few lanterns to see. Other recreational activities & food stall available, but everything was crowded.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Phillipe I
Rio de Janeiro, RJ10 contributions
Nov 2019
The festival is an amazing experience. It is advisable to plan ahead to attend the festival at a closed event. However, it is worth enjoying the festival on the streets of Chiang Mai. If you can, do both on separate days.
Written 30 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan N
Chiang Mai, Thailand6 contributions
Nov 2019
The arrival at the event was essentially down a one lane road, and we had to pull aside to let other vehicles through. There was no guidance at the venue about how to check in, when the dinner was served, and how to line up and enter the dining area. This was an omen for things to come. Make no mistake, the spectacle of watching (and participating in) the release of hundreds of lanterns is something I'll never forget.
The exiting from the area to via vans and songthaews was an absolute disaster. There was no guidance on where or how to form queues for an orderly load of the vehicles, and the staff there seemed to be at a loss of what to do. We were part of a throng of several thousand crushing towards the road where the vehicles were loading. We eventually got a ride back to our pickup point in Chiang Mai. Three hours later. I do not recommend using this tour provider until they fix their organizational and staffing problems to handle the crowd.
The exiting from the area to via vans and songthaews was an absolute disaster. There was no guidance on where or how to form queues for an orderly load of the vehicles, and the staff there seemed to be at a loss of what to do. We were part of a throng of several thousand crushing towards the road where the vehicles were loading. We eventually got a ride back to our pickup point in Chiang Mai. Three hours later. I do not recommend using this tour provider until they fix their organizational and staffing problems to handle the crowd.
Written 8 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris i
40 contributions
Nov 2019
We walked down to one of the bridges to watch the festival as it also coincided with the river festival as well. Certainly a sight to see.
Written 4 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
singhasam
Weymouth, UK3Â 702 contributions
Nov 2019
HOPEFULLY people will read this review, take on board the many positive points I make and use my advice to avoid potential disappointment.
I have been to Loy Krathong before but in Phuket, so not only was this my first time in Chiang Mai but it was my first time ever for Yi Peng.
Like many reviewers I had done a considerable amount of research on my trip during which I uncovered some quite disturbing prices for organised viewing points for the festival and lantern launch ranging from $200-$500 per ticket right up to some eye-watering claims from people who said some outlets they approached wanted as much as $2,000 for a VIP ticket!
They must have had hot and cold running champagne for that price so, as I'm not a rich man, I opted to take the advice of seasoned Chiang Mai reviewers and simply go to the Nawarat Bridge and the Iron Bridge and do it myself.
It worked like a dream and I would strongly advise those considering attending the festival in 2020 to make their own similar arrangements. Here is what I did and experienced.
To start with we were in Chiang Mai for 17 days with the festival smack in the middle of our stay, so we had plenty of time to follow the build-up, notably at the Tha Phae Gate which became our barometer for how festival preparations were going.
To start with there were only a hundred or so lanterns hung on framework towards the left front of the square in front of the Gate but, as we went past most nights, we could see more frameworks going up, more brightly coloured red and gold lanterns make an appearance and a specific area being cordoned off with seating for several hundred people, big television screens going up, sound systems being installed and rehearsals being carried out for several parades which looked pretty big.
We actually got lucky with the parades because we didn't know a start time, but we'd gone for an early evening meal in the Old City and came out to walk straight into a big parade with brightly lit palaces, kings, queens and princesses, dancers, elephant statues, marching groups, music and thunderous drums.
We followed first one group of floats and then another before gradually making our way into and down Tha Phae Road towards Nawarat Bridge.
Along the way we agreed to pay a woman 20 baht and watched as she rummaged on her table piled high with flowers to bring out leaves and blooms to make us our floating offering for Loy Krathong complete with incense sticks and a little candle. It was beautifully done, covered in bright flowers and looked a treat. We could hardly wait to launch it on the Ping River.
That proved easier said than done because the closer and closer we got to the Nawarat Bridge then the denser the crowds got until within 50 yards of the bridge everything became one giant happy scrum of people.
Again we got lucky, opting to go out on the bridge first which immediately gave us a grandstand view of other people launching their floating offerings below us.
Now we knew where to go, but we were still unprepared for what happened next when we fought our way off the bridge and down into a lower area leading towards the river's edge.
