Bangkok celebrates Loy Krathong: decline in environmental friendliness!

Bangkok celebrates Loy Krathong: decline in environmental friendliness!

As the lights shine in Bangkok and people prepare for the celebrations, the Loy Krathong Festival has written a particularly remarkable chapter. On November 6, 2025, shortly after dark, the city government launched a large-scale collection of the krathong that will be sent downstream during the festival. According to the city spokesman, a large number of 391,027 Krathong were collected from citizens at a total of 110 locations in the city - but that is a considerable decrease 24 percent compared to the previous year.

Of the krathong collected, an impressive 82.76 percent came from natural materials, while only 10.01 percent was bread and 7.23 percent was foam. In contrast, 514,590 Krathong were sent into the river last year, 98.39 percent of which were made from environmentally friendly raw materials. This shows that there is a lot of room for improvement when it comes to acting more environmentally consciously. To minimize the ecological impact, the population was encouraged to use Krathong made from natural materials.

Ecological responsibility

The city administration has issued a clear motto regarding ecological responsibility: “Loy Krathong for the environment – ​​celebrate together, swim together, 1 family, 1 Krathong”. This initiative encourages everyone to make more conscious choices and reduce the number of environmentally harmful krathong

The environmentally friendly commitment was implemented not only on land, but also on the water. On the Chao Phraya River, 163 employees, 28 garbage collection boats and 6 support boats were deployed to efficiently transport the collected krathong and to properly separate the various materials. While natural materials are turned into organic fertilizer, other waste is disposed of accordingly.

Events and experiences

Celebrations took place at several key locations, including the impressive Rama 8 Bridge and the historic Wat Samian Nari in Chatuchak. The festival was not only characterized by cultural events, but also by practical measures to promote the environment. Thirty-three public parks in 21 districts were opened until midnight to give people more opportunities to launch their krathong outdoors.

A special highlight was the once again offered online version of the festival via the greener.bangkok.go.th platform. With 23,347 participants, this number represented a certain decrease compared to 36,832 participants in the previous year. However, networking via the Internet shows that awareness of the tradition and its adaptation to modern times continues to grow.

It is hoped that the people of Bangkok and beyond will maintain their commitment to the environment while continuing to nurture the cultural heritage of the Loy Krathong. We are already looking forward to next year and are excited to see how the numbers will change!