Loy Krathong in Bangkok - Where to have the best celebration?

The history behind the festival is complex, and Thais celebrate it for many reasons. As the main rice harvest season ends, it is time to thank the Water Goddess for a year’s worth of her abundant supply, as well as an apology for polluting the waters.

Some believe that this is the time to symbolically ‘float away’ all the anger and grudges you have been holding onto, and including a fingernail or a lock of hair is seen as a way of letting go of a dark side of yourself, to start anew free of negative feelings. If your candle stays alight until your Krathong disappears out of sight, it means a year of good luck.

Traditionally, Thais release their krathong into rivers and small canals called klongs. Nowadays, a pond or lake is fine. Many places host a string of cultural activities, such as Ram Wong dance performances, krathong-making competitions and a beauty contest.

People have started releasing lanterns in Bangkok, but this is only a small part of the festival. For the full lantern experience, head up to Chiang Mai for the Yee Peng festival, although people also often fly lanterns in Phuket and Samui.

Here is our dedicated article about Thailand Loy Krathong

Below are some of our suggestions for the best places to visit in the city to celebrate this traditional Thai event.

During Loy Krathong in each location, you can expect it to be reasonably crowded with an upbeat atmosphere full of laughter and that famous Thai smile. This is one of the most important holidays of the year in Thailand and virtually the entire city will be out celebrating with their families.

1. Loy Krathong at Asiatique in Bangkok

Asiatique is a new shopping arcade/boutique market on the Chao Phraya River. It is very close to Sapan Taksin BTS station and not far from Silom. 

Asiatique is a great place to go to experience Loy Krathong if you are a traveler. As you make your way through the market, there will be many mini-performances and historical shows from the Thai Siamese-era to see.

You can also find a plethora of restaurants, bars, and entertainment including lots of fun activities for kids such as a carousel, kids cartoon cinema, and mini go-karts.

To celebrate the festival there will be plenty of shops and stalls selling various styles of Krathongs. A good way to join in the celebrations is to buy one then head to the river to release it.

Enjoy this special moment as you take in the view of the full moon above the river when it is covered in candle-lit Krathongs. At Asiatique, you will also be able to see fireworks from the nearby hotels lighting up the river in celebration.

Getting there: Go to Sapan Taksin BTS and get a taxi the rest of the way or walk to Central Pier underneath the BTS station where you can catch a free riverboat to Asiatique.

2. Loy Krathong Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya River

Getting a ticket on one of the many dinner cruises that run up and down the Chao Phraya River for Loy Krathong can be both difficult and expensive, but well worth it! Loy Krathong is a very popular time of year for dinner cruises and many of the boats will put on a special show for the festival.

While on the dinner cruise, guests can enjoy wine and a nice meal while watching the river as it is light up by fireworks, floating lanterns, and the moon.

Certain cruises specifically say that they will be celebrating Loy Krathong which means that the boat will make a special stop. During this stop, you will be able to release your Krathong on the river.

If you do not have a Krathong, don’t worry! Most dinner cruise boats will also have their own spectacular large-sized Krathong that you can participate in decorating.

Because of the popularity of dinner cruises during Loy Krathong, make sure to book your tickets well in advance.

Getting there: Make sure you research the various dinner cruises available and choose the one that suits your needs. If possible, ask for a hotel pick up and drop off so that you are chauffeured to and from the pier.

3. Loy Krathong at the Tha Maharaj Mall

It may not seem like the right time of the year to visit a shopping mall, but the Tha Maharaj Mall next to the Chao Phraya River is one of the few shopping centers that is well-known for putting on a great show during Loy Krathong.

Here, guests will have access to plenty of food, desserts, coffee, refreshments, and alcoholic beverages. The mall consists of seven buildings outside of which is an open-air community garden and walkways that lead down to the riverside promenade making it a great location for Loy Krathong.

During Loy Krathong, the shopping center is decorated with traditional yellow, white, red, and blue ribbons. It is also full of festive lights and in the garden, you can participate in games or watch people performing Siamese-era dances while dressed up in traditional Thai costumes.

There will be various styles of Krathongs available for purchase here and plenty of people floating their Krathong on the river from the riverside promenade.

Getting there: To reach the Tha Maharaj Mall, you need to take a riverboat to Wang Lang Pier (N10). From there take the river crossing boat to Wat Mahathat Pier and the shopping center. Another option is to go to Tha Chang Pier (N9) and then reach the Tha Maharaj Mall on foot.

4. Lumpini Park – Silom (Lumpini MRT/Subway)

Lumpini Park is one of the largest green areas in central Bangkok and is a popular place for locals to meet, jog, workout, or just spend some time relaxing in nature. The park also contains a large circular lake which is the perfect setting for releasing a floating lantern during Loy Krathong. Every year, local residents gather to release their Krathongs which look beautiful bouncing on the calm waters surrounded by grass and trees. 

Getting there: You can easily reach the park on the MRT train by stopping at Lumpini or Silom Stations.

