Despite the recent passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother and the ongoing mourning period, this year’s Loy Krathong Festival in Thailand will proceed as planned, with a more subdued, traditional tone. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s observance. Loy Krathong, often called Thailand’s ‘Festival of Lights,’ falls on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. The festival, marked by beautifully decorated lotus-shaped krathongs floating on water beneath the full moon, symbolizes releasing anger, grudges, and bad luck. This year’s theme is ‘Loy Krathong Thai, Honoring the Mother of the Nation,’ emphasizing Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s efforts to revive traditional Thai dress styles and cultural heritage. The Thai government has announced that cultural and religious events will continue, but the festivities will be more restrained. This means reduced lighting, sound, and entertainment. Major events like fireworks, concerts, dance shows, and pageants are expected to be canceled or significantly scaled down. The focus will be on the meaningful act of floating krathongs to honor the water goddess and reflect on gratitude and renewal, rather than large-scale celebrations. Across Thailand, local organizers are expected to adopt a similar approach, centering the festival on its spiritual essence and traditional rituals.

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Thailand’s most charming and photogenic annual celebration is nearing — Loy Krathong. Also known as the “Festival of Lights” for the millions of floating candles on rivers and lanterns lighting up the sky, the celebration can be enjoyed everywhere from the metropolis of Bangkok to the smallest village nestled among rice paddies. This year, the national holiday takes place on the evening of November 5, and visitors are always warmly welcomed to join in. Here is a selection of some of the best resorts and hotels across the country where international travelers and locals alike can enjoy the spectacle. Krathongs, Music and Dancing in Krabi Perched neatly atop the beachfront resort of Banyan Tree Krabi, the award-winning Thai restaurant Saffron will this year host an evening of merriment to make the festival come alive. Starting from 6:30pm on November 5, Saffron, Banyan Tree’s signature fine-dining venue, will provide guests and diners with a Thai buffet dinner, accompanied by live music and traditional performances. The price per person is 2,200 THB net per person, which includes a welcome drink, and just 1,100 THB net for children. And, talking about kids, there will be family fun that same afternoon with an opportunity for guests to create their own krathong (banana leaf boat). An Enchanting Rooftop Party in Chiang Mai Nowhere in the northern city of Chiang Mai can you get a better view of both the river and the night sky than from the rooftop bar of downtown Meliá Chiang Mai. The highest rooftop venue in the city, guests can watch in awe as tiny twinkling banana boats drift slowly down the Ping River. Meliá Chiang Mai will host a double celebration: on both Nov 5th and Nov 6th, from 6pm till midnight, an evening of magic will be staged at MAI The Sky Bar, on the 22nd floor, including live music, fun n’ games and live music — all paired with crafted drinks created specially for this enchanting evening. Beachfront Spirit of Koh Samui Banyan Tree Samui is hosting a beachfront celebration on November 5, starting at 4:30 when guests join resort staff in a hands-on cultural experience by making their own krathong boat, using only natural materials, which they can then offer to the water goddess, a traditional rite in Buddhist countries and an opportunity to wish for good fortune. Then, at 6:30pm, a traditional long drum parade is scheduled to ring in the festive spirit. The resort’s MICHELIN Guide-recommended fine-dining restaurant, Saffron, will present a special Loy Krathong set menu starting at THB 2,350 net per person without wine and THB 3,200 net per person with wine.Each dining couple will receive a complimentary krathong to help ensure that the blessings and the spirit of the festival can be preserved. Riverside Magic in Bangkok Nothing quite compares to the dazzling spectacle of thousands upon thousands of tiny candlelit boats floating slowly down the Chao Phraya River under the full moon. Those visitors fortunate enough to be staying at GLOW Riverside Bangkok will have the greatest of front-row seats to view and experience this most photogenic of events. GLOW Riverside will provide a delicious set dinner with live traditional Thai performances, and all diners will receive a complimentary krathong. In addition, members of Fusion’s loyalty program, Fusionlife, can receive up to 25% off dining and spa services, stay credits, complimentary healthy drinks, late check-out and receive room upgrades subject to availability. A Hillside View of Phuket Visitors who prefer a more chilled or intimate celebration may opt for the blissfully serene Fusion Suites Phuket Patong, an oasis of tranquility nestled on a lush tropical hillside overlooking lively Patong Beach and the Andaman Sea. This Sino-Portuguese designed resort is equipped with everything a family needs for a quiet vacation — beautiful villas, multiple swimming pools,a fitness center, kids club and spectacular views of the sunset. Dining guests on November 5 will receive a complimentary krathong set. In addition, members of Fusion’s loyalty program, Fusionlife, will qualify for exclusive benefits, including up to 25% off dining and spa services.

