Loy Krathong: Another Day, Another Internationally Famous Holiday in Thailand

Goddesses Love Cheapskates

Having no lighter, I got my incense and candle lit by a Thai man huddled in the corner of the pier, hiding from the water we were meant to be celebrating. I gave my krathong the customary bow and sent it gracefully into the storm—to be blown right back to me as if the goddess of water knew the insincerity of my gesture. Or maybe she was irked that I hadn’t affixed any money to my creation like everyone else. Either way, I didn’t take it personally and sat watching families come and go as the fifteen minute monsoon subsided.

Ryan Farley / Own Work

This year I celebrated Loy Krathong in my temporary home of Bangkok. However, the best place to experience this holiday is definitely the north of Thailand, where the holiday is celebrated a little bit differently. The floating decorations are still used, but the bigger spectacle is the thousands upon thousands of paper lanterns that are also released into the sky. The peaceful tranquility of these slow-moving lights filling the sky is unmatched throughout the western world.