Chiang Mai is gearing up to celebrate the Loy Krathong, and Yee Peng Festivals from the 3rd to the 6th of November, 2025. This guide will help you make the most of your visit, highlighting events and places you can go for an unforgettable festive experience.

This 2025 Loy Krathong, and Yee Peng Festival will be very different from the previous year. This is due to the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother on October 25th, 2025, has plunged Thailand into a period of national mourning.

What this means for the festivals (November 3-6, 2025):

• The festivals will go on. Loy Krathong and Yee Peng are important Thai traditions, and the religious ceremonies will still happen.
• The celebrations will be quieter. There will be less noise, fewer loud concerts, and many entertainment activities (like large fireworks) will be canceled or scaled back to show respect.
• Dress Code: Visitors are asked to dress respectfully, especially if visiting temples. Wearing neutral colors like black, white, or gray is a simple way to show respect during this time.

As the tone of the festival will be very different, you must be careful when planning your trip this year. Most travel guides from previous years are now outdated.

The good news is that activities related to tradition and religion will still happen, but with a respectful, quiet feeling. Following the local government’s announcement on 28th October, you should expect some cancelled or scaled-back activities, such as:

• Modern stage performances, pop singing, or dancing.
• Large fireworks displays.
• Beauty pageants or contests.
• Loud street parties or entertainment.

The main difference is the atmosphere. The 2025 festivals will be a beautiful time for quiet reflection, traditional ceremonies, and cultural viewing—not for loud celebrations.

The Loy Krathong and Yee Peng festivals in Chiang Mai are perfect examples of how cultural traditions intertwine with religious practices, creating a rich, blended celebration unique to this region.

A key part of these festivals is a beautiful tradition called “Tam Phang Patid” (ต๋ามผางปะตี๊ด). This roughly translates to “lighting small clay candles,” and it’s a practice deeply rooted in the local culture and religion.

The main event of Tam Phang Patid takes place at the square in front of the Three Kings Monument, right in the center of the Chiang Mai’s Old City. In the evening before Loy Krathong i.e., November 3, 2025, hundreds of dancers from different districts of Chiang Mai gather here in traditional costumes for the Tam Phang Patid ritual.

They perform a traditional dance while holding candles, honoring the goddess and praying for the prosperity of the communities. This ceremony is meant to bring happiness and good fortune to everyone present.

Tourists are welcome to join in the ceremony by lighting candles. The square will be beautifully decorated with paper lanterns and stands for lighting Phang Patid, the candle lights. There’s no need to bring your own candle; the organizers will provide candles as part of the decorations and ceremony.

The decorations and displays at the Three Kings Monument will remain in place for the duration of the festival. If you miss the evening of November 3rd, 2025, you can still visit the square on the following evenings. You can light candles, take photos, or simply enjoy the cultural atmosphere and festive spirit.

Tam Phang Patid extends beyond the Three Kings Monument, as lamps are also placed around homes, temples, and public areas across the city. Beginning from the evening before Loy Krathong i.e., 3rd November, you’ll see locals setting up rows of small, handmade clay lamps along the moat surrounding the old city walls, especially near the city gates and corner areas.

These flickering candles create a soft, peaceful glow that fills the atmosphere with a sense of reverence. The sight of hundreds, even thousands, of tiny flames burning together symbolizes hope and renewal, connecting everyone to a feeling of shared peace and respect for nature.

Tourists are welcome to join by lighting candles along the moat’s mortar and bricks. The clay candles are affordable and widely available at local shops and markets.

One of the best spots to take part in this tradition is on the north side of the city moat. While making your way toward Wat Lok Moli, take a moment to stop, light a few candles, snap some photos, or simply soak in the rich cultural atmosphere and the festive spirit of the event.

The festival days are a special time to visit Buddhist temples. During Loy Krathong and Yee Peng, many local people visit temples to pray, chant, and make merit (do good deeds for good fortune).

Tourists are very welcome to join this quiet, beautiful tradition! You can light candles and place them on the brick structures, or the designated areas around the temple grounds. This creates a very warm, glowing atmosphere, perfect for a photo.