This area, if possible, was even more densely packed with people than the bridge and we felt a bit like lemmings heading for a cliff. That danger factor became reality when we joined scores of people edging out on to a rickety bamboo landing stage crudely set up at the river where we literally had to wait for several minutes to allow the crush of people in front of us to thin as visitors lit their offering and got it into the river before joining the stumble back to and up the riverbank and steps.
Our turn came in swirls of smoke, fuel and incense and we suddenly found two arms extended towards us. It was a man up to his waist in the river who was taking offerings from people and gently putting them in the river where the current drifted them away to joined thousands of others downstream in a bobbing river of light. It was so beautiful.
We got back up on the bridge unscathed and spent some time watching drifts of brightly lit floral display candles move slowly away as the first lanterns began to be released into the sky.
Soon there were dozens in the sky, then hundreds and then thousands with the main area embracing more than 30,000 celebrating people split between the Nawarat Bridge, the far side of the river and down to and on the Iron Bridge.
We decided to walk over the Nawarat Bridge past excited groups of people flicking lighters to set fire to the fuel cell in their lanterns and make for the far side of the river between the two bridges.
It was a great choice and we found scores and scores of food stalls which had turned air in the area into a fog of mouth-watering aromas from pork, chicken and beef to prawns, fish and octopi with battalions of dips, sauces, sticky rice, noodles and, of course, mountains of the famous pad thai.
We grabbed a couple of spicey Chiang Mai sausages and battled on downriver towards the Iron Bridge and this is where I would recommend anyone to enjoy this festival.
We got the mass drift of floating floral displays with their flickering candles at river level, the spectacle of crowds at Nawarat Bridge and along the riverside while overhead we had the growing host of illuminated lanterns rising into the night sky until there were many thousands of them.
We couldn't go 50 metres without someone trying to sell us a lantern and we eventually gave in and bought one, taking it out on to the Iron Bridge, watching how others lit their lanterns and then doing so ourselves to watch it rise slowly into the night.
There is an art to doing ir correctly because you must hold on to the thin paper surround until sufficient hot air has built up to give the lantern lift off. Release too soon and it slumps into the river, release it without checking your surroundings and it can be caught up in trees or cabling.
And make sure you take care with the flames. One little girl got burnt and screamed for a long time until taken away. It is easy to get burnt without care and the fuel can drip on to exposed flesh.
By now we were surrounded by a kaleidoscope of colour from lanterns overhead and all around us to a giant slowly turning neon wheel on the riverside near the Bus Bar.
All this fantastic free entertainment lasted for a number of hours from the time of the parades to the time we finally left the lantern launches by the river. Our only costs had been 20 baht for a floral display and 50 baht for a lantern.
We found out later over a beer that many other people who went to "organised" displays had not been anywhere near so lucky.
If we heard one tale of being ripped off we must have heard half a dozen of people being charged hundreds of dollars for a ticket at a big display slightly away from the city which, while spectacular, was claimed to be badly organised with some people abandoned by their organisers and left to make their own way back. This perhaps wasn't a disaster, but it certainly seemed to have left a nasty taste in their mouth and affected their enjoyment of the festival.
So the message is loud and clear. Make your own simple arrangements and you will probably have as much fun or more than the big expensive displays at a fraction of the expense.
I hope this helps those heading for the 2020 festival to make their minds up on how they would like to celebrate it. The simple approach certainly worked for us and we had a memorable time with some stunning memories of this special spectacular. Make sure you go at least once in your lifetime. You'll never forget it.
I have been to Loy Krathong before but in Phuket, so not only was this my first time in Chiang Mai but it was my first time ever for Yi Peng.
Like many reviewers I had done a considerable amount of research on my trip during which I uncovered some quite disturbing prices for organised viewing points for the festival and lantern launch ranging from $200-$500 per ticket right up to some eye-watering claims from people who said some outlets they approached wanted as much as $2,000 for a VIP ticket!
They must have had hot and cold running champagne for that price so, as I'm not a rich man, I opted to take the advice of seasoned Chiang Mai reviewers and simply go to the Nawarat Bridge and the Iron Bridge and do it myself.
It worked like a dream and I would strongly advise those considering attending the festival in 2020 to make their own similar arrangements. Here is what I did and experienced.
To start with we were in Chiang Mai for 17 days with the festival smack in the middle of our stay, so we had plenty of time to follow the build-up, notably at the Tha Phae Gate which became our barometer for how festival preparations were going.
