when is the flying lantern festival ?

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when is the flying lantern festival ?

On your site you mention the Loy Krathong festival will be on 11/11 to 13/11/2011.

We really want to see the lanterns flying up in the night sky. Someone told me that the date at which they fly the lanterns is a bit flexible.
We are prepared a week or up to 10 days in or around Chiang Mai to be sure to catch the festival.

What do you suggest is the exact dates we should be booking accomodation ?

Also what would be some good location/ accomodation you recommend in Chiang Mai ?
Hopefully we can get some budget to mid range guest houses/ hotels.

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when is the flying lantern festival ?

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Jul 12, 2011
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Yee Peng Festival
by: Kevin(Webmaster)

Hi Kalifa

Many thanks for your visit to our website & for making contact with us, to answer your questions.

The date of the 2011 Loy Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai is between 11th-13th November 2011. The festival is always celebrated on the full moon of the 12th Lunar Month in the Thai Calender which this year falls on the 11th November.

The Yee Peng Festival is the ?Flying Lanterns? festival which takes place some years the same weekend as Loy Krathong Festival & other years it is the weekend prior. We have already contacted the organizers of the Yee Peng Festival to get the exact date, but have not heard back from them yet!

We would therefore recommend that you arrive in Chiang Mai by 3rd November & leave on or after 14th November, in terms of recommendations for accommodation please check out our ?Where to Stay in Chiang Mai? page where there is a comprehensive range of hotels, guesthouses & long stay places.

Jul 21, 2011
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Yee Peng Festival - CONFIRMATION DATE!
by: Kevin(Webmaster)

Hi Kalifa

Finally we have now received the press release regarding the Flying Lanterns Festival:

News release: The floating lanterns at Tudongkhasathan Lanna Chiang Mai Thailand

The Yeepeng Sansai pay homage to the Lord Buddha ceremony, a traditional religion ceremony provides a spectacle event of floating lantern to worship the lord Buddha for more than 2 decades. Since the good reputation of floating lantern ceremony, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has promote this event to be one of the 7 wonders of amazing Thailand.

This year, the yeepeng sansai pay homage to lord Buddha will be held on Saturday,29th October 2554(2011) at Tudongkhasathan Lanna, Sansai, Chiang Mai from 5.00 to 8.30 pm.

In order to encourage foreigners to experience the unique culture of Lanna Thai and Buddhism correctly. The Duangtawan Santiparp Foundation which is the charities with the aim of promoting world peace through inner peace will organize the floating lantern ceremony specially for the foreigner in the event of Yeepeng Lanna International on Wednesday, 9th November 2011 at Tudongkhasathan Lanna.

For those who interest and want to be a part of magnificent ceremony can register to attend and support the event through Yeepeng Lanna. (provide 1,000 limited seats for foreigner only)

We will make enquiries shortly to ascertain whether there will be 2x flying lantern displays this year, as it is not completely clear!....watch this space please.

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Aug 03, 2011
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Loy Krathong & Yee Peng Festivals
by: Kevin(Webmaster)

Hi

For anyone that is completely confused by the dates of the upcoming 2011 Loy Krathong & Yee Peng Festivals, here are the dates:

29th October - Yee Peng Festival, Sansai, Chiang Mai - this is the original "flying lanterns" festival that you see on the YouTube videos & various stunning photos - CONFIRMED details on location & times further down this thread.

9th November - Yee Peng Festival, Sansai, Chiang Mai - this is an additional night of the "flying lanterns" festival SPECIFICALLY for visitors, it is limited to 1,000 people in total - CONFIRMED details on location & times further down this thread.

11th - 13th November - Loy Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai between these dates, this is the annual festival with events planned throughout.

12th November - "Krathongs" floating down the River Ping, this is part of the Loy Krathong Festival, but takes place throughout locations anywhere near the river & central moat area.

Kind Regards
Kevin

Aug 06, 2011
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Yee ping date?
by: Anonymous

Hi Kelvin

May I check if the event on 29th oct is confirm?

Is it a free for all to attend event and will they change the date suddenly?

Thanks in advance for your help as I would like to start booking my flights and accomdation!

Aug 06, 2011
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Yee Peng Festival - 29th October
by: Kevin(Webmaster)

YES, the Yee Peng Festival is CONFIRMED as 29th October, on a previous post I copied the actual details including a link to the organisers website, please contact them directly if you have any additional concerns.

Kind Regards
Kevin

Aug 26, 2011
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wondering
by: Anne

what is the difference between the event on the

29th October - Yee Peng Festival, Sansai, Chiang Mai

and

11th - 13th November - (Loy Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai between these dates, this is the annual festival with events planned throughout.)

I understood from other internet sited that the flying lantern happens during the Loy Krathong Festival.. is it not?