You can easily walk to all these famous temples, which are close to each other:

• Wat Inthakhin (right next to the Three Kings Monument)
• Wat Chedi Luang
• Wat Phra Singh
• Wat Lok Moli (This one is very popular and is located just outside the north side of the Old City moat.)

Tha Phae Gate, as the main cultural hub, is always the busy center for all festival activities in Chiang Mai. In past years, this large square outside the gate was filled with bright lights, modern stages, and loud events. This year, the mood will be different. As we mentioned, activities like the beauty pageant are cancelled to keep a respectful tone.

However, the Tha Phae Gate square is still a must-visit spot. This is because the square will be the main display area for many traditional Lanna lanterns. Even without the loud entertainment, the gate area will still have a beautiful, quiet glow, showing off the best of Northern Thai art and culture.

Loy Krathong is a festival deeply connected to water. The main tradition is to show great respect to the Goddess of Water, known as “Phra Mae Khongkha.” Because of this, the Ping River—the most important river in Chiang Mai—is the most popular place for the celebration.

Here, people gather on the riverbank to release their krathongs (small, decorated floating baskets) into the water. This is the central and most important ritual of Loy Krathong. The act of floating the krathong symbolizes letting go of the bad things from the past year, such as bad luck or sadness. It is a way to feel cleansed and ready for a fresh start.

These beautiful floats are usually made from banana leaves and hold a candle, incense, and flowers. Sometimes people add a small personal item, like a piece of hair, as a symbolic farewell to any misfortune. Special spots are set up along the riverbank to help you safely step forward and float your krathong.

Visitors are welcome to join the celebration from the evening of November 4, 2025. You can buy your krathong from street vendors along the main road. Prices are usually between 20 to 50 Thai Baht, depending on how big or decorated they are. Vendors will also sell food, snacks, and drinks for you to enjoy along the river.

Besides the Ping River, another great spot to float your krathong in Chiang Mai is the Khlong Mae Kha (Mae Kha Canal). This historic canal has become a very popular and fashionable place to visit, especially during the Loy Krathong and Yee Peng Festivals.

Khlong Mae Kha will be specially decorated for the festivals from November 4th to 6th. You should expect a huge crowd here, as it is very popular with both local residents and visitors.

Historically, Khlong Mae Kha was very important to Chiang Mai for water supply and flood control. Today, it has been cleaned and restored, becoming a beautiful place for community and cultural events once again.

During the Yee Peng festival, both sides of the canal are filled with colorful Lanna lanterns. These lights reflect beautifully on the water, creating a magical atmosphere. This lighting brings the canal to life, beautifully showing how a restored waterway can connect people to the city’s old traditions.

One of the most exciting activities during the festivals is the Grand Krathong Parade. This parade feels like the final, colorful part of the celebrations.

The parade features entries from many different companies and organizations. These groups are competing to win the prize for the best Krathong design, making it a wonderful display of local artistry and craft.

The parade is scheduled for November 6, 2025. It is set to begin in the late evening, starting around 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The procession will start at Tha Phae Gate and will finish at the Chiang Mai Municipality Office.

A special part of this parade is how close you can get to the beautiful floats! Since some streets on the route are quite narrow, you will be very close to the participants. When the parade moves slowly, you can even take selfies with them, which makes it a fun and interactive experience for visitors.

The main rule for releasing sky lanterns (Khom Loy) is simple: you must be outside of the 10km aviation safety zone near Chiang Mai International Airport. If you are staying in a countryside area like Mae Taeng or Chom Thong, you are far outside this zone and can usually enjoy releasing sky lanterns all night long without any extra limits.

The authorities have made it very clear that releasing lanterns in the following districts is STRICTLY BANNED due to safety risks and potential fines (up to 200,000 Baht and 5 years in prison). The 6 banned districts for sky lantern release:

1. Mueang Chiang Mai
2. Hang Dong
3. Saraphi
4. San Sai
5. Mae Rim
6. San Pa Tong

Remember: If your accommodation is not in one of the six districts above, you can follow the general rule of releasing lanterns between 7:00 PM and 1:00 AM on November 5th and 6th, 2025.

