Tuesday 24 November 2026
Loy Krathong in Bangkok with kids
A candle, a raft of banana leaves and a wish, floated under the full moon. Here is every good place to float a krathong in Bangkok rated by crowd level, this year’s city venues and dates, what it all means, and how to make one with your kids.
by BKK Families · Updated 3 November 2026
The quick version
When is Loy Krathong 2026? Tuesday 24 November
The full moon
Tue 24 November
The full moon of the twelfth Thai lunar month. It is not a public holiday, so it is a school night.
The festival
17 to 29 November
Bangkok’s official venues open from the 17th. Most events run 23 to 25 November, Monday to Wednesday.
Where to float a krathong
Where to celebrate Loy Krathong in Bangkok, rated by crowd
17 places to float a krathong in Bangkok, from quiet park ponds to the big river festivals. Filter by area, type and what you need. Listings marked 2026 confirmed are announced for this year; the rest ran last year and we update them as this year's programmes land.
Showing 17 of 17 places
- Crowd level 1 of 3, Calm
Loy Krathong Festival for kids
Bambini Villa, Sukhumvit 26
Tue 24 Nov · 10am to 6pm
A daytime festival built for small children: booth games, art and craft workshops, the BAMBii mascot, and a krathong floating pond, so little ones get the whole experience without a dark riverbank. No booking needed. Near BTS Phrom Phong.
2026 confirmedWalk-ins onlyKrathong pondLINE: @BambiniVilla
- Crowd level 2 of 3, Busy
The Enchanting Waterways of Rattanakosin
Mahakan Fort, Phra Nakhon
Mon 23 to Wed 25 Nov · 5pm to 10pm
Our pick for families this year. The city's culture department links Mahakan Fort with Wat Saket, Wat Ratchanatdaram and Wat Thepthidaram: khon, likay and puppet shows, workshops making krathongs from natural materials, flower garlands and Thai sweets, period markets on land and water, a giant krathong on the canal and a children's Noppamas pageant. Borrow traditional Thai dress for free. MRT Sam Yot, then a short walk.
2026 confirmedFreeFree Thai costumeKids' Noppamas pageant - Crowd level 2 of 3, Busy
Loy Krathong at the Golden Mount
Wat Saket, Phra Nakhon
Tue 17 to Sun 29 Nov
The city's opening venue, running alongside the Golden Mount's relic ceremonies (17 to 26 November). The temple fair here is the classic Bangkok version: food stalls, games and the lit golden chedi above it all. Easy to pair with Mahakan Fort next door.
2026 confirmedFree - Crowd level 3 of 3, Packed
Phra Sumen Fort and Santichaiprakarn Park
Phra Athit, Phra Nakhon
Mon 23 to Wed 25 Nov
A district office festival at the white fort on the river, with the riverside park beside it. Lovely, but it sits a few minutes from Khao San Road, so it gets packed and lively after dark. Go early with younger kids. Chao Phraya Express to Phra Arthit pier.
2026 confirmedFree - Crowd level 2 of 3, Busy
Rama VIII Bridge riverside
Bang Phlat side, Chao Phraya
Tue 17 to Sun 29 Nov
Bang Phlat district runs activities along the river under the lit-up bridge, with the Rama 8 park on the Thonburi bank giving children somewhere to run around. Roomier than the old town on the big night.
2026 confirmedFree - Crowd level 3 of 3, Packed
Loy Krathong at the Temple of Dawn
Wat Arun, Thonburi
Mon 23 to Tue 24 Nov
The Ministry of Culture's Bangkok event, with the floodlit prang as the backdrop. The most photogenic spot in the city and one of the busiest. Cross by ferry from Tha Tien (MRT Sanam Chai) and agree a meeting point before you go.
2026 confirmed - Crowd level 2 of 3, Busy
Digital Loy Krathong on Song Wat Road
Song Wat Road, Samphanthawong
Mon 23 Nov
A digital krathong activity on Bangkok's old warehouse street, the night before the full moon. Nothing goes in the water. Combine it with dinner in Chinatown. MRT Wat Mangkon.
2026 confirmedFree - Crowd level 1 of 3, Calm
Canal-side Loy Krathong, Chatuchak
Khlong Prem Prachakon at Wat Samian Nari
Mon 23 to Wed 25 Nov
Run by the Chatuchak, Lat Phrao, Bang Sue and Dusit district offices beside a temple on the canal. A neighbourhood festival rather than a spectacle, which is exactly why it works with small children.
