Thailand Lantern Festival 2026: Yi Peng in Chiang Mai vs Loy Krathong

Curated by Cindy Tang Updated Sep. 24, 2026
Seasonal travel planning

Every November, Thailand runs two festivals of light at the same time, and they are not the same thing. Yi Peng sends thousands of paper sky lanterns up over Chiang Mai. Loy Krathong floats lotus-shaped baskets down rivers and canals across the whole country.

In 2026 they overlap: Yi Peng runs 24–25 November in Chiang Mai, and Loy Krathong's full-moon night is 25 November.

If you only have one night, the decision comes down to one question. Do you want to look up, or look down? Sky lanterns happen in Chiang Mai and essentially nowhere else. Floating krathongs happen everywhere, Bangkok included.

This page is organised around that choice — which one to go to — then gives you the dates, the places, and a straight answer on what's free and what isn't.

Yi Peng vs Loy Krathong: Which One Should You Choose?

The two festivals also have different roots.

Yi Peng is a Lanna tradition from northern Thailand, associated with the second month of the Lanna lunar calendar. Releasing a khom loi is traditionally connected with letting go of misfortune.

Loy Krathong is associated with paying respect to Phra Mae Khongkha, the goddess of water, and asking forgiveness for the way people have used and polluted the water.

One of our guests releasing her Loy Krathong lantern in Chiang Mai.

You will see lanterns at both festivals, but the experience is quite different. Yi Peng is built around the moment when hundreds or thousands of lanterns rise together. Loy Krathong is more spread out, with people making and floating their krathongs along rivers and waterway.

If I had to pick one, I’d choose Yi Peng. But if you are in Chiang Mai during the festival period, you can experience both on the same trip, so I wouldn’t treat this as an either-or choice.

If you do need to choose, here is how I would look at it:

Three days in Bangkok only → Loy Krathong. Yi Peng doesn't happen there in any meaningful form.

You want the image everyone has seen — thousands of lanterns lifting off in one movement → Yi Peng, in Chiang Mai, and a ticket for one of the organised releases.

Travelling with children → Loy Krathong is the easier call. Krathong-making workshops run through the afternoon, nobody has to stay up late, and you can leave when you've had enough. Yi Peng's mass release runs late, involves fire, and comes with crowds.

Photographer → Yi Peng for the lantern release; Loy Krathong for the variety of scenes. The coordinated Yi Peng release is a short burst of spectacle, while Loy Krathong gives you hours of smaller moments to photograph along the water.

Tight budget → Loy Krathong costs almost nothing. Yi Peng's parades and lantern displays in the city are free to watch, but releasing your own lantern means a ticketed venue outside the city.

Here's a quick comparison of Yi Peng vs Loy Krathong:

Going deeper: Yi Peng Festival guide, Loy Krathong Festival guide.

When Is the Lantern Festival in Thailand? 2026–2028 Dates

Timing:

Both festivals usually take place in November, during Thailand's full moon of the 12th lunar month. Exact dates vary each year according to the lunar calendar. Here are some recent and upcoming dates for reference:

The 2026 dates are confirmed by CAD, the official ticket seller. 2027 and 2028 are projections based on the lunar calendar — the Tourism Authority of Thailand publishes the official programme closer to the date, so confirm before you book flights.

Where to See It: Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Sukhothai, Phuket

Chiang Mai is the only city where both festivals happen at once — the one place you can release a sky lantern and float a krathong on the same evening. Sky lanterns go up outside the Chiang Mai City. Krathongs go into the Ping River in Chiang Mai City.

In Bangkok, Sukhothai or Phuket you will see Loy Krathong. You will not see Yi Peng. 

Bangkok — the Chao Phraya riverside. Biggest crowds, easiest to bolt onto a city trip, least atmospheric of the four.

Sukhothai — the one people describe as beautiful rather than busy. Krathongs float on the ponds around the old ruins, and the celebrations run over several days, historically starting a few days ahead of Chiang Mai.

Phuket — the beach version. Krathongs go into the sea instead of a river.

Chiang Mai — both festivals, the Old City lit up for two nights, and the ticketed mass releases that produce the photographs.

If you're flying in specifically for Yi Peng, build the trip around Chiang Mai and take Loy Krathong on the same night.

The activities in CAD Yi Peng Lantern Festival.

The activities in CAD Yi Peng Lantern Festival.

Is It Free? Free vs Ticketed Lantern Events

The honest answer is different for the two festivals, and this is the part most guides stay vague about.

Loy Krathong is free. Buy a krathong for a few baht, or make one at a workshop, then float it. No ticket, no permission needed.