Important Update: Doi Saket Lake is CLOSED. In past years, many visitors staying in the city center would travel 30 minutes north to Doi Saket Lake (Nong Bua Phra Chao Luang) to release sky lanterns for free. This year, the free public release at Doi Saket Lake is CANCELLED.

The local government has announced that the lake area is closed for a large renovation project. The goal is to make a better space for future events, but it means there will be no celebrations there this November.

If you are staying inside the Chiang Mai city center this year, there will be no easy or convenient place for you to release sky lanterns. All safe, legal spots are now much further away.

If releasing a sky lantern is an important part of your trip, you should consider purchasing a ticket to one of the private mass sky lantern release events.

While the venues for these events are usually located a bit far from the city center, your ticket should include round-trip transportation from a meeting point in Chiang Mai city to the venue.

These night events usually last about 4 to 5 hours. They generally include a food festival, cultural shows, religious chanting, and end with the famous mass release of sky lanterns.

This year, the activities will be adjusted to respect the national mourning period. Fireworks will be cancelled. The events will focus much more on traditional customs and cultural activities, keeping the beautiful, respectful atmosphere of the festival. We have listed FIVE private events below where you can buy tickets.

The Chiangmai CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival is the largest and grandest sky lantern release event in Chiang Mai.

The festival is held at a spacious compound in Mae On district, about 35 kilometers outside of Chiang Mai city center. It takes place over two days, on November 5th and 6th, 2025.

Visitors can expect to arrive at the venue in the late afternoon, just before sunset. Your ticket includes round-trip transportation to the festival site, a buffet dinner, and sky lanterns.

The festival is a celebration of Northern Thai culture, offering a variety of Thai food, cultural performances, and activities like Thai massage. Their food options cater to all dietary needs. You can buy ticket here.

The Yee Peng Lanna International, established in 2013, is the oldest, and the original sky lantern event in Chiang Mai. It’s likely that the captivating videos and photos you’ve seen online of thousands lanterns filling the sky come from this event.

This year, the event will take place on November 5th and 6th at the Lanna Dhutanka temple grounds, located behind Maejo University, about 18 kilometers from Chiang Mai city center. Despite being the second-largest sky lantern festival in the city, it consistently attracts a crowd of around 3,000 people each night.

Organized by a Buddhist group, the event places a strong emphasis on the spiritual and religious aspects of the tradition, including chanting and meditation led by monks. The ticket price may, or may not (depends on ticket type and price tiers), includes transportation to and from the event venue, lanterns, and a dinner set. You can purchase ticket here (round-trip) or here (ticket only).

The Heaven Lantern Thailand 2025 is another sky lantern event that will take place on November 5th and 6th, 2025. The event will be held at Suan Sawan (The Garden), located in the mountainous Mae Taeng District of Chiang Mai, approximately 45 kilometers away from the city center.

This event is a celebration of Northern Thailand’s (Lanna) cultural heritage. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience authentic local cuisine, admire the craftsmanship of local artisans, and enjoy traditional performances by local tribes.

The Heaven Lantern Thailand 2025 offers a more intimate and local experience compared to other sky lantern events in Chiang Mai. The event is held in a natural setting, closer to the visitors, providing a more relaxed and forest-like atmosphere.

The ticket price includes transportation to and from the venue, meals, and a sky lantern. You can purchase the ticket here.

Horizon Village Resort Chiang Mai is conveniently located just outside the city center, in the Doi Saket district. It’s about a 15-kilometer drive or a 25-minute journey from Chiang Mai city center.

The ticket price for the event includes a buffet dinner, a lantern, and admission to cultural performances and activities. However, transportation is not included. Given its proximity to the city center, it’s easy to reach Horizon Village in the afternoon by taking a songthaew or using a Grab taxi. You can buy the ticket here, or here.

Lamphun, located next to Chiang Mai, is known for its beautiful sky lantern festivals during Yee Peng. This year, there will be a special event where thousands of lanterns will be released at the Gassan Panorama Golf Club on November 5th and 6th, 2025.

The golf club is about 25 kilometers (30 minutes by car) from Chiang Mai city. If you buy a ticket, you will get a ride to and from the event, a dinner, lanterns, and a chance to watch traditional Thai performances. You can buy the ticket here.