Short answer
Loy Krathong 2026 is on Tuesday 24 November. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has planned events from 17 to 29 November at five main sites: Wat Saket and Rama VIII Bridge, then Phra Sumen Fort and two points on the Prem Prachakorn Canal from 23 to 25 November. A separate event runs at Mahakan Fort from 23 to 25 November, 17:00 to 22:00. Riverside hotels sell dinners from 1,600 baht++. The Ministry of Culture asks for krathongs made of natural materials.
When is Loy Krathong in Bangkok in 2026, and is it a holiday?
Loy Krathong is on Tuesday 24 November 2026, the full-moon night of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar, Thaiger reported on 19 October. It is not on the Bank of Thailand's list of 2026 bank holidays, which has no date in November, as the Nation reported on 28 August. Banks keep their normal hours, and the festival happens in the evening.
People float a krathong, a small raft, on water, and many make a wish as they set it down. Wikipedia says many Thais do it to thank the water goddess, and describes the usual krathong as folded banana leaves with three incense sticks and a candle, often with a small coin as an offering to the river spirits. It cites King Rama IV, who wrote in 1863 that the floating krathong symbolises letting go of hatred, anger and defilements. In Bangkok the festival is about krathongs, not lanterns; for a lantern release, see our Yi Peng guide for Chiang Mai.
Which public sites has Bangkok planned for Loy Krathong 2026?
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced a programme from 17 to 29 November at five main sites, the Nation reported on 31 October. Wat Saket hosts the opening event, with Buddha relic ceremonies at the Golden Mount on 17 to 26 November. Rama VIII Bridge has activities along the Chao Phraya River on 17 to 29 November. On 23 to 25 November there are events at Phra Sumen Fort, at the Prem Prachakorn Canal beside Don Mueang Police Station and at the Prem Prachakorn Canal at Wat Samian Nari. The Nation lists cultural performances, craft workshops, period-style markets and a children's pageant across the sites, but it gives no hours, fees or krathong-floating details for them, so confirm on the spot.
A separate BMA event, The Enchanting Waterways of Rattanakosin, runs at Mahakan Fort on 23 to 25 November from 17:00 to 22:00. The Nation lists Khon masked dance, likay theatre and puppetry, workshops on making krathongs from natural materials, a period-style market with eight shops on land and water, a large krathong display on the water, and food stalls. It also lists free Thai attire under the theme Wear Chud Thai to Loy Krathong. The event links four sites: Wat Saket, Wat Ratchanatdaram, Wat Thepthidaram and Mahakan Fort. Wat Saket's Golden Mount fair, which Time Out Bangkok says runs for 13 days from 17 to 29 November, is one of them.
Which hotels hold Loy Krathong dinners on the river?
Thaiger's guide of 19 October lists five riverside programmes for 24 November. The Royal Orchid Sheraton starts from 6 pm, gives each couple a handcrafted krathong and closes with fireworks, from 1,600 baht++ a person, with early-bird prices until 20 November. The Chatrium runs from 6 pm to 10:30 pm at 5,288 baht net per adult, half price for children aged 6 to 12, with fireworks over the Chao Phraya. The Shangri-La charges 5,200 to 6,900 baht net, gives an eco-friendly krathong, and offers 15% off for prepaid bookings made by 10 November. The Peninsula charges 6,888 to 8,888 baht net, and the Anantara starts from 4,900 baht net, with early-bird rates that ended on 31 October.
These are paid dinners, and prices marked ++ add service charge and tax, while net prices include them. Thaiger does not say whether guests who are not dining can float a krathong at the hotel pier, so ask the hotel before you book. Two other events reach 24 November. Banthat Thong Road, Bangkok's food street, holds a Loy Krathong week on 18 to 24 November with a swing-dance floor under a giant moon; the Nation gives no fee. The Diwali event Threads of Faith in Phahurat Little India has its lamp lighting on 24 November from 17:00 to 18:00, which TAT says coincides with Loy Krathong, and all Diwali events are free.
Which krathong should I buy, and what are the eco rules?
The Ministry of Culture held a meeting with 33 agencies on 19 October and set 14 guidelines for Loy Krathong 2026, Pattaya Mail reported on 21 October. The theme is Thai-Style Loy Krathong: Preserving Values, Inspiring the Next Generation. The environmental points are krathongs made from natural materials, proper waste management and the idea of One Family, One Krathong, to cut waste and protect waterways. Wikipedia gives the background: traditional krathongs are banana trunk or spider lily stems, bread breaks down within days and can be eaten by fish, and Styrofoam krathongs are increasingly banned because they pollute rivers.
Buy a natural krathong, or make one. The Mahakan Fort workshops use natural materials, and hotels hand out krathongs to their guests. A Khao San Road travel guide says wet markets such as Pak Khlong Talat, park stalls, temple fairs and night markets sell them, and advises against foam and plastic decorations. We found no 2026 price list, so ask the price first. The same guide names Lumphini, Benjakitti, Chatuchak, Wachirabenchathat and Queen Sirikit parks as places where people float krathongs, but the BMA's 2026 list names none of them, so ask park staff whether floating is allowed. The Ministry's idea is one krathong per family.
Are sky lanterns and fireworks allowed in Bangkok?
No, for the public. Wikipedia, citing a Thai PBS report of 2017, says that in Bangkok the public is prohibited from using fireworks and sky lanterns entirely, and that violators may face three years in prison or a fine of 60,000 baht. The Nation reported in 2021 that the BMA banned the sale and use of fireworks and lanterns, and that anyone holding an event or using fireworks needed authorisation from a district office. We found no change for 2026. Hotels and shopping centres announce their own fireworks, but a private visitor should bring none.
