Loi Krathong in Bangkok
Loi Krathong is a festival celebrated in Thailandon the night of the 12th full moon, which this year falls on November 28, 2012. The festival has its origins as a time to thank the goddess of waterways for the abundant supply of water over the year. People launch small boats with candles into the water which then float for many hours before sinking - note that most of these boats are traditionally biodegradable, made from leaves or paper. Are you in Bangkok this year and want to know where to celebrate? Well, several good and popular venues are listed below!
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| Loi Krathong in Lumphini Park |
The venue along the Chao Praya is the choice location for this year's Tourism board of Thailand to officially celebrate Loi Krathong. Great place with many good restaurants and a nice shopping selection for the ladies. Probably a bit more pricey than the other venues but a good choice. Can take the BTS skytrain to "Saphan Taksin" station by the river, and then the free riverboat shuttle to "Asiatique."
Chulalongkorn University
Thailand's most prestigious and powerful university (think the equivalent of Harvard/Yale in the USA or Cambridge/Oxford in England) will host many food stalls and games. The environment is usually high-energy with large crowds, but of course the river is not there so consider moving on to the nearby Asiatique if you want to see the boats! The nearest public transportation would be "Siam" BTS station or the "Sam Yan" MRT station.
Wat Pukao Tong (Wat Saket)
Also known as the "Golden Mountain" temple, Wat Saket is located right on the Chao Praya river. This is traditionally the place to be! Great views of the river and the Rama VIII bridge as a backdrop. Good for pictures and preferred by many Thai people. Food and traditional Thai games are held here as well. Access is slightly harder than the other venues! "National Stadium" is the nearest BTS station to this temple. From there, you would need to take a taxi or go for a twenty to thirty minute walk to the temple.
Lumphini Park
Lumphini Park's celebrations are more subdued than the other locations, but still can be quite nice and a good place for pictures or a romantic evening. The photo above is illustrative of one of the lake's in the park when lit up by the little boats (photo cred. Robert Pollai under the CC2.0 Australia license). Lumphini Park is near Silom, and can be access via the MRT station "Lumphini" or the BTS station "Sala Daeng".
PSY and GANGNAM STYLE coming to Bangkok!!
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| Huge banner found at Siam Paragon. Coca-Cola is a major sponsor for this event! |
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Check out my other blog on Macau, China, here!
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