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Sky-high Full Moon Party in Chiang Mai Amid Fireworks The highest bar in Chiang Mai, Meliá Chiang Mai’s 360-degree rooftop bar Mai The Sky Bar, will host ‘Yi Peng Full Moon Rooftop Party’. As fireworks light up the full moon sky, the party will be staged from 6pm until midnight on Friday Nov. 15 and Saturday Nov. 16. Electronic rock outfit Sneaky Muffin and live band EyeStyles will perform on Friday and Saturday respectively from 7-10pm. The bar’s resident DJ will spin the decks from 10pm-midnight on both nights. Perched on the hotel’s 22nd floor, Mai The Sky Bar offers spectacular views of the Ping River to the city’s east and famed Doi Suthep Temple on the mountaintop to the west. The remarkable venue features rooftop terraces at varying heights, with a spectacular glass bridge connecting the bar’s highest seating areas. Entry to Yi Peng Full Moon Rooftop Party is THB 500 net person and includes a complimentary drink. For more information and reservations, contact + 66 (0) 52 090 600 or email maiskybar@meliachiangmai.com Float Away on Koh Samui Recently acclaimed a “2-Key” resort by the MICHELIN Guide and nestled in a tranquil corner of Koh Samui, Banyan Tree Samui pr ovides a peaceful respite from the Loy Krathong celebrations with a spiritually sensitive offer to its guests on the morning of Nov. 15 to make their own floating basket from banana leaves, candles and flowers. Visitors can then place their homemade krathong on the water and make a wish or prayer for the year ahead. Evening entertainment at this luxury 5-star resort includes a traditional drum parade and the choice of either a buffet dinner at The Edge restaurant with a host of live stations and Thai curries or a more formal fine-dining experience at award-winning Saffron Restaurant, where a set menu includes appetizers of pomelo fruit salad and king scallops dressed in basil leaves, peanuts and coriander, followed by deep-fried prawns, grilled beef in panang sauce or wok-fried broccoli and grilled chicken in chili and oyster sauce. For more information and reservations, contact +66 077 915 333 or email samui@banyantree.com

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Thailand’s “coconut island”, Koh Samui, has come a long way since it’s hippy hey-day in the 1970s. Today, jet-set travelers rub shoulders with the tabloids’ favorite celebrities, while major golf events and regattas have become annual pilgrimages. So, now you’re thinking about a lazy leisurely holiday on this tantalizingly tropical island? Only question is… when to go? January – BBQ Season @ Banyan Tree After several months’ closure for renovations, the long-awaited return of Banyan Tree Samui’s fabulous restaurant Sands is upon us. Chef Rainer Roersch promises to roll out a new “8 Fires” concept with everything from flaming woks to wood-fired ovens to fire pits, where he will sizzle up Wagyu beef steaks and fresh seafood while you enjoy sundowners at the resort’s quirky tuk-tuk cocktail bar on the beachfront. Make reservations here: https://www.banyantree.com/en/thailand/samui February – Samui Open Beach Volleyball Bounce along to North Chaweng Beach on 21- 23 February to catch some 40 to 50 teams from around the world competing in this annual beach volleyball tournament. And when the spikes, digs, and blocks are all over and the sun begins to set, expect some carnivalesque party fun at the brand new Seen Beach Club. May  – Samui Regatta Few international events have put Koh Samui on the map like the annual regatta which attracts more than 500 sailors, mostly from around Asia, at this time each year. Hosted in 2020 for the first time by Synergy Samui’s La Vida Resort, the event is the biggest and most competitive sailing race of its kind in Asia. Perch yourself anywhere along the eastern coast of the island from 23- 30 May – preferably with a set of binoculars – and set your sights on some competitive and intricate yacht racing. September – Samui Festival A kaleidoscope of parades, culture, music, food and fun for all the family is in store at this 5-6 day event, the dates of which are yet to be officially announced. However, we do know that the Samui Festival Marathon will take place at 5am on Aug. 30, so expect the fun n’ games to begin soon after. Singing competitions, a beauty contest, artwork, handicrafts, Thai boxing bouts and Buddhist ceremonies are all part and parcel of this colorful extravaganza. Perhaps the highlight of the week is the array of street-food stalls where you can sample and savor some of southern Thailand’s most exotic delicacies, such as maret’ leaf rice cooked in a bamboo tube, oysters, fruits, and super-sweet desserts. November – Loy Krathong – The Festival of Lights   Thailand’s most exquisite festival is a time when Buddhists float banana boats on the river to take away bad luck and worries, while praying for a better year ahead. And nowhere could be more majestic to join the ceremony than at Chaweng Lake on Koh Samui on the night of 1 November when you make your own krathong, or banana boat, with the help of locals. And of course, there will be music, street stalls, and much merriment all round. Koh Samui enjoys a year-round climate heaven-made for beach-lovers, High season is Cool Season – that’s from Christmas through to March, and by “cool” we mean a gentle breeze, and a gorgeous 29-30 °C (84- 86°F) sunshine to bask in. April and May are the hottest months, but then again, you have the Songkran Water Festival on April 13-14 to cool you down. June through to September is thoroughly pleasant with light showers every other day, and October- November is the low season with its monsoon rains.

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