The number of public piers has also varied. Wikipedia says 190 piers on the Chao Phraya River were opened for krathongs in 2017, and that 88 piers were closed in Bangkok in 2018. TAT's Bangkok River Festival of 3 to 5 November 2025 used nine sites on the Chao Phraya River and Khlong Prem Prachakorn: Wat Pho, Wat Arun, Wat Rakhang, Wat Kalayanamit, Wat Prayurawongsawat, Tha Maharaj, Asiatique, SookSiam at ICONSIAM and the canal. We found no 2026 pier list on 2 November, so do not assume a pier is open.
How crowded is the river, and how do I stay safe?
The Ministry of Culture's guidelines include safety inspections of passenger boats, according to Pattaya Mail. Book a dinner cruise through the hotel or the operator, not from a tout at a pier; our Chao Phraya Express Boat guide warns of touts who say the boats have stopped, and says to agree the price and the time before you step into a private boat. Ask which pier you board from, and arrive early: the Khao San Road guide says crowds build quickly after sunset.
Keep children by the hand near pier edges and water, keep your phone and wallet in a closed bag, and agree a meeting point with your group. If something goes wrong, the Tourist Police hotline is 1155, which works around the clock in eight languages, as our Tourist Police guide explains. Wear shoes you can walk in, and dress modestly if you visit a temple; our temple etiquette guide has the rules.
How do I get to the sites and back on 24 November?
The BMA had not published transport details for the Loy Krathong sites when we checked on 2 November. Wikivoyage puts Panfa Leelard Pier on the canal boat route about five minutes on foot from Wat Saket and the Golden Mount, and the same pier serves Mahakan Fort. For the 28 October barge rehearsal, Thaiger listed the MRT to Sanam Chai and then a bus to Tha Chang, Tha Maharaj or the area under Rama VIII Bridge, or the MRT to Bang Khun Non or Fai Chai for the Thonburi bank. Those stops serve the same riverbanks, but check the buses on the night. Phra Sumen Fort is near Khao San Road, which our boat guide links to Phra Arthit pier.
The BTS timetable page gives service hours of 05:00 to 01:00, with the last train from Siam at about 00:02, and says extra trains are added for special events; we found no Loy Krathong announcement on 2 November. Our BTS and MRT fares guide lists the fares, and our guide to Grab and Bolt says which app works. Do not count on the express boats after dark; our boat guide says to plan to finish before dusk. The third royal funeral rehearsal is set for Sunday 22 November, the day before the Phra Sumen Fort events start, the Nation reported, and the first rehearsal on 31 October put traffic controls on 16 roads in the old city, according to Thaiger.
Can I spend Loy Krathong evening with SB Excursions in Bangkok?
Our night tuk-tuk food tour is from $40 per person. It starts at about 5:30 pm, rides past the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, stops at Wat Arun, the Giant Swing and the Pak Khlong Talat flower market, and ends with a street-food meal and dessert on Yaowarat Road at about 9:30 pm. It is not a krathong tour, and we have not set a special programme for 24 November. If your date is the festival night, ask us on WhatsApp, and we confirm the meeting point and the route before you pay.
For the morning of the same day, our Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun tour is from $75 per person, meets at about 8:30 am and ends at around 12:30 pm. In Phuket on the same night, our sunset canoe evening includes a krathong; see our earlier Loy Krathong report.
Practical checklist
- Remember that Tuesday 24 November is a working day; the festival happens in the evening.
- Choose a site from the BMA's five and check its hours on the day, because the Nation lists none.
- Buy or make a krathong of natural materials, and leave foam and plastic decorations behind.
- Do not bring sky lanterns or fireworks into Bangkok.
- Book a hotel dinner or a river cruise early, and note the early-bird deadlines of 10 and 20 November.
- Plan your way home by train or taxi, because the express boats are a daylight option.
Questions and answers
When is Loy Krathong in Bangkok in 2026?
Tuesday 24 November 2026, the full-moon night of the 12th lunar month, according to Thaiger. The city's programme runs from 17 to 29 November, and 24 November is not a bank holiday.
Where can I float a krathong in Bangkok?
The BMA's five main sites are Wat Saket and Rama VIII Bridge, Phra Sumen Fort and two points on the Prem Prachakorn Canal, with a Mahakan Fort event on 23 to 25 November. The Nation gives no floating details for each site, so ask on the spot. We found no 2026 list of public piers.
Are krathongs with foam allowed?
The Ministry of Culture asks for krathongs of natural materials, and Wikipedia says Styrofoam krathongs are increasingly banned. Use banana trunk, banana leaf and flowers.
Can I release a sky lantern in Bangkok?
No. Wikipedia reports that the public is prohibited from using sky lanterns and fireworks in Bangkok, with penalties of up to three years in prison or a 60,000-baht fine. The Nation reported the BMA's ban in 2021. For lanterns, see Chiang Mai's Yi Peng.
How much is a Loy Krathong dinner on the river?
Thaiger lists prices from 1,600 baht++ at the Royal Orchid Sheraton to 8,888 baht net at the Peninsula for 24 November. Several have early-bird deadlines, and the Shangri-La offers 15% off for prepaid bookings by 10 November.
Are the Chao Phraya boats running on Loy Krathong night?
We found no special announcement on 2 November. Our boat guide says to plan to finish before dusk, so plan to return by train or taxi.