VIP Thailand Wishes you A Happy Loy Krathong.
“ Come on Come Loy Krathong “ this is a part of the lyric of the song played throughout one of the most anticipating event in Thailand, Loy Krathong Festival. This year the event is on October 31 in the night which the full moon of the 12th Thai lunar month shines its beautiful light during the night. The people will gather near the rivers, canals, or lakes to float the “Krathong” on the water to pay respect and ask Ganga Goddess, a god of water, for forgiveness and bless them with great lucks. The tradition originated since the Sukhothai Era, the early kingdom of Thailand from 1238 until 1438.
What is Krathong?
There is no direct translation in English for ‘Krathong’. You can imagine a small, two hand size boat made out of banana tree trunk. It will be crafted into a lotus shape and decorate with small and colourful flowers and candle and incense. People will cut a piece of hair and nails and put them in Krathong along with some small coins. Do not put too many things in it, so say that if the Krathong is capsized, it is considered to be bad luck for the owner. It is believed that all the bad luck and bad energy will be floated away with the Krathong into the river as the Ganga Goddess forgive for sins, and wrongdoing one does to the river. Moreover, there will be a group of hustlers, mostly young men, who would take out coins from the Krathong. Let them have it and consider it as a donation. For environmental reasons, these day Krathong is made from bread, coconut shell, even ice rather than Styrofoam to save the environment.
Where can I participate in this event?
I would say literally anywhere near a water resource. Usually, it is a temple where most people go to though very crowded. But if you are not familiar with Phuket, I would suggest going to District Municipality near you. The event consists of the stunning firework display, beauty pageant contest, and local concert. The winner of the beauty contest will be called Nang Noppamas, the name of a beautiful court lady who made the very first Krathong. The contest includes traditional Thai dancing and costumes. It is very astonishing to see, and the whole evening atmosphere is incredible to experience. Some hotels and resort also host their own celebration for customers.
In Phuket, I would suggest going to nearby famous beaches where restaurants and resorts will hold the festival. And for those who love a more luxurious alternative, there are many one-day tour packages which will provide Loy Krathong experience on the cruise ship with various water activities. The available pier is an only 15-minute drive from our VIP Mercury and VIP Galaxy projects.
Loy Krathong is also one of the most romantic evenings in Thailand. In the old day, it was an opportunity for young men and women to meet each other. Presently, young people still asking each other out of this festival for a date. The family would bring their young children to enjoy the tradition and see spectacular fireworks. However, some would prefer Loy Krathong on the Internet by visiting the website and type down your wishes and submit. The website will display a colourful digital Krathong floating in the visual river. You can even create and design your own Krathong. If you do not want to go to the crowded area, you might prefer this digital way to continue this tradition.
So, if you would love to join and be a part of this unique tradition, why not select one of our Phuket luxury projects from VIP Thailand which comes with free multiple-entry visa. Happy Loy Krathong Day.