To start with there were only a hundred or so lanterns hung on framework towards the left front of the square in front of the Gate but, as we went past most nights, we could see more frameworks going up, more brightly coloured red and gold lanterns make an appearance and a specific area being cordoned off with seating for several hundred people, big television screens going up, sound systems being installed and rehearsals being carried out for several parades which looked pretty big.
We actually got lucky with the parades because we didn't know a start time, but we'd gone for an early evening meal in the Old City and came out to walk straight into a big parade with brightly lit palaces, kings, queens and princesses, dancers, elephant statues, marching groups, music and thunderous drums.
We followed first one group of floats and then another before gradually making our way into and down Tha Phae Road towards Nawarat Bridge.
Along the way we agreed to pay a woman 20 baht and watched as she rummaged on her table piled high with flowers to bring out leaves and blooms to make us our floating offering for Loy Krathong complete with incense sticks and a little candle. It was beautifully done, covered in bright flowers and looked a treat. We could hardly wait to launch it on the Ping River.
That proved easier said than done because the closer and closer we got to the Nawarat Bridge then the denser the crowds got until within 50 yards of the bridge everything became one giant happy scrum of people.
Again we got lucky, opting to go out on the bridge first which immediately gave us a grandstand view of other people launching their floating offerings below us.
Now we knew where to go, but we were still unprepared for what happened next when we fought our way off the bridge and down into a lower area leading towards the river's edge.
This area, if possible, was even more densely packed with people than the bridge and we felt a bit like lemmings heading for a cliff. That danger factor became reality when we joined scores of people edging out on to a rickety bamboo landing stage crudely set up at the river where we literally had to wait for several minutes to allow the crush of people in front of us to thin as visitors lit their offering and got it into the river before joining the stumble back to and up the riverbank and steps.
Our turn came in swirls of smoke, fuel and incense and we suddenly found two arms extended towards us. It was a man up to his waist in the river who was taking offerings from people and gently putting them in the river where the current drifted them away to joined thousands of others downstream in a bobbing river of light. It was so beautiful.
We got back up on the bridge unscathed and spent some time watching drifts of brightly lit floral display candles move slowly away as the first lanterns began to be released into the sky.
Soon there were dozens in the sky, then hundreds and then thousands with the main area embracing more than 30,000 celebrating people split between the Nawarat Bridge, the far side of the river and down to and on the Iron Bridge.
We decided to walk over the Nawarat Bridge past excited groups of people flicking lighters to set fire to the fuel cell in their lanterns and make for the far side of the river between the two bridges.
It was a great choice and we found scores and scores of food stalls which had turned air in the area into a fog of mouth-watering aromas from pork, chicken and beef to prawns, fish and octopi with battalions of dips, sauces, sticky rice, noodles and, of course, mountains of the famous pad thai.
We grabbed a couple of spicey Chiang Mai sausages and battled on downriver towards the Iron Bridge and this is where I would recommend anyone to enjoy this festival.
We got the mass drift of floating floral displays with their flickering candles at river level, the spectacle of crowds at Nawarat Bridge and along the riverside while overhead we had the growing host of illuminated lanterns rising into the night sky until there were many thousands of them.
We couldn't go 50 metres without someone trying to sell us a lantern and we eventually gave in and bought one, taking it out on to the Iron Bridge, watching how others lit their lanterns and then doing so ourselves to watch it rise slowly into the night.
There is an art to doing ir correctly because you must hold on to the thin paper surround until sufficient hot air has built up to give the lantern lift off. Release too soon and it slumps into the river, release it without checking your surroundings and it can be caught up in trees or cabling.
And make sure you take care with the flames. One little girl got burnt and screamed for a long time until taken away. It is easy to get burnt without care and the fuel can drip on to exposed flesh.
By now we were surrounded by a kaleidoscope of colour from lanterns overhead and all around us to a giant slowly turning neon wheel on the riverside near the Bus Bar.
All this fantastic free entertainment lasted for a number of hours from the time of the parades to the time we finally left the lantern launches by the river. Our only costs had been 20 baht for a floral display and 50 baht for a lantern.
We found out later over a beer that many other people who went to "organised" displays had not been anywhere near so lucky.
