What is Loy Kratong?
, other spellings: Loy Krathong, Loi Kratong) is a yearly Thai festival where Thai people build and decorate small rafts called kratong and float them down the river. Kratongs typically consist of a cylindrical slice of a banana tree trunk, decorated with flowers, elaborately folded and sculpted banana leaves, candles, incense sticks, sparklers, etc. Here are some examples: Alongside the river ceremony there are masses of Thais gleefully setting off firecrackers, roman candles, bottle rockets, and full-sized fireworks: and in town there is a noisy parade of amazingly decorated flower floats being escorted by giant pickup trucks chock full of speakers, amplifiers, and klunky old gasoline generators. For lots of pictures and more information, see my Loy Kratong page.
