Yi Peng & Loy Krathong 2026: Dates, Lantern Rules, Flights

Cover image: Crowds releasing glowing khom loi sky lanterns at night during Yi Peng in Chiang Mai — photo by Nik Cyclist from Bangkok, Thailand, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Last checked: 16 October 2026. Loy Krathong 2026 falls on Tuesday 24 November 2026 — the full-moon night of the 12th Thai lunar month — and Chiang Mai's Yi Peng sky-lantern nights are expected on 24–25 November. If you have seen Loy Krathong dated 25 November, 22 November or even 5–6 November elsewhere, those are wrong (5–6 November was last year's date); 25 November is the second Yi Peng lantern night and the Grand Krathong procession, not Loy Krathong itself. What no blog on page 1 gives you: the lunar arithmetic behind the date, the actual provincial lantern order with zones and fines, and Chiang Mai airport's real flight-cut numbers. Every rule below is labelled by year — the 2025 order and airport notice are confirmed, the 2026 versions are due in November.

When are Yi Peng and Loy Krathong in 2026?

Loy Krathong night: Tuesday 24 November 2026. The Thai portal Sanook states it plainly — "วันลอยกระทง ปี 2569 ตรงกับวันที่ 24 พฤศจิกายน 2569" — and it is not a public holiday. The lunar anchor checks out: Ok Phansa, the 15th waxing day of the 11th lunar month, falls on Monday 26 October 2026, and the next full moon lands 29 days later on 24 November. The government's Sukhothai festival listing runs to 24 November with an extra show that night, Shangri-La Bangkok's Loy Krathong dinner is on "Tuesday, 24 November 2026", and an up-to-date independent Chiang Mai guide also gives Tuesday 24 November while explicitly calling 25 November wrong. No TAT 2026 Loy Krathong release had appeared as of 16 October (last year's came on 1 November), so re-check before you book anything non-refundable.

Yi Peng lantern nights: expected 24–25 November — the full-moon night and the night after, mirroring 2025 when releases were permitted on 5–6 November. Both ticketed mass releases (CAD Khomloy and Moonlight Sky Lantern) are scheduled for 24–25 November, and the city festival window is expected to run 23–25 November based on a municipal planning meeting of 23 September — but the official city programme was not published as of mid-October, so treat the 23rd as provisional.

What is the difference between Yi Peng and Loy Krathong?

Loy Krathong is the nationwide festival: on the full-moon night, people float krathongs — small decorated baskets — on rivers, canals and ponds to honour the water goddess Phra Mae Khongkha. Yi Peng is the northern Lanna tradition centred on Chiang Mai, where the same full moon is marked by releasing khom loi sky lanterns. In practice visitors to Chiang Mai in late November get both: krathongs on the Ping River and lanterns in the sky. Elsewhere in Thailand — Bangkok, Sukhothai, Ayutthaya — the focus is krathongs, candles and (in Sukhothai) fireworks rather than mass sky-lantern releases, and Bangkok's parks banned sky lanterns outright in 2025.

Where are the main events: Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, Bangkok and beyond?

Chiang Mai is the headline act: free city events plus two ticketed mass releases (below), with the Grand Krathong procession from Tha Phae Gate on 25 November. Sukhothai Historical Park hosts the official "Loy Krathong, Burning Candles, and Playing with Fire" show from 15 to 24 November 2026, nightly at 7:00 PM with an additional show on 24 November at 8:30 PM. Tickets are 500 / 900 / 1,200 THB, on sale since 20 May 2026; the 20%-off early-bird window (20 May–30 June, 16–19 November shows only) has expired. Bangkok's 2026 programme was not announced at press time; in 2025 the city (BMA) opened 33 public parks across 21 districts until midnight, and TAT's national programme listed a Bangkok River Festival across nine piers. Other 2025 venues expected back in some form: Ayutthaya's Maha Loi Krathong at Wat Phra Ram, Tak's coconut-shell Loi Krathong Sai on the Ping River, Phitsanulok and Samut Songkhram/Amphawa. Note that 2025's festivals were toned down for the national mourning period after Queen Sirikit's death — Sukhothai cancelled its Noppamas pageant and held a nightly 21:21 candle tribute — so do not take 2025 photos as a guide to normal scale.

What is free and what needs a ticket?

Free in Chiang Mai city means candles and lanterns around the Old City moat and gates, krathong floating at Nawarat Bridge on the 24th, ceremonies at the Three Kings Monument and the procession on the 25th. The old free mass release at Mae Jo University stopped years ago — anyone selling you a "free" mass release is selling something else.

How much do lantern-release tickets cost in 2026?

CAD Khomloy at the CAD Cultural Center Lanna in Mae On runs both nights, with shuttle, Lanna buffet dinner, cultural programme and two lanterns per ticket. Two reseller price lists circulate and differ by ฿20 a tier: about ฿4,900 to ฿15,900 (Standard ฿4,880/4,900, VIP ฿6,480, Premium ฿6,980, Gold ฿8,880, Platinum ฿11,880, Elite ฿15,880). Treat both as indicative reseller prices — neither page is the organiser's own site (one is run by Royal Silk Holidays), and "all purchases are final and strictly non-refundable". Moonlight Sky Lantern 2026 at Wat Ton Muen in Ban Thi, Lamphun, also runs 24–25 November with natural-material lanterns, fuel capped at 35 g, five-minute maximum burn and organised fallen-lantern collection; no price was published. In Bangkok, Shangri-La's Loy Krathong night costs 6,900 THB per adult at the Riverfront Poolside, 5,500 THB on the Horizon cruise and 5,200 THB at NEXT2 Café (children 6–12 half price, 2,500 THB minimum spend per adult in the Lobby Lounge, 15% off prepaid bookings by 10 November). If Bangkok is your base, read where to stay in Bangkok first-time before locking in a riverside room.

