Loy Krathong 2026 in Pattaya: date, where to float your krathong and what to bring
Loy Krathong 2026 in Pattaya falls on 24 November. Where to float a krathong now that the sea is off-limits, how to avoid the worst of the crowds, what to bring, and how to see the festival on the river in Bangkok.
Loy Krathong 2026 falls on Tuesday, 24 November - the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar. It is an evening festival: everything starts after sunset, and the waterside crowds are at their thickest from 19:00 to 22:00. That night people float krathongs - small rafts of banana leaves with a candle, flowers and incense. Tradition says you let go of everything bad from the past year along with them.
The key thing about Pattaya: krathongs are no longer floated in the sea here. In 2025 the city stepped up its "No Krathong in the Sea" campaign and asks people to use inland water only - temple ponds, lakes and parks. The plan "sit on the beach and send my krathong into the waves" won't work anyway: the surf just washes it back. Rescue teams and police are on duty that night at Central Pattaya Beach, Jomtien and Bali Hai Pier.
Where to celebrate in Pattaya:
1. The city festival - the venue is announced in early November. In 2025 it moved from Lan Pho Park in Naklua to the Central Pattaya Beach intersection: krathong contest, Thai dance, a concert. The loudest spot of the night.
2. Pattaya Floating Market - canals and ponds where a krathong actually floats instead of sinking in the surf. In 2025 the celebration there ran from 18:00 to 21:00.
3. Temples with ponds and lakes on the outskirts - this is where most locals go. No stage, but room at the water's edge.
4. Jomtien and Pratumnak - quieter than the centre, if you want to watch the festival rather than join the crush.
How to avoid the crowds. Arrive by 18:00-18:30 while it's still light: by 19:00 the waterfront is packed. Agree on a meeting point with your group in advance - it's easy to lose each other in the dark. Traffic jams build up around the venues and a taxi after 21:00 can take ages, while a scooter gets you out of Central Beach much faster. For a couple of days, try a Yamaha Fino from 200 baht a day: you need an international or Thai driving licence, a helmet is provided, deposit 2,000-5,000 baht.
Checklist: what to bring
1. A krathong - buy it on the spot, they are sold on every corner on festival day. Choose banana leaves, bread or banana trunk: foam is refused at most official venues.
2. A lighter - candles and incense blow out in the wind.
3. A coin and a lock of hair or a nail clipping - by tradition, that's how the bad luck floats away with your krathong.
4. A cross-body bag or belt bag - keep your phone and wallet in front.
5. Cash in small notes - street food and krathongs are cash only.
6. Mosquito repellent - there are plenty by the water in the evening.
7. Clothes covering your shoulders if you're going to a temple.
What not to do. Sky lanterns and fireworks are banned in Pattaya on Loy Krathong, with fines of up to 60,000 baht. The lanterns you've seen on social media are Yi Peng in Chiang Mai, a separate lantern festival in the north. Don't fish out other people's krathongs: local kids collect the coins from them, it's part of the festival for them. And don't wade in after your own if it gets stuck at the edge.
If you want a river full of lights - go to Bangkok. On Loy Krathong night the country's main stage is the Chao Phraya River: thousands of krathongs are floated by Wat Arun and ICONSIAM. The riverbanks there are even more crowded than in Pattaya, so it's better to watch from a deck. From Pattaya the easy way is the Evening Bangkok and Mahanakhon trip: hotel pickup at 11:00, the Mahanakhon Skywalk observation deck at 314 metres, ICONSIAM and the fountain show, then a Chao Phraya cruise with buffet dinner from 19:30 to 21:30. The tour runs daily, so 24 November too. Adults 3,100 baht, children 2,600, with transfer, guide and entry tickets included. Back in Pattaya around 23:30.
If you're staying for the whole season. Loy Krathong kicks off high season, and by the end of November sea-view flats get snapped up. An example from the catalogue: a 48 m² one-bedroom at The Cliff in Pratumnak, 24th floor, panoramic sea view, 22,000 baht a month on a one-year lease. What a monthly rental costs and why short stays cost more - in our breakdown of prices by area.
Cheat sheet: Loy Krathong 2026 - Tuesday, 24 November, evening. In Pattaya head to ponds, lakes and temples, not the sea. Arrive by 18:00, buy your krathong on the spot, no sky lanterns. Want the river in lights - go to Bangkok. All scooters and bikes with prices are in the vehicle rental catalogue.
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