2026 confirmedFree - Crowd level 1 of 3, Calm
Canal-side Loy Krathong, Don Mueang
Khlong Prem Prachakon by Don Mueang Police Station
Mon 23 to Wed 25 Nov
The northern districts' joint festival (Don Mueang, Lak Si, Bang Khen and Sai Mai). Worth knowing if you live near ISB or up toward the old airport.
2026 confirmedFree - Crowd level 2 of 3, Busy
Lumpini Park lake
Lumpini Park, Pathum Wan
2025:Wed 5 Nov · open until midnight
The family default for central Bangkok: float a krathong on the big lake with skyscrapers behind it and food stalls along the paths. Bangkok kept 33 parks open until midnight last year. Foam krathongs, lanterns, fireworks and alcohol were banned. MRT Lumphini or Silom.
Free - Crowd level 2 of 3, Busy
Benchakitti Park lake
Benchakitti Park, Khlong Toei
2025:Wed 5 Nov · open until midnight
A huge lake and plenty of space to spread out, so it feels calmer than Lumpini even when it is busy. Good for strollers on the wide paths. MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.
Free - Crowd level 1 of 3, Calm
Benjasiri Park pond
Benjasiri Park, Sukhumvit 24
2025:Wed 5 Nov · evening
Small, central and right next to the Emporium, with a playground for the ones who lose interest after the floating. The easiest Loy Krathong in Sukhumvit with toddlers. BTS Phrom Phong.
Free - Crowd level 1 of 3, Calm
Chatuchak and Rot Fai parks
Chatuchak Park and Wachirabenchathat Park
2025:Wed 5 Nov · open until midnight
Two big northern parks with lakes, both on the list of parks open late last year. Spread out and relaxed. MRT Chatuchak Park or Kamphaeng Phet.
Free - Crowd level 3 of 3, Packed
ICONSIAM Thaiconic Loy Krathong
River Park, ICONSIAM
2025:Wed 5 Nov
Last year ICONSIAM held its Thaiconic Loy Krathong on the River Park, and its SookSiam pier was one of the river festival's floating points. The 2026 programme has not been announced yet. Expect huge crowds. BTS Gold Line to Charoen Nakhon.
- Crowd level 3 of 3, Packed
Bangkok River Festival piers
Asiatique, Tha Maharaj, Wat Pho and other piers
2025:Three nights around 5 Nov
Last year the river festival ran on nine piers including Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Rakhang, Tha Maharaj, Asiatique and SookSiam at ICONSIAM, with krathongs floated into enclosed basins rather than the open river. Spectacular, and the most crowded option in the city. We will add 2026 when it is announced.
- Crowd level 1 of 3, Calm
Loy Krathong by the River of Kings
The Siam, Dusit
Tue 24 Nov · 6pm to 11pm
A set dinner on The Pier and Chon Lawn, with a krathong workshop using banana leaves and flowers, traditional dance, and your own krathong released into the Chao Phraya from the hotel's pier. No children's price is listed, so ask. The calm, grown-up version of the night.
2026 confirmed฿5,310++10% off before 19 Nov - Crowd level 2 of 3, Busy
Loy Krathong by the river
Royal Orchid Sheraton Riverside, Si Phraya
Tue 24 Nov · from 6pm
Four restaurants with river views and fireworks: Feast's international buffet (฿1,600++ indoor, ฿2,500++ outdoor, free-flow soft drinks), Thara Thong's Royal Thai set (฿2,500 net), Giorgio's and Siam Yacht Club. One handcrafted krathong per couple. A good-value riverside option with kids.
2026 confirmedFrom ฿1,600++Early bird to 20 Nov
Simple krathongs sell for about 20 to 100 baht from stalls at every park, pier and temple on the night. You do not need a ticket to float one anywhere on this list except the hotel dinners. Know a family-friendly Loy Krathong event we have missed? Tell us.
How busy does it get?
How busy is Loy Krathong in Bangkok?
Busy, but spread out. The city opened 110 floating points across all 50 districts last year, so crowds are thinnest away from the river.
- Busiest: the river on the full moon night, especially Wat Arun, Phra Sumen Fort, ICONSIAM and Asiatique, from about 7pm to 10pm.
- In between: Lumpini, Benchakitti and the old town festivals. Busy after 7pm, fine before.
- Calmest: smaller parks like Benjasiri, the canal-side district festivals, and any venue on the nights before the full moon.
