Last updated: 8 October 2026. Checked against Chiang Mai municipal and provincial announcements, Thai government radio and TAGTHAi, with Thai press where official pages are not yet online.
Loy Krathong 2026 falls on Tuesday 24 November, the full moon night of the 12th Thai lunar month. In Chiang Mai, the Yi Peng festival runs from 23 to 25 November 2026, and under rules announced by Chiang Mai Province, sky lanterns may be released only on 24 and 25 November between 7 pm and 1 am. Sukhothai's Loy Krathong and Candle Festival is announced for 15 to 24 November 2026 in Sukhothai Historical Park.
Key dates for 2026
| Event | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Loy Krathong, nationwide | Tuesday 24 November 2026 | Confirmed by the Thai lunar calendar |
| Yi Peng, Chiang Mai city | 23 to 25 November 2026 | Announced by Chiang Mai Municipality |
| Chiang Mai "small krathong" day | 24 November 2026 | Announced by Chiang Mai Province |
| Chiang Mai "big krathong" day and grand krathong procession | 25 November 2026 | Announced |
| Sky lantern and firework release window, Chiang Mai | 24 and 25 November 2026, 7 pm to 1 am | Announced by Chiang Mai Province |
| Sukhothai Loy Krathong and Candle Festival | 15 to 24 November 2026 | Announced by the organizers |
- Loy Krathong. In 2026, Loy Krathong falls on Tuesday 24 November, the 15th waxing day (full moon) of the 12th Thai lunar month (PPTV, 2 October 2026).
- Why 24 or 25? Some guides give 25 November. Chiang Mai's 2026 rules call 24 November the "small krathong" day and 25 November the "big krathong" day. The nationwide Loy Krathong night is 24 November.
Chiang Mai: Yi Peng 2026
Chiang Mai Municipality will hold its Yi Peng festival from 23 to 25 November 2026, with Lanna cultural performances, traditional lamp lighting (phang prateep) and a grand krathong procession contest on 25 November, according to a preparation meeting chaired by the deputy mayor on 23 September 2026 (Chiang Mai News, 23 September 2026). The municipality's official site is cmcity.go.th. Its detailed 2026 program had not been posted as of 8 October 2026.
On 7 October 2026, Chiang Mai Governor Tosapol Phuean-udom chaired the provincial Yi Peng preparation meeting at the Chiang Mai City Hall and set these rules (Chiang Mai News, 7 October 2026):
| Rule, Chiang Mai 2026 | What was announced |
|---|---|
| Sky lanterns (khom loi) and fireworks | Allowed only on 24 and 25 November, 7 pm to 1 am |
| Lantern standard | Must meet the Thai community product standard (มผช. 808/2552) and stay airborne no more than 7 minutes |
| Firecrackers tied to lanterns | Strictly prohibited |
| Smoke lanterns (khom khwan, daytime) | Allowed only on the small krathong day, 24 November, 10 am to noon |
| Inside Chiang Mai city | Mueang Chiang Mai district asks for no sky lantern releases at all in the city area |
- The city is not a release zone. Mueang Chiang Mai district asked the public not to release sky lanterns anywhere in the Chiang Mai city area, to protect residents and visitors (Chiang Mai News, 23 September 2026). In the city, float a krathong on the Ping River and watch the festival rather than launch a lantern.
- No-release zones near the airport. In 2024, Chiang Mai Province banned lantern releases outright in 39 subdistricts of 6 districts inside the airport's flight safety zone, including all of Mueang Chiang Mai district (Bangkok Biz News, 8 November 2024). The 2026 list had not been published as of 8 October 2026; follow the provincial announcement when it appears.
- Green City. The province says it wants Yi Peng 2026 to support Chiang Mai's "Green City" goal, with an e-donation platform for forest conservation communities (Chiang Mai News, 7 October 2026). For your own krathong, choose one made of natural materials such as banana trunk and leaves.
Chiang Mai flights around lantern nights
Chiang Mai Airport changes its flight schedule every year around the lantern nights, and the 2026 changes had not been announced as of 8 October 2026.
- 2024. Chiang Mai Airport cancelled or rescheduled 170 flights for the Yi Peng nights of 15 and 16 November 2024: 74 cancellations and 96 schedule changes, with 16 extra flights added, to reduce the risk sky lanterns pose to aircraft (Radio Thailand Chiang Mai, government public relations, 12 November 2024).
- 2025. All flight operations at Chiang Mai Airport ended by 7 pm on 5 and 6 November 2025, and 161 flights were cancelled or rescheduled, according to the airport director (The Nation, 1 November 2025).
