Sukhothai, Tak, Chiangmai, and Bangkok yesterday hosted the most colorful Loi Krathong festival ever, with thousands of floating lanterns, lighting boat parades, cultural performances, and Nop-pa-mas beauty pageant for people to enjoy.

Loi Krathong festival is a Thai tradition held on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month. In the past, Loi Krathong was called Chong Pa Rieng, or the floating lanterns in a royal ceremony. Nang Noppamas, one of Sukhothai King’s concubines, made the first lotus-shaped krathong and offered it to the king to float on the river. The kratong was floated as a means to worship the Lord Buddha’ footprint.The most famous Sukhothai King, Phra Ruang, then ordered his descendants to float their lotus-shaped kratong on the Nam-ma-ha-n-ti( the great river of Nam) every year on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month. The tradition has since been carried on by Thai people until today.

NNT