Yi Peng / Loy Krathong

Refresher

1. Start with a round slice of banana trunk (or bread or another biodegradable base) as the float.
2. Cut banana-leaf strips and fold them into pointed petals; pin them in overlapping rows around the base with wooden pins or toothpicks, not staples or metal pins.
3. Top with flowers, one candle and three incense sticks; keep it small and light.
4. Test that it floats level in a bucket before taking it to the river.
5. Float it gently from a safe, lit spot on the Ping River; don't lean over railings or step onto slippery banks.
6. Sky lanterns: release only at authorised events. An official Chiang Mai page on current restrictions: Unconfirmed: no official source.
7. TAT promotes biodegradable krathong workshops; joining one is the easiest way to learn the folds.

Practise before you go

• Fold petals from any large leaf (banana leaf is easy to find in South India) or paper strips and pin them around a foam-free base.
• Practise one full krathong and float-test it in a bucket.
• Watch for local Loy Krathong or Kartik Purnima diya-float events to practise floating safely.