Celebrating Loy Krathong and Yee Peng in Thailand

I planned our recent trip to Thailand to coincide with the Loy Krathong (also spelled Loi Krathong) and Yee Peng (also Yi Peng) festivals.  Loy Krathong is celebrated on the first full moon of the twelfth lunar month, which can occur in November or December.  In most of Thailand the celebration involves floating a krathong, which is a float made with banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense, in a body of water, which, as I understand it, symbolizes carrying away the previous year’s sins, thanking the gods for water for the crops, and sending out good wishes for the future.  In Northern Thailand, Yee Peng, sometimes called the floating lantern festival, is celebrated at the same time, as it occurs during the full moon in the second lunar month of a different calendar, but with the addition of releasing floating lanterns into the night sky.

When planning our trip, I had difficulty finding information about celebrating these two festivals, so I want to share as much as I can about what I learned from our experience. 

Floating Lanterns and Fireworks at Yeepeng Lanna International.

Bangkok’s Wat Saket (The Golden Mount) and Jim Thompson House

View of Bangkok from Wat Saket (Golden Mount)

On our last day in Bangkok we visited some of the places we had not yet seen that are located outside of, but not too far from, the historic center.  These include Wat Saket (The Golden Mount), the Jim Thompson House, Suan Pakkad Palace, and Ban Kamthieng.

There are hundreds of temples in Bangkok, but Wat Saket, also known as The Golden Mount, should be at the top of your list.  The temple grounds consist of a low hill topped with a large golden chedi, with other temple buildings at the base of the hill.  An easy stairway circles up the hill to the chedi.  Not only is the temple beautiful itself, but it also provides a fantastic view of Bangkok from the top of the hill. 

Where to Eat and Sleep in Bangkok, Thailand

It can be a bit overwhelming to choose a hotel in Bangkok.  There are so many locations to decide between, with a wide range of prices.  The first decision to make is whether you want accommodations along the water, or deeper within the city.  I prefer to stay in unique and economical hotels rather than large and expensive luxury hotels that do not necessarily reflect the culture of the country I am visiting.  I also like to find a hotel that is close to public transportation and near a lot of good food.  I decided to make the Sukhumvit area our home base, and we stayed at the lovely Seven hotel.

Our room at Seven, the view of Bangkok from our balcony, and the spirit house outside

A Day Trip from Bangkok to Bang Pa-In Summer Palace and Ayutthaya

While visiting Thailand, we wanted to build in a day trip to Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-In Summer Palace.  I found the easiest way to do this was to book a private tour from Bangkok to Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-In Summer Palace.  I highly recommend booking private tours for any trips in Thailand that require driving a long distance or to places outside the reach of public transportation.  Private tours are not that expensive considering the price includes both a driver and a tour guide.  We had fabulous guides and learned a lot about the places we visited as well as the country and culture.  

A Day in Historic Bangkok, Thailand

Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn (The Royal Pantheon) in the Grand Palace

Our first day in Bangkok had given us a glimpse of the splendors we were going to encounter on our Thailand vacation.  But we were still not prepared for the colorful and awe inspiring sights to come.

We traveled by sky train and express boat to the historic center of Bangkok.  At the end of this post is more detail about using these modes of public transportation. 

Our first destination was Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace.  The Grand Palace is a huge complex of buildings including the royal residence, throne halls, government offices, and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.  There are so many beautiful buildings and bright colors, it is hard to absorb it all, and it is extremely difficult to capture the grandeur in a photo.  We spent the entire morning exploring the complex.

A First Glimpse of Bangkok, Thailand

Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, Dusit Palace Park

The more I travel, the more I want to experience every country and culture I possibly can.  Recently, Romeo and I decided it was time to go to Asia.  I had never been and he had only been to the Philippines as a very young child.  I have to admit I was nervous because big cities in Asian countries seem so intense, full of activity and crowds.  Since we like to experience things on our own, I was also very nervous about navigating a country where signs would be in characters rather than letters (or so I thought). But knowing that beautiful locations, vibrant architecture, delicious food, and friendly people awaited us, I tamped down these qualms and planned a trip to Thailand.  I chose Thailand as our first Asian destination together because it has a reputation of being tourist friendly and many Thai people know and are willing to converse in English.  Plus, I absolutely love and adore Thai food and wanted to experience it in its authentic form.