Can you release your own sky lantern in Chiang Mai?

Almost certainly not where you are standing. Under the 2025 provincial order — the 2026 order was unpublished as of early October — sky lanterns, fire lanterns and fireworks were allowed only on 5–6 November between 19:00 and 01:00, and only in approved areas. Release was strictly banned in the Aviation Safety Zone ("Toffy Zone", described as extending about 15 km north and south of the airport) and the Level 1 Special Surveillance Zone ("Red Zone"), covering 6 districts and 39 subdistricts including all of Mueang Chiang Mai and Hang Dong. That means the Old City, Tha Phae Gate and the Three Kings Monument were all no-release zones — ignore any blog claiming free releases there. Residents outside the zones had to apply via the "Bampen" app; smoke lanterns were allowed only on 5 November, 10:00–12:00. Penalties: up to 5 years' prison, a 200,000 THB fine, or both — rising to 7 years and 140,000 THB if the release causes a fire (yes, the fire fine reads lower; that is what the order says). Expect the 2026 order, with new dates and possibly new zones, in November — and use a licensed ticketed event instead of freelancing.

Will your flight to or from Chiang Mai be cancelled or moved?

Evening flights very likely. In 2025, Chiang Mai airport set the last flight of the day at no later than 19:00 on 5 and 6 November, keeping clear of the permitted release hours. As of 31 October 2025, 161 flights were affected:

No 2026 airport notice had appeared by mid-October — last year's came about five days before the festival, so this year's may land around 19–20 November. Book morning arrivals, avoid same-day connections through Chiang Mai on the 24th–25th, and check your airline. Fares climb from mid-November as the dry season returns (our cheapest month to fly to Thailand guide has the month-by-month pattern), and festival crowds will be real — is Thailand safe to visit and the 30-day visa-free rules cover the rest of your planning, including where the proposed 300-baht tourist entry fee stands.

How do you float a krathong without harming the river?

Bangkok's numbers make the case: in 2025 the city collected 391,027 krathongs from 110 locations — 323,626 natural (82.76%), 39,103 bread (10.01%) and 28,298 foam (7.23%) — down about 24% from 514,590 in 2024 (2023 saw 639,828). Natural krathongs go to Nong Khaem to become fertiliser; foam goes to landfill. So: buy banana-leaf-and-trunk krathongs (Bangkok's 2025 park rules banned foam outright and discouraged bread floats in closed ponds, where leftover food pollutes), join the "one family, one krathong" habit, and never float anything with nails, pins or plastic cores. Sky lanterns, fireworks, firecrackers and alcohol sales were all banned inside Bangkok's parks in 2025; expect the same in 2026.

How should you plan: hotels, arrival day and what to bring?

Arrive by the afternoon of 23 November — before the flight changes bite and while rooms still exist. November is peak season in Chiang Mai, so book refundable rates until the 2026 programme and airport notice land. Bring: a lighter-free plan for lanterns (the events supply them), cash in small notes for street krathongs, and patience for the 24th-night crowds at Nawarat Bridge. And keep the framing straight: this is a Thai Buddhist full-moon observance that happens to photograph beautifully, not a lantern theme park.

Frequently asked questions

What date is Yi Peng 2026?

Lantern nights are expected on 24–25 November around the 24 November full moon; the city programme (expected 23–25 November) was still unconfirmed in mid-October.

Can tourists release lanterns in Chiang Mai's Old City?

No. The whole of Mueang Chiang Mai was a Red Zone in 2025, with fines of up to 200,000 THB and/or 5 years' prison. Use a licensed ticketed event.

Will flights to Chiang Mai be cancelled during Yi Peng?

Evening flights usually are. In 2025 the airport's last flight of the day was set at 19:00, and 161 flights were cancelled or retimed. Watch for the 2026 airport notice and check your airline.

How much are Yi Peng lantern festival tickets?

CAD Khomloy runs about ฿4,880/4,900 to ฿15,880/15,900 through resellers, non-refundable. Sukhothai's show is 500–1,200 THB. City events are free.

Sources

• Thailand.go.th (PRD) — Loy Krathong, Burning Candles, and Playing with Fire Festival in Sukhothai (updated 21 May 2026)
• Thai PBS Verify — Chiang Mai 2025 Yi Peng lantern order fact-check (6 Nov 2025)
• Thansettakij — Chiang Mai airport flight adjustments, Yi Peng 2025 (1 Nov 2025, in Thai)
• TAT Newsroom — 2025 Loy Krathong national programme (1 Nov 2025)
• Thansettakij — Ok Phansa 2569 date (in Thai)
• Sanook — Loy Krathong 2569 date (25 Feb 2026, in Thai)
• Shangri-La Bangkok — Loy Krathong 2026 dinner prices
• Chiang Mai CityLife — Moonlight Sky Lantern 2026 press conference (Sep 2026)
• Visit Thailand Today — Chiang Mai lantern festival guide (updated 3 Oct 2026)
• CAD Yi Peng reseller (Royal Silk Holidays) — 2026 prices and terms
• Pattaya Mail — Chiang Mai airport 161-flight adjustment (6 Nov 2025)
• The Nation — Bangkok 2025 Loy Krathong park rules (22 Oct 2025)
• Pattaya Mail — Bangkok 2025 krathong collection figures (7 Nov 2025)