Aug 26, 2011
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Loy Krathong & Yee Peng Festivals
by: Kevin(Webmaster)

Hi Anne

To try & help answer your question, the Yee Peng Fstival, Sansai, Chiang Mai on 29th October is when literally thousands of flying lanterns are released from the Buddhist Center just behind MaeJo University near Sansai, the whole evening started as a Buddhist celebration, but recently has been overtaken by it's popularity thanks to websites like YouTube showing the stunning display & the beautifully illuminated skies all around the Buddhist Center.

The Chiang Mai Loy Krathong Festival(11th - 13th November) is based around the "Krathong" which is the beautifully decorated floats with candles on that are released all around Chiang Mai during the Loy Krathong Festival......there are also many "Khom Loys" (floating lanterns) released all across the city, but it is not the same spectacle as seeing 10,000 floating lanterns all released together!.

I hope this helps to clarify the events.

Kind Regards
Kevin
Webmaster

Aug 27, 2011
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The difference
by: Anonymous

@Anne,

The main difference is the one on the 9th is at a 100 USD charge.. A quick money grab on visitors and by separating the 'real' one on the 29th from LK by so many days a disservice to all visitors to the region for the festival.

Aug 27, 2011
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Loy Krathong & Yeepeng Festivals
by: Kevin(Webmaster)

Hi Anne

To answer your very astute questions & comments, the main reason that the Buddhist Center has added the new date (9th November) is due to the fact that the popularity of the original Yee Peng Festival has completely outgrown both the venue & the original principals of the festival.....and of course someone has now spotted the $$$$ signs!.

My own feeling personally is that I would not attend the "visitor" event not because of the admission fee but more importantly that this is very much a "Thai evening" and I just have a feeling that it will lose all the original magic that has made the original event so popular!.

Regards
Kevin

Sep 05, 2011
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Thousands of Kom Fai
by: Shoree

So will I missed out the thousands of flying lanterns if I were to visit CM only in 0/11/2011 ?

Sep 12, 2011
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29 oct not full moon?
by: sy

hi just curious, is there any reason they are performing the *real* ceremony of releasing lanterns during the new moon phase instead of full moon phase?

Sep 12, 2011
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Loy Krathong & Yee Peng Festivals
by: Anonymous

Hi

This feels like a thread that has been going on for months, there are also other threads that cross-over the same points about dates & why are there two Yee Peng Festival Sansai events this year.

My honest opinion, which I have also expressed elsewhere within these threads is that the Sansai Yee Peng Festival that has typically been held the same weekend as the Loy Krathong Festival in several previous years, has become such a draw, taking several thousand visitors & local people out of the central Chiang Mai area, that it has changed dates to try & maximize revenues for the city!.

The thing that "grates" somewhat with myself is the idea of running a separate Sansai Yee Peng Festival "just for foreign visitors" and charging them an extortionate entry fee!. The whole beauty & magic of this Buddhist festival is generated by it's religious roots, which now appears to have been overtaken by commercialism.

Kevin
Webmaster(Visit Chiang Mai Online)

Sep 13, 2011
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Flying lantern festival
by: lina

Hi Kevin,

i understand there's 2x to see the flying lanterns this year.
i would like to know whether i can join on 29th Oct for free as a tourist instead paying USD100 on the 9th Nov event.

Sep 13, 2011
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Yee Peng Festival - 29th October
by: Anonymous

Hi Lina

I am sure that if you turn up on 29th October for the "official" Sansai Yee Peng Festival, it will be fine, I cannot see that you will be turned away.....as how would you know that there is a second date just for tourists?...wink,wink.

Kind Regards
Kevin

Sep 13, 2011
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the flying lantern festival
by: lina

Hi Kevin,

Thank you for your prompt reply!
this is very helpful!

Rgds,
Lina.

Oct 10, 2011
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USD100?!
by: lexine

Hi all,

It is quite unfortunate that the event would turn out to be a tourist-y event. USD100 just to watch and learn about other people's culture is purely questionable. It just removes the beauty of the whole festival.

Kevin, if I may ask, is the Yee Peng festival only at Chiang Mai? I understand that Loy Kratong is quite different as that's only for floating candles, which Bkk has it too. I am looking for an alternative location (which we don't have to pay crazy $!) for the sky lantern.

We intend to fly to Thailand (depending on the location of sky lantern festival) on 9th Nov. Please advise. Cheers.

Oct 10, 2011
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Loy Krathong & Yee Peng Festivals
by: Kevin(Webmaster)

Hi Lexine

I am not aware of whether other Thai cities have a "Yee Peng" festival or whether it is just the northern Thai cities. Thailand Tourism might be able to help you with that one.

The special "tourist" version of the "Yee Peng" event stinks of commercialism, yes why not charge $10/person entry but $100 is completely wrong!.

Personally, I will be attending the "traditional" Yee Peng festival at the same venue on 29th October, and will be intrigued to see if I am barred from entering for free!.

Regards
Kevin

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when is the flying lantern festival ?

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when is the flying lantern festival ?