River Festival 2015 (Loi Krathong)

It's late November again, and in Bangkok that means it's time for Loi Krathong. This year, Pinky and I went to River Festival 2015, organized along the Chao Phraya River by the Ministry of Tourism. Loi Krathong was on Wednesday the 25th, but we went out on the 24th to avoid the crowd like the one I got caught in last year!

We arrived at Ta Tien Pier, which was the headquarters for this year's celebration. This was not only the best place to watch the river parade, but also where you could try Thai snacks, watch a Thai dance show, and learn how to make a krathong, all for free!

Everything at the festival was presented in three languages - Thai, English, and Chinese, making it easy for everyone in attendance to learn about and understand about a little bit of Thai culture. Loi Krathong is a family event, and there were lots of families, both Thai and Farang, at the festival.



Last year I bought a krathong, but this year I got to make my own! One of the stations set up at Ta Tien Pier had lots of supplies (banana stalks, banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense) for making a traditional krathong. There was even a staff member on hand to teach you what to do.

Handmade krathong

The festival took place at seven piers along the river, including Wat Pho and Wat Arun. We went to a few of the other stations, but the main celebration at Ta Tien was the most impressive. Check out my video (below) to see some of the Loi Krathong festivities!