Loy Krathong and Yi Peng 2026 fall on 24-25 November

The dates are set. Loy Krathong falls on 25 November 2026, and Chiang Mai's Yi Peng lantern festival runs alongside it on 24–25 November.

Why the date moves every year

Loy Krathong follows the lunar calendar, not the Gregorian one: it falls on the evening of the full moon of the twelfth month of the Thai lunar calendar. That is why it drifts between late October and late November from year to year, and why you cannot plan it off last year's dates.

Two festivals, not one

They are commonly lumped together, but they are distinct traditions that happen to coincide in Chiang Mai:

• Loy Krathong is national. You float a krathong — a small decorated raft — on a river, canal or lake. Bangkok, Sukhothai and Ayutthaya all have significant celebrations.
• Yi Peng is a northern Lanna tradition centred on Chiang Mai, and it is the one with the sky lanterns.

Sukhothai deserves a specific mention: the festival is staged in the Historical Park among the ruins, which is a very different experience from a city riverside.

Booking reality check

Chiang Mai accommodation for Yi Peng sells out months ahead and prices rise sharply for those two nights. Flights into Chiang Mai follow the same pattern. If those dates matter to you, book accommodation and internal transport now and leave the detailed plans for later.

One thing worth knowing before you spend money: the large mass sky-lantern releases marketed to visitors are ticketed commercial events, usually held outside the city and priced accordingly. They are not the same thing as the free public celebrations in Chiang Mai itself. Read carefully what a ticket actually includes before booking.