If we heard one tale of being ripped off we must have heard half a dozen of people being charged hundreds of dollars for a ticket at a big display slightly away from the city which, while spectacular, was claimed to be badly organised with some people abandoned by their organisers and left to make their own way back. This perhaps wasn't a disaster, but it certainly seemed to have left a nasty taste in their mouth and affected their enjoyment of the festival.
So the message is loud and clear. Make your own simple arrangements and you will probably have as much fun or more than the big expensive displays at a fraction of the expense.
I hope this helps those heading for the 2020 festival to make their minds up on how they would like to celebrate it. The simple approach certainly worked for us and we had a memorable time with some stunning memories of this special spectacular. Make sure you go at least once in your lifetime. You'll never forget it.
Written 1 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jessica H
Florida283 contributions
Hello - I will be in Chiang Mai for Yi Peng/Loy Krathong and was wondering if people had advice as to what sorts of events there are, and what is worth attending? I know there are some big lantern releases but are they worth the price? Are there good locations to take photos? Thanks!
Sophie N
10 contributions
I was just wondering how to find out what the date is for 2020?. I've seen there is an event on two dates one the actual festival and one a week later for tourists?, also if I wanted to see the festival by the river with the floating flowers where in Chiang mai do you go?. I was also wondering if the festival at the temple with the monks costs?, but overall I'd really like to know the date for the none tourist festival date and if the event costs.
Chris i
40 contributions
Hi Sophie,
Looks like you have your answer in regards to the festivals, as for the visit to the temple in the old city, yes you pay 200 baht to get in but from then on it costs nothing. Don’t forget to wear a top that covers your shoulders. Enjoy...
Sascha_Sieger
Düsseldorf, Germany2 contributions
I went to the festival on 11th of Nov. 2019 at Chiang Mai CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival at Air Sport Farm and lost some valuables there, in the overall Chaos. Do you know if there is a service collecting all lost items? It seems the organizers are only Thai speakers so I have difficulty in sorting this out.
Kimberleigh C
Cornwall, UK2 contributions
Do you need to buy tickets I’m advanced for the Yi peng festival?
Sand below my feet
India22 contributions
Has anyone been to Royal Park lantern release? Is it as impressive as Maejo?
sophia333
Woking, UK3 contributions
Can anyone advise who to use to get tickets for the cad lantern festival?
Hi, I would be staying in Chiang Mai for 4 days during the festival. Any suggestions as to how I should plan the trip? I'm considering the mass release at Mae Jo University, but correct me if I am wrong that it is only held on the 1st day. From what I gathered in the internet, there will be events going on at ThaePae Gate for Loi Kratong as well (and that there will also be locals and tourist releasing their lanterns around Ming river). Is this only held on the 1st day too? Would it mean I would have to pick one and miss the other?
AngItimNaRosas
Quezon City, Philippines228 contributions
The mass release of lanterns is organized by the city gov. Maejo univ is the most expensive. If you really want to experience it, you can go to the river and fly ur own lantern. However, if you really insist in joining, if you are in a hotel or hostel, im sure they know someone who books it.
The parade in ThaPae gate usually happens on the 2nd day. For you not to miss it, fly a lantern on the first day, attend the parade on second day/night. On third and fourth day, sign up for a tour. On the 3rd i believe we went to chiang rai, the long necks and golden triangle. On the 4th day, just city temple tours.
Hope this helps.
TravelBum1962
Jacksonville, FL28 contributions
What dates in 2019 will this festival be held?
dianaskai
jakarta24 contributions
you don't have to go to the "paid" event. You can just stay in Chiang Mai and enjoy the free festival, buy your own lantern (25baht), and see the parade together with locals & tourist
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Claim your listingYI PENG AND LOY KRATHONG (LANTERN FESTIVAL): All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Yi Peng and Loy Krathong (Lantern Festival)
- Hotels near Yi Peng and Loy Krathong (Lantern Festival):
- (0.03 km) Sleep Walker Hotel Nawarat Bridge
- (0.03 km) GreyBrownGreen
- (0.04 km) Baan Rao Boutique Residence
- (0.10 km) Chu Hotel
- (0.21 km) Puripunn Hideaway
- Restaurants near Yi Peng and Loy Krathong (Lantern Festival):
- (0.03 km) Blue Gate Cafe
- (0.05 km) Tara Bar
- (0.07 km) Especial Coffee Bar
- (0.19 km) Khagee Cafe
- (0.11 km) Ploy Studio Cafe