5. Benjasiri Park – Sukhumvit (Asoke BTS/Sky Train)

Benjasiri Park is a good option for Loy Krathong for travelers looking to get away from the crowds of the Chao Praya River while still experiencing the charm of a local celebration. The outside of the park is still crowded during the festival with vendors and street food, but once inside you'll find the park has barely any tourists and is full of mostly locals. 

At the center of the park, you'll find the small pond where krathongs are released every year. It's good to get there early to secure your spot at the waterside.

Getting there: This park is easy to reach and is located directly across from the Phrom Phong Skytrain Station.

6. Chatuchak Park – Chatuchak (Chatuchak Park MRT Station)

This is a large public park that is located next to the Chatuchak Weekend Market and can be seen from the BTS Mo Chit Station platform. This is one of the oldest public parks in the city and contains a beautiful man-made lake that runs through a large section of the park. The lake is not only perfect for Loy Krathong because there is plenty of space along its edges, but also because the lake has numerous bridges from which visitors can look down and watch all the flickering lanterns as they float by.

Getting there: The easiest way to enter the park is through the Chatuchak Park MRT Station which is located directly underneath the park. You can also reach it from the BTS Mo Chit Station.

7. Suan Rod Fai Park – Chatuchak (BTS Mo Chit)

Suan Rod Fai Park is also known as Wachirabenchathat Park and is located right next to Chatuchak and Queen Sirikit Park but is much larger. This park used to be a golf course belonging to the Railway of Thailand and contains a three-kilometer long trail.

The scenic lake inside is where you'll want to be in the park during Loy Krathong.

Getting there: The best way to reach Suan Rod Fai is by taking the BTS to Mo Chit or the MRT to Chatuchak Park. Suan Rod Rai is about a 10-minute walk from both stations.

2019 Popular Park Closures

Benjakiti Park and King Ram IX Park used to be popular spots for releasing Krathongs in Bangkok, but in 2019 Loy Krathong events were not allowed to take place there. Whether 2020 Loy Krathong will be celebrated in these two parks is yet to be announced.

8. Wat Saket (Near Khao San Road)

If you want to celebrate Loy Krathong as well as check one of Bangkok’s most beautiful temples off your list, then Wat Saket is a perfect choice.

This temple is chosen for Loy Krathong celebrations because it is large enough to hold week-long festival events and is also a traditional pilgrimage site for Loy Krathong.

Wat Saket is often called ‘Phu Khao Thong’ by Thai people. You may also see it called the ‘Golden Mount’ in travel guides because of the temple’s location on a man-made hill with a huge gold pagoda at the top.

To get to the top of Wat Saket, you need to climb up 300 steps. This is a fun journey and a good way to experience this very important part of Loy Krathong and Buddhist culture. All of your hard work will be worth it once you get to the top and see the incredible view.

Here, visitors can enjoy traditional Thai dancing and music performances surrounding the temple and play games with locals to try and win a prize. Travelers can also take a temple tour, make donations to the monks, and take part in traditional Buddhist rituals.

Getting there: The best way to get to Wat Saket is by taxi as there is not much public transportation available in this area.

9. Wat Pariwat (Rama 3)

This temple is not well-known by most travelers and is perfect for those who want an off the beaten track experience of Loy Krathong.

During Loy Krathong, Wat Pariwat has a temple party with games and a festival market selling anything from clothes to gadgets, and of course Krathongs. The atmosphere at this temple is very friendly and the Thai people love to see foreigners visiting their local temple and are likely to be extremely welcoming.

As the temple is located on the banks of the river, Wat Pariwat is a great place to release your Krathong with plenty of help from the locals who will show you exactly what to do.

One downside of spending Loy Krathong here is that most people will not have a high level of English. In fact, almost no one will speak English, but this just adds to the fun and authenticity of the experience.

Getting there: You can get to Wat Pariwat by BRT from Chong Nonsi BTS. The BRT is a yellow air-conditioned and modern rapid transport bus that travels in its own lane. It is easy to find Wat Pariwat on the list of stops when on the bus, so you can’t miss your stop.

Alternatively, you can take a taxi to Wat Pariwat Rama 3.

10. Chatrium Hotel – Near Sapan Taksin riverside
11. Anantara Riverside – Silom area/riverside
12. Mandarin Oriental – Silom area/riverside
13. Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel – area/riverside
14. Shangri La Hotel – area/riverside

If you would like to visit Bangkok and experience the Loy Krathong Festival, then please feel free to contact us at Sonasia Holiday. From the moment you arrive, we will have everything prepared for you including your transport to your hotel and your hotel bookings.

We can also arrange all your tours and trips to visit all the best temples and riverside locations to make your Loy Krathong experience the best it can be.

While you are in Thailand, we also recommend checking out the Chiang Mai Yi Peng festival at the CAD Air Sports Farm on the 31st of October and 1st of November.

Sonasia Holiday can take you to see all the incredible sites of Bangkok and then fly you to Chiang Mai where all your transportation from the airport to your hotel and from your hotel to the Yi Peng festival will be arranged.