If you fly to or from Chiang Mai on 24 or 25 November 2026, expect evening flights to be moved or cancelled. Book a morning or midday flight, and check the schedule with your airline again in the days before you travel.
Sukhothai: Loy Krathong and Candle Festival
Sukhothai holds its festival from 15 to 24 November 2026 in the UNESCO-listed Sukhothai Historical Park (TAGTHAi, citing the festival's official Facebook page, 26 June 2026). The Sukhothai Light and Sound Show runs nightly at 7 pm from 15 to 24 November, with an extra 8:30 pm show on 24 November. TAGTHAi lists show tickets at 500, 900 and 1,200 baht, and they can be booked through the organizers' channels listed there.
Bangkok and the rest of Thailand
Krathong are floated on rivers, canals and park lakes all over Thailand on 24 November 2026. As of 8 October 2026, neither the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration nor the Tourism Authority of Thailand had published 2026 Loy Krathong venues for Bangkok; check TAT Newsroom and the BMA in November.
Staying in Southeast Asia into the new year? Vietnam's Tết falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, when much of the country shuts for the week: see our Tết 2027 guide.
Lantern release tickets
The mass lantern releases seen in photos happen at private, ticketed events outside Chiang Mai city, not at the public festival in town. We found no official list of approved ticket sellers and no official warning about unofficial sellers for 2026. Before paying, check that the event's date matches the official release window (24 and 25 November, 7 pm to 1 am) and that the venue is outside the city area where releases are asked against.
Getting into Thailand
Most visitors now get 30 days visa-free for tourism and must file the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card within 3 days before arrival. Our guide to the 30-day visa-free rule and the TDAC covers who qualifies and how to file.
Staying connected
Lantern nights are among the most crowded evenings of Thailand's year, and that is when you most need data. Around the Chiang Mai moat, Tha Phae Gate and the Ping River, mobile networks can slow down as crowds share the same cells, so ride-hailing, maps and messaging may lag just when you are trying to find your group or a ride back. Agree on a fixed meeting point before the evening and save an offline map of the old city.
Flights are the other reason. Airlines move evening Chiang Mai flights around the lantern nights, and changes can come by email or in the airline's app, so keep data on to see them and rebook quickly.
A travel eSIM installed before you fly gives you data as soon as you land at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi or Phuket, before the connection north. It is data only: it gives you no Thai phone number. Our Thailand eSIM guide compares it with a local SIM, and you can check whether your phone supports eSIM first.
Compare our Thailand eSIM plans and install one before you fly.
FAQ
When is Loy Krathong in 2026?
Loy Krathong 2026 is on Tuesday 24 November, the full moon of the 12th Thai lunar month. Sukhothai's festival runs from 15 to 24 November, and Chiang Mai celebrates from 23 to 25 November.
When is Yi Peng 2026 in Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai's Yi Peng festival runs from 23 to 25 November 2026. Sky lanterns and fireworks are allowed only on 24 and 25 November, from 7 pm to 1 am, under the province's 2026 rules.
Can I release a sky lantern in Chiang Mai old city?
No. Mueang Chiang Mai district has asked that no sky lanterns be released in the Chiang Mai city area during Yi Peng 2026. Releases are allowed only at the permitted times, and in 2024 the province banned them throughout the airport's flight safety zone.
Will my Chiang Mai flight be cancelled during Yi Peng?
It may be moved or cancelled if it is an evening flight on 24 or 25 November 2026. The 2026 schedule changes had not been announced as of 8 October 2026; in 2025 all Chiang Mai flights ended by 7 pm on the two lantern nights.
Is it better to see Loy Krathong in Sukhothai or Chiang Mai?
Go to Sukhothai for krathong, candles and the light and sound show among the ruins of the historical park, from 15 to 24 November 2026. Go to Chiang Mai for Yi Peng lanterns, which are allowed only on 24 and 25 November.
Do I need a ticket for Yi Peng?
The Yi Peng festival program is organized by Chiang Mai Municipality in the city. Mass lantern releases are private paid events outside the city, and we found no official list of approved sellers for 2026.
Facts checked on 8 October 2026 against Chiang Mai Municipality and Chiang Mai Province announcements (as reported by Chiang Mai News), Radio Thailand Chiang Mai, TAGTHAi, PPTV and The Nation. Chiang Mai's no-release zones and the 2026 flight changes are published only weeks before the festival, so check them again in mid-November.