- Traffic: it is a Tuesday this year, so the evening rush and the festival overlap. Take the MRT, BTS or a river boat.
Krathongs collected from Bangkok’s waters
Counted by the city the morning after
- 2023639,828
- 2024514,590
- 2025391,027
Down 39% in two years, as more families float one krathong per household. In 2025, 83% were natural materials, 7% foam and 10% bread.
What it all means
Loy Krathong traditions, explained for kids
Loy Krathong is one of the gentlest festivals in the world to share with children: a thank you to the water, a chance to let go of the year's bad luck, and a wish on the full moon.
ลอยกระทง
What the words mean
Loy means to float, and a krathong is the little raft: a slice of banana trunk wrapped in folded banana leaves, topped with flowers, a candle and three incense sticks. Families float them on the full moon of the twelfth Thai lunar month, when the rivers are high after the rains.
พระแม่คงคา
Saying thank you to the water
The krathong is an offering to Phra Mae Khongkha, the goddess of water. It thanks her for the water that makes life possible and apologises for polluting it, which makes it a natural moment to talk to children about keeping rivers clean.
ปล่อยทุกข์
Letting go and making a wish
Many people tuck a strand of hair or a nail clipping into the krathong, to float away the bad luck of the past year, and some add a coin. You make a wish as it drifts off. Children love this part, and it needs no explaining.
นางนพมาศ
Nang Noppamas and Sukhothai
The story Thai children learn is that Nang Noppamas, a consort at the court of Sukhothai, made the first lotus-shaped krathong. Historians date that text to the 1800s, so treat it as legend, but it is why schools and festivals crown a Noppamas queen, and why Sukhothai still holds the grandest celebration.
เพลงลอยกระทง
The song every child knows
Expect to hear the Loy Krathong song everywhere. Written in 1949, it is the tune Thai schools teach every November, so if your child goes to a local or bilingual school they may well be singing it at home already.
ยี่เป็ง
Lanterns are a northern thing
The sky lanterns in the photos are Yi Peng, the Lanna festival of Chiang Mai, held at the same full moon. In Bangkok the tradition is floating on water, and the city bans floating lanterns, fireworks and firecrackers on the night.
At school: many Bangkok schools mark Loy Krathong with Thai dress, krathong making and a Noppamas contest. Check the newsletter in mid November in case your child needs an outfit.
The best part, honestly
How to make a krathong with kids
Half an hour, a trip to the flower market and a kitchen table. Every material below rots away in the water, which is the point.
- 1
Cut a base
A slice of banana trunk about two fingers thick is traditional. Bread floats but the city now asks people not to use it, because uneaten bread fouls the water.
- 2
Fold the leaves
Fold strips of banana leaf into little points and pin them around the edge with toothpicks or pins. This is the fiddly part, so let older kids do the folding and little ones do the pinning with help.
- 3
Decorate
Marigolds, orchids, jasmine, whatever the flower market has. Fruit, leaves from the garden and nothing plastic, ever.
- 4
Candle and incense
A short candle in the middle and three incense sticks. A grown-up lights them at the water's edge.
- 5
Add your wish
A strand of hair, a nail clipping or a coin if you like, and a wish as it floats away.
Short of time? Workshops at Mahakan Fort (23 to 25 November) teach krathong making from natural materials, and The Siam’s dinner includes one. There is a printable version of these steps in the posters below.
Pick your Loy Krathong on purpose
The best Loy Krathong in Bangkok for every age
Toddlers, under 4
Daytime and a pond
- Bambini Villa's krathong pond, in daylight, on the day
- Benjasiri Park at dusk, with the playground next door
- Make one at home and float it in a basin or the condo pool
Ages 4 to 8
Make it, then float it
- Krathong workshops at Mahakan Fort, 23 to 25 November
- Lumpini or Benchakitti lakes, at 6pm before the crowds
- Borrow a Thai outfit for free at Mahakan Fort
Ages 9 to 12
The full festival
- Wat Saket temple fair and the Golden Mount
- Khon and puppet shows at Mahakan Fort
- The kids' Noppamas pageant, if they are brave
Teens
The big river night
- Wat Arun or Phra Sumen Fort on the full moon
- The river festival piers, if they run again
- A riverside hotel dinner with fireworks
Water, fire and crowds
Keeping kids safe on Loy Krathong night
It is a calm, good-natured festival, but it combines three things small children find irresistible: water, fire and crowds after dark.