Yi Peng is not. Releasing a sky lantern inside Chiang Mai city is illegal — an aviation and fire-safety restriction. Authorised launches happen at approved venues outside the city, and those venues charge.

What's free in the city:

• The Yi Peng float parade and the cultural pageants held on the stage at Tha Phae Gate Plaza.
• Thousands of hanging paper lanterns and candle displays along the Old City walls and at Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phan Tao, and Wat Phra Singh. 

Anyone can walk into all of that. None of it includes releasing a lantern of your own.

What you pay for is the organised release at an approved site outside the city — transfers, dinner, the cultural programme, and the countdown where thousands of lanterns go up at once. CAD's 2026 packages start around USD 150.

See CAD ticket tiers and availability.

How to See Both Festivals in One Trip

There are two ways to do it, and the choice is mostly about how many days you have.

Option 1 — Sukhothai first, then Chiang Mai (7 days or more)​

Sukhothai starts its Loy Krathong celebrations about a week before the official date, and it's the more traditional version of the festival: krathong-making workshops, local performances, candlelit processions, and krathongs floating on the ponds around the old ruins. It's unhurried, varied, and far less crowded than anything you'll get in Chiang Mai.

Give Sukhothai two or three days, then travel north for Yi Peng. This is the route we build most often — you get Loy Krathong at its most local and still arrive in Chiang Mai in time for the sky lanterns.

Option 2 — both in Chiang Mai (2–3 days)​

The two festivals overlap in Chiang Mai, so one city can cover both.

• 24 November — Yi Peng. The ticketed mass release, or the free celebrations across the Old City.
• 25 November — Loy Krathong. Float a krathong on the Ping River, or join the riverside celebrations.

Worth knowing: the ticketed Yi Peng venues also run krathong-making and a krathong release on site. If you're going to a paid event, you'll make and float a krathong that evening as part of it — you don't have to pick one festival over the other.

Tips for Experiencing the Thailand Lantern Festival

After learning about Yi Peng and Loy Krathong, here's how to make the most of your Thailand Lantern Festival experience.

1. Book early

• Yi Peng Lantern Release: Tickets for private events sell out months in advance, so it's crucial to secure your spot early. Be sure to secure your Yi Peng festival tickets for a safe and organized sky lantern experience.
• Hotels: Chiang Mai fills up quickly during the festival, so book your stay as soon as possible.

3. Enhance your trip

Our private tours include everything you need for an unforgettable experience:

• Exclusive premium tickets for the CAD Yi Peng Festival
• Loy Krathong experiences in Chiang Mai and Sukhothai
• Exclusive cultural activities, including Thai traditional costume experiences and an atmospheric full moon day dinner.

Check out our Thailand Lantern Festival 2026 tours & book your spot today!

Our happy customers enjoyed our exclusive activities.

FAQ about Thailand Lantern Festivals

Q: What is the difference between Yi Peng and Loy Krathong?
A: Yi Peng releases sky lanterns into the air and happens in Chiang Mai. Loy Krathong floats baskets on water and happens across Thailand. They fall on the same nights in November, so in Chiang Mai you can do both.

Q: When is the Thailand lantern festival in 2026?
A: Yi Peng runs 24–25 November 2026 in Chiang Mai. Loy Krathong's full-moon night is 25 November 2026, nationwide.

Q: Where is the lantern festival in Thailand?
A: Loy Krathong is nationwide — Bangkok, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Phuket and most towns with water. Yi Peng is Chiang Mai only.

Q: Is the Thailand lantern festival free?
A: Loy Krathong is free almost everywhere. Yi Peng's parades, lantern displays and temple ceremonies across the Old City and Tha Phae Gate are free to watch, but releasing a sky lantern legally requires an authorised venue outside the city, from USD 150 to USD 450.

Q: Can I see both festivals in one trip?
A: Yes, two ways. In Chiang Mai the two overlap — Yi Peng runs 24–25 November 2026 and Loy Krathong's full-moon night is 25 November — so one evening covers both, and the ticketed Yi Peng venues include krathong-making and a krathong release. Or start in Sukhothai, which begins its Loy Krathong celebrations about a week earlier, then travel north to Chiang Mai for Yi Peng.

Q: Is the lantern festival suitable for children?
A: Loy Krathong, yes — workshops run in the afternoon and you can leave whenever. Yi Peng's mass release runs late with large crowds, which suits older children better than young ones.

Q: When should I book Yi Peng tickets?
A: Tickets for private lantern releases sell out months in advance, so book as early as possible.

Q: What happens if it rains?
A: Loy Krathong goes ahead — rain doesn't stop people floating krathongs. Sky lanterns are more affected; wet lanterns don't fly, and releases get delayed or shortened. Most November evenings in Chiang Mai are clear by then.