Bangkok dwellers float over half a million krathongs on Loy Krathong night

Bangkok dwellers floated more than half a million krathongs down the city’s waterways during the Loy Krathong celebrations last night. This year, there were as many as 572,602 krathongs.

A spokesperson for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said that almost all of the krathongs, 548,086, were made from natural materials but added that 24,516 krathongs were made from foam.

The spokesperson, Aekwaranyoo Amrapal, said that there has been a slight drop in the percentage of krathongs made from natural materials compared to last year. Last year, 96.5% of krathongs were made from natural materials, while this year 95.7% were.

The total number of krathongs last year was 403,205, 42% lower than the total number this year, Aekwaranyoo said.

Seven Bangkok districts saw krathongs made only of natural materials, Nation Thailand reported. These districts were Lak Si, Din Daeng, Bang Rak, Sathorn, Chomthong, Bangkok Yai and Thawi Watthana.

Bangkokians celebrated Loy Krathong this year at several hotspots including ICONSIAM, Asiatique The Riverfront, Rama VIII Bridge, Lumphini Park, and more.

Loy Krathong takes place on the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar. It is a time to celebrate and give thanks to the goddess of water, Phra Mae Kong Ka.

On this special night, people float lotus-shaped baskets called krathongs on rivers and waterways to thank Mae Kong Ka for her blessings. The holiday is believed to date back to the Sukhothai period in the 14th century, and there are different beliefs about its origins.