Hold hands at the water
Pier steps and park edges get wet and slippery, and they are crowded and dark. A grown-up does the floating, or holds on while the child does.
Mind the flames
Every krathong has a lit candle and incense. Tie back long hair, watch little hands, and keep the lighter in an adult's pocket.
Agree a meeting point
Pick one before you arrive and write your phone number on younger children's arms. The river spots are the easiest places in Bangkok to lose someone.
Bring repellent and a torch
Parks and canals are mosquito country after dark, and a phone torch helps on uneven paths.
Go at 6pm, leave by 8
It is busiest from about 7pm to 10pm on the full moon. Early is calmer, cooler and easier on a school night.
Take the train
Traffic near the river and the old town is grim on the night. Use the MRT, BTS or river boats, and walk the last stretch.
More in is Bangkok safe for kids? and our things to do in Bangkok with kids.
Worth the trip
Loy Krathong beyond Bangkok
The same full moon is celebrated across the country. These are the three worth planning around.
15 to 24 November
Sukhothai
The Loy Krathong and candle festival at Sukhothai Historical Park is the grandest in the country, with light and sound shows among the ruins. A long weekend trip.
23 to 25 November
Chiang Mai
Yi Peng and the sky lanterns. Lanterns are allowed only on 24 and 25 November, 7pm to 1am this year. Book early: it is the busiest week of Chiang Mai's year.
24 November to 2 December
Nonthaburi
Wat Choeng Lem's temple fair combines Loy Krathong with its gold-leafing ceremony. Handy for families living near ISB.
Save it, print it, share it
Loy Krathong 2026 posters and printables
Three free Loy Krathong posters: a cheat sheet of where to float a krathong with kids, a printable how to make a krathong, and the traditions explained for kids. Share them in your class chat or condo LINE group with a credit to BKK Families. Tap a poster for the full-size version.
Quick answers
Loy Krathong in Bangkok FAQ
When is Loy Krathong 2026 in Bangkok?
Loy Krathong 2026 is on Tuesday 24 November, the full moon of the twelfth Thai lunar month. Bangkok's official events run from 17 to 29 November, with most of them on 23 to 25 November.
Is Loy Krathong a public holiday?
No. Schools, offices and banks are open, and in 2026 it falls on a Tuesday, so plan an early evening and an early bedtime. Many schools celebrate during the day with Thai dress and krathong making.
What is the meaning of Loy Krathong?
Loy means to float and a krathong is a small raft of banana trunk, leaves and flowers. Floating one thanks Phra Mae Khongkha, the goddess of water, apologises for polluting it, and lets go of the bad luck of the past year.
Where can kids float a krathong in Bangkok?
The calmest places are the city park lakes, such as Lumpini, Benchakitti and Benjasiri, which stayed open until midnight last year. Mahakan Fort has krathong workshops for children on 23 to 25 November, and Bambini Villa on Sukhumvit 26 has a krathong pond on 24 November.
Can you release sky lanterns in Bangkok?
No. Bangkok bans floating lanterns, fireworks and firecrackers on Loy Krathong. Sky lanterns belong to Yi Peng in Chiang Mai, where they are allowed only at set hours on 24 and 25 November 2026.
What do you put in a krathong?
A base of banana trunk, folded banana leaves, flowers, a candle and three incense sticks. Many people add a strand of hair, a nail clipping or a coin. Avoid foam and plastic, and the city now discourages bread too.
How much does a krathong cost and where do I buy one?
Simple krathongs sell for about 20 to 100 baht from stalls near every park, pier and temple on the night, and elaborate ones for a few hundred. Making your own with the kids costs less and is more fun.
What is the difference between Loy Krathong and Yi Peng?
They happen on the same full moon. Loy Krathong is the nationwide festival of floating krathongs on water. Yi Peng is the northern Lanna festival of sky lanterns, centred on Chiang Mai.
Is Loy Krathong safe for children?
Yes, with care. The risks are crowds, slippery water's edges and open flames. Choose a park rather than the river with younger children, go at about 6pm, hold hands at the water, and agree a meeting point.
Hosting a family Loy Krathong event?
Send us the details and we’ll add it. We update this guide every few days until the full moon.
Floating a krathong with the kids this year? Share your photos in the Bangkok Expat Families group. Planning ahead for December? See our Christmas in Bangkok with kids guide.
Your Bangkok Roadmap