Short answer
Loy Krathong 2026 falls on Tuesday 24 November, the full-moon night of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar, according to Thaiger. Riverside hotels in Bangkok have announced dinners and fireworks over the Chao Phraya, and six hotels in Bangkok and Chiang Mai had published programmes by 19 October, at prices from 599 to 8,888 baht a person. The Banthat Thong food district in Bangkok runs a themed week from 18 to 24 November. We found no official Chiang Mai lantern rules for 2026.
Loy Krathong is on Tuesday 24 November 2026
Thaiger's guide of 19 October 2026 gives the date as Tuesday 24 November, the full-moon night of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar. People across the country float krathong, small rafts of banana leaf, flowers and candles, on rivers, canals and lakes.
Thaiger reported that the festival coincides in Chiang Mai with Yi Peng, the Lanna lantern festival. We did not find official 2026 Yi Peng dates or lantern rules on the pages we opened, so check Chiang Mai's announcements before you plan a lantern evening.
What Bangkok and Chiang Mai hotels have announced
By 19 October, Thaiger counted six hotels with 2026 programmes. In Bangkok, the Royal Orchid Sheraton starts from 1,600 baht++ per person, the Anantara Riverside from 4,900 baht net, the Shangri-La charges 5,200 to 6,900 baht net, the Chatrium 5,288 baht net per adult and the Peninsula 6,888 to 8,888 baht net, all on 24 November, with dinners and, at several of them, Thai dance and fireworks over the Chao Phraya.
In Chiang Mai, the Novotel Nimman offers a Lanna buffet at 599 baht net per person on 24 and 25 November. Three venues from last year's list had not yet announced 2026 plans. The Royal Orchid Sheraton's early-bird prices run until 20 November.
A themed week on Banthat Thong, 18–24 November
The Nation reported on 26 October that Chulalongkorn University's property management arm, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, will run three festivals on Bangkok's Banthat Thong Road. The Loy Krathong one runs from 18 to 24 November, with a dance floor under a giant moon installation and a swing-dance event, "Swing Under the Moon".
Organisers forecast more than 300,000 attendees per festival and more than 160 million baht in local spending, the Nation said. These are projections, not recorded results.
What it means for an evening in Phuket
The evening of our Phang Nga Bay sunset sea canoe tour includes floating a krathong after dark, at the end of a day of canoeing, dinner on the boat and a plankton paddle. The tour is from $115 per person and the pickup is between about 10:00 and 11:15 am.
We have not set a special programme for 24 November, and plankton cannot be promised. Ask us on WhatsApp if your date is the festival night, and we confirm the tour and the pickup before you pay.
Practical checklist
- Pencil in Tuesday 24 November 2026 for Loy Krathong and book a riverside table in Bangkok early.
- Book hotel dinners early; the Royal Orchid Sheraton's early-bird prices run until 20 November.
- Check Chiang Mai's official announcements for lantern rules before you plan a lantern evening.
- Allow extra travel time on 24 November evening; river areas and Banthat Thong will be busy.
- Ask us about the krathong evening on the Phang Nga Bay sunset tour.
Questions and answers
When is Loy Krathong in 2026?
Tuesday 24 November 2026, the full-moon night of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar, according to Thaiger's guide of 19 October 2026.
Where can I celebrate Loy Krathong in Bangkok?
Several riverside hotels have announced dinners and fireworks on 24 November, with prices from 1,600 baht++ per person. Banthat Thong Road holds a themed Loy Krathong week from 18 to 24 November.
Is Loy Krathong the same as Yi Peng?
They are separate festivals that coincide in Chiang Mai, according to Thaiger. Yi Peng is the Lanna lantern festival; Loy Krathong is the krathong float. We did not find official 2026 lantern rules, so check Chiang Mai's announcements.
Can I float a krathong on a tour?
On our Phang Nga Bay sunset sea canoe tour you float a krathong after dark. We have not set a special programme for 24 November, so ask us about your date.