October 31 – November 2, 2009

As the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (usually in mid-November) lights up the night sky, throughout the Thai kingdom, hundreds of thousands of ornately-decorated krathong or traditional banana leaf floats are set adrift in rivers and waterways in a spell-binding ritual called “Loi Krathong” – the ‘festival of lights”. This is one of the Kingdom’s oldest and best-preserved traditions.

The Loi Krathong tradition we know of today has evolved from the royal rituals of the early Rattanakosin period in which several types of lanterns were set afloat in the Chao Phraya River and its waterways.

The Grand Events will set nationwide on October 31 – November 2, 2009. Chiang Mai, Sukhithai, Tak and Ayudhaya Province are the well-known destinations for their festive decoration and remarkable ceremony. For more info, please visit www.tourismthailand.org