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Loy Krathong is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November.

"Loi" means "to float". "Krathong" is a raft about a handspan in diameter traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk (although modern-day versions use specially made bread 'flowers' and may use styrofoam), decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc. During the night of the full moon, many people will release a small raft like this on a river. Governmental offices, corporations and other organizations also build much bigger and more elaborate rafts, and these are often judged in contests. In addition, fireworks and beauty contests take place during the festival.

The festival probably originated in India as a Hindu festival similar to Deepavali as thanksgiving to the deity of the Ganges with floating lanterns for giving life throughout the year.

According to the writings of H.M. King Rama IV in 1863, the originally Brahmanical festival was adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honour the original Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama. Apart from venerating the Buddha with light (the candle on the raft), the act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot. People will also cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the raft as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of oneself. Many Thai believe that floating a krathong will create good luck, and they do it to honor and thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha.

The beauty contests that accompany the festival are known as "Noppamas Queen Contests". According to legend, Noppamas was a consort of the Sukothai king Loethai (14th century) and she was the first to float decorated krathongs.

The Thai tradition of Loy Kratong started off in Sukhothai, but is now celebrated throughout Thailand, with the festivities in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya being particularly well known.

In Chiang Mai Loi Kratong is also known as "Yi Peng". Every year thousands of people assemble to float the banana-leaf krathong onto the waterways of the city, honouring the Goddess of Water. A multitude of Lanna-style hot-air lanterns (khom fai) are also launched into the air where they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the skies. These are believed to help rid the locals of troubles and are also taken to decorate houses and streets.

If you have been seeking shoppers’ heaven, you have just found it! Jatujak weekend market in Bangkok is shoppers’ paradise, offering over 8,000 stalls selling incredible items at prices you simply will not believe until you see them.

Plan on spending atleast the morning or evening wandering these stalls, as many people on guided tours complain at being whisked away before having enough time to ferret out the bargain of the century. Everything from designer clothes and fashion accessories, to antiques, silks and ceramics. You will find it all here.

Jatujak Weekend Market (often called "Chatuchak" market) is very near the intersection of Phahonyothin and Ladprao, on Phahonyothin Road and fairly close to the northern bus station. Jatujak market is the world’s largest weekend market and covers an area of 70 rai (112,000 sq meters).

This superb market is extremely popular with Thais as well as foreigners. And there are bargains to be had for all. Many places operate a double pricing system, charging one price for tourists (falang) and another (lower) price for locals. Many thousands of people flock to Jatujak market every weekend, as just about anything you can think of is available here, at a fraction of the price you would pay back home.

Most of the traders here are from local factories (large and small), and sell interesting Thai made trinkets and fabrics which make ideal souvenirs and gifts to take home for your family and friends. Buddhist amulets, ceramic ware of all kinds, dolls and hill tribe outfits are all available.

Chatuchak/Jatujak is also a large open public park, beautifully landscaped with exotic plants and palms. It is located opposite the Kamphaenphet 3 entrance to the market. Most of the food vendors and café/restaurants are located in the Dream Section of the market. Here you can buy a refreshing cool drink, or green tea to give you enough stamina to return to the market for another look around. The Dream Section/Food Shops area is a fairly new, but very popular addition to the Chatuchak market.

There are also many banks near the Kamphaengphet 2 Entrance, where you can make use of one of the many ATM’s to stock up on your money before splurging on more goodies from the market.

Just to wet your appetite, here is a brief list of just some of the many items available from Chatuchak/Jatujak: Clothing, including T-shirts, skirts, shoes and designer products; Art, music, musical instruments, paintings; Accessories, necklaces, rings, ear-rings, eyeglasses (including reading glasses), silver jewellery; Wickerwork, wood sculptures and celadon ceramics; Lacquer ware, antiques, images of Buddha, coins and stamps.

Bangkok, known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (pronounced , กรุงเทพมหานคร ) or Krung Thep (กรุงเทพฯ ) for short, is the capital, largest urban area and primate city of Thailand. It was a huge trading post in the mouth of the Chao Phraya River during the Ayutthaya Kingdom and came to the forefront of Thailand when made capital in 1768 after the burning of Ayuthaya. However, the current Rattanakosin Kingdom began in 1782 when the capital was moved across the river after being sacked by the Burmese. The Rattanakosin capital is now more formally called “Phra Nakorn”, pertaining to the ancient boundaries in the metropolis’ core and the name Bangkok now incorporates the urban build-up since the 18th century which has its own public administration and governor.

In the span of over two hundred years, Bangkok has been the political, social and economic center of not only Thailand but for much of South East Asia and Indochina as well. Its influence in the arts, politics, fashion, education, entertainment as well as being the business/financial and cultural center of Asia has earned its name as a global city. The city’s mix of Thai, Chinese, Indian, Buddhist, Muslim and Western culture combined with the driving force of the Thai economy makes it increasingly attractive to foreigners both for business and pleasure and has made the city the world’s top tourist destination.

Bangkok is the world’s 22nd largest city by population with approximately 6,704,000 but due to large unregistered influxes of migrants from the North East of Thailand and many nations across Asia, the population of Greater Bangkok is estimated at nearly 15 million people. This has in turn shifted the country from being a rather homogenous Thai population to increasingly a more vibrant mix of Western, Indians and Chinese. The Bangkok Province borders six other provinces: Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Chachoengsao, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom and all six provinces are joined in the conurbation of the Bangkok Metropolitan Area.

The Thailand Experience has been a traveler’s rite of passage for decades now, but even with years of well-mapped exploration on which to draw, visitors will continue to be amazed by this land of beautiful sights, beautiful people, and beautiful living. We give you 20 to get your journey of discovery underway.

Taking a history lesson probably isn’t the first thing on your to-do list in a vivacious, 24/7 place like Bangkok. However, the rich history of this country will fascinate even those with the attention span of a five-year-old. The best way to get straight to the heart of Thai history is to take a day tour from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, the former Thai capital. Located about 50 miles north of Bangkok, this ruin-dense city was the capital of the kingdom of Siam for 417 years until it was sacked by the Burmese in 1767, when the capital was moved to Thonburi, then Bangkok.

Ayutthaya's excellent location at the junction of three rivers helped establish the city as a major trading center. Its strategic position was also thought to make the area easy to protect, though the Thai people found out otherwise when the Burmese attacked and Ayutthaya’s pre-eminence faded. At its height, however, Ayutthaya was one of the most important trading bases in the region, bringing an incredible amount of wealth to its leaders and prompting the construction of magnificent buildings and temples to underscore this power.

Day tours to these spectacular remnants of old Thailand are easy to arrange through most hotels, whether in a backpackers’ haunt or at the luxurious Oriental. Operators will pick you up at a central location (or your hotel) and drive you to the old city, show you the sights, and then put you on a boat for a return trip to Bangkok down the Chao Phraya River, complete with a belly-stuffing Thai buffet.