Last Updated on December 6, 2022 by Tina
Last November 8, I was able to experience Loy Krathong Festival in Phuket, Thailand. Known as the Festival of Lights, Loy Krathong is one of the biggest festivals in Thailand. It is held every year. However, due to the pandemic, it was not celebrated for the last 2 years. I am happy that I was able to experience it this year. It is one of the highlights of my trip to Thailand this year.
What is Loy Krathong?
Loy is a Thai word that means to float and krathong is a Thai term that refers to a piece of small, floating religious offering. It is usually a banana trunk decorated with banana leaves, flowers, candles, and incense sticks.
On the night of the festival, people go to the nearest river, lake, beach, or swimming pool to release a floating offering, hoping for good luck in the coming year.
When is Loy Krathong celebrated?
There is no fixed date for the celebration of Loy Krathong. The date varies every year. It is celebrated on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar, this usually happens in the month of November.
Where is Loy Krathong celebrated?
Loy Krathong is celebrated all over Thailand. But there are places in Thailand where it is celebrated on a much bigger scale. The most grand from what I’ve heard is in Chiang Mai.
We were told that in Phuket it is celebrated on all beaches, at the Sapan Hin Lake in Phuket Town, at the Karon Lake, Nai Harn Lake, at most of the piers around the island such as Rawai Pier, and anywhere with a body of water. They said that some hotels even do it in swimming pools.
In the hostel that I was staying at that day (Book a Bed Poshtel), there were kits to make krathong that they were giving for free to anyone interested. I was checking out of the hostel that day but they were so nice and told me I could take one if I wanted to. The staff in the hostel, Ploy taught us how to make/decorate one. My roommate Hiyori and I had so much fun making our krathong.
Book a Bed is located in Phuket Town and there are no beaches in that area. I was moving to Kata Beach that day. I told Hiyori that if she wants, she can join me to celebrate Loy Krathong in Kata Beach. And I’m glad she joined me because I had so much fun with her that day.
Celebrating Loy Krathong in Karon Lake
We went to Kata Beach around 4:00 in the afternoon. On our way to the beach, we dropped by the stall selling snacks to buy roti for me and fruit shake for Hiyori. We asked the sellers what time the celebration starts in Kata Beach and they said it normally starts around 9:00 in the evening. Then they said in Karon Lake there is a program and it normally starts when it gets dark. We thought 9:00 is too late so we decided to do it in Karon Lake instead. And since it was still early, we decided to hang out by the beach first.
At around 5:30 PM, we started walking to Karon. We walked on the road but when we reached Karon, we decided to walk on the beach. It took us less than an hour to get from Kata Beach to Karon Lake. We were so excited when we saw the entrance to the venue. Inside, there were people selling different types of street foods as well as krathongs. As we walked further, we saw the lake where people put their offerings. The place was pretty crowded but we were able to find an empty spot where we could release our offering. I went first while Hiyori took pictures and videos of me releasing my offering.
What Did I Wish For?
The staff at the hostel told us that we can make a wish when we release our floating offering. As I mentioned earlier, Hiyori and I hang out at Kata Beach first before going to Karon Lake because it was still early. While passing the time, Hiyori asked me what I will wish for. I really didn’t have anything in mind. I told her “to be happy”. She was surprised by my answer. She then told me what she will wish for.
Then we talked about our past relationships. She said what I have been through is sad. But what she sees during that moment is that I am already happy. And she is right. There are times when I feel sad, probably when I am about to have my period. But generally, I could say that I am content with where I am right now. Getting a job where I can work anywhere with a flexible schedule as long as I have an internet connection is one of the best things that happened to me this year. Also, I was able to travel out of the country thrice this year and was even able to backpack for three weeks in Thailand while working.
I don’t want to jinx it, but I think my wish was granted. Given my current work situation, I am really very happy. And there’s even someone who makes me happy these days. It is really true what they say, we just need to trust in God’s timing.
Related Post: 9 Things To Do In Phuket For Solo Travelers
To end this post I would say the night had been great. Unfortunately, we were not able to try the food they were selling at the venue because a few minutes after we finished releasing our offering, it started to rain really hard. Good thing we were able to reach 7-11 before it started pouring. We had no choice but to eat the food available in 7-11. It wasn’t that bad though, and it was really cheap.
Even if it rained and we had a hard time booking a taxi to take us back to our accommodations, we still had a wonderful day together. Hiyori told me it was a precious memory for her and it was for me too.
Hope you learned something from this post and enjoyed reading it. If you have any questions, feel free to write them down in the comments section. Subscribe to my blog if you don’t want to miss any of my posts. And please follow my Facebook page @iwentanyways and like my Instagram accounts @iwentanyways and @tnadeperalta for updates. Happy travels!
