Best city to photo Loy Krathong

[speeder]

A shout out to all the great board members, please can you suggest the best place to photograph the Loy Krathong Festival? Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket, etc. Thanks in advance. Will be in Thailand Oct. 27 to Nov. 16th, would like to hook up and say hello if anyone has the time.

[Snick]

I'll be in Pattaya, Bangkok is boring for Loy Kratong

Ayuthaya and Chiang Mai are supposed to be very good.

[jadeite]

Boring is not a word I would use to describe Loy Kratong in Bangkok. Millions of people squeezing to get next to the river to drop their boat in the water. Kiddy pools in front of gogo bars so the girls can get their custom in before work. Miss loy kratong will be crowned at King's Corner which will have mainly ladyboy contestants. One year I was a judge. Loy Kratong is the one day a year you are invited to use your camera at Kings Castle III. All the girls will be decked out in traditional wear. This is not a normal day in Bangkok.

[koykaeng]

Have spent Loy Krathong in Bangkok, Pattaya & Chiang Mai over the years.

Chiang Mai would get my vote if it's purely the Loy Krathong celebrations you want to observe.

If ladyboys are a consideration, then I'd probably stick with Pattaya.

Cheers
Koykaeng

[Mister Ree]

My best Loy Krathong was at Chiang Dao in Chiang Mai province. About an hour and half north of Chiang Mai town.

It's a very down home, local celebration. When I was there, the contingent of tourists was small. If you can, get a room at the Chiang Dao Nest. Might be hard, though, as I think it's gotten popular.

[TTChang]

Another vote for Chiang Mai from me.  The river event is the same, but you get the added view of many fiery kites heading into the night sky.  If it's Loy 'Katoey' you are after, to float your boat, then Bangkok can be a very good night out (busy but I definitely wouldn't say boring).

[TTChang]

Read in madazine today, Sukhotai is supposed to be very good too.  I might get back to Chiang Mai (but watch out for the firecrackers fired across the River Ping!).  Found a couple of my 2005 photos.

[TTChang]

Krathongs 'loyed' by my then GF and I. In the days (long gone) when I was a true romantic

[TTChang]

Lantern launching.

[TTChang]

I presume they still do the carnival procession, another great photo opportunity

[Ivor Biggun]

Agree, Chiang Mai would get my vote- it's great along the river. 2nd choice would be Phuket. I live up on the hill above Patong and get a great view of all the lanterns going up, without the crowds

[speeder]

Thanks for all the great information, I always can depend on the board members. This is an excellent website!

[JaiDee]

Hard to get good photos of this holiday because it's mostly at night, unfortunately.

I have done it in BKK twice and agree it's WAY too crowded.

    Have heard the same reports that TT and others say about Chiang Mai; being a very old and traditional Thai city it's no wonder they would have a good one there each year.

  Dark horse candidate; the best one I have ever been to was on Patong Beach in Phuket.  Combine cool beach sand with warm night air, hundreds {thousands?} of Thai's and tourists hanging around, all in a good mood, and the balloon/lanterns lifting off every minute or so for hours on end and drifting casually out into the Andaman sea until they leave your sight and it makes for a very special evening indeed. The sky leading out into Patong bay is literally filled with them for hours, a couple hundred are visible at all times and it's quite beautiful.


Lots of space also, no real crowds to deal with because the beach is so large, and yet it still has a very festive atmosphere;  very cool.  Added bonus;  beer vendors walking around with cold and cheap Beer Chang!

[kliome]

I'll be in Chaing Mai this Loy Kratong is anyone else is about.

It'll be my first LK in Chiang Mai, and first visit back there for over 5 years.

I asked a few guy ITK this same question a few months back, and they all pointed to Chaing Mai - so Chaing Mai it is!

[Rockheart]

I have been to Loy Kratong in Chiang Mai a few years ago and it was cool.

But i think the real party is in Pattaya, Everyone comes down to the beach for a big party.
This year on November 6 was One of the busiest times I have seen in Pattaya since the floods.
There was fireworks and thousands upon thousands of paper lanterns all night long.

We bought our floatie Candle boats early because my GF said that people recycle old ones later when they run out.
We took them back to the room and put 10 baht, a strand of hair and a fleck of skin in each one.

After this we headed to Sailor Bar on Soi 8 where there was a party and buffet.
Then we went over to some bar on Soi 7, I forget the name, where there was alot of ladies and ladyboys in traditional dress.

We went down to the beach at 10 pm to float our hearts and light the candles and pray.
Soon after we floated our boats out into the bay some guys came over and grabbed them.
I wasn't sure what they were doing at first, but then i realized they were taking all the money out of them.
Didn't look like Monks either.

Then we went and partied at Kings bar on Soi 8 which is a very good location for Loy Kratong, many of the LBs dress up.


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