Loy Krathong in Sukhothai: ten nights of the festival of lights from 15 to 24 November

Contents of this article3 sections

1. Ten evenings in the historical park
2. Light show at 7 pm, tickets by phone only
3. How to get there

Ten evenings in the historical park

In Sukhothai the festival is called “Loy Krathong, candles burning, playing with fire”, and in 2026 it runs from 15 to 24 November in Sukhothai Historical Park, ten nights in a row. It starts on Sunday, 15 November, at 4 pm in front of Wat Sa Si with a procession of large and small krathong and lanterns. The actual Loy Krathong night is Tuesday, 24 November. That evening, cultural groups from all nine districts of the province parade through the park.

From dusk, thousands of small oil lamps burn at the old temples. A fireworks group from Sukhothai sets off rockets and fountains in the old Thai style. There is also Khon dance, a retro market with Sukhothai noodles and other regional dishes, and guest performances: a show with the South Korean city of Jinju, a re-enacted Diwali from India and Chinese lantern figures. The Nang Noppamas contest takes place on 18, 20 and 22 November, each time at 7:30 pm on the open-air stage.

Light show at 7 pm, tickets by phone only

The light, sound and fireworks show “Sukhothai Light and Sound” starts at 7 pm at Wat Mahathat on all ten evenings. On the full-moon night of 24 November there is a second show at 8:30 pm. There are three zones: yellow costs 1,200 baht, green 900 baht and blue 500 baht. You can only book by phone on 06-1242-8555; the organisers have not named any other point of sale.

A free shuttle with open pick-ups runs to the grounds every 20 minutes, daily from 4 pm to midnight. You can get on at two places: the car park behind the Sinwana shop and the sports ground of Lithai School. Private vehicles run from other car parks and may charge a fare. The programme dates from 1 October, so individual items may still shift.

How to get there

Bangkok Airways flies direct from Suvarnabhumi to Sukhothai Airport, and the flight takes around 1 hour 20 minutes. From there it is another 41 kilometres or so. Alternatively, you fly from Don Mueang to Phitsanulok and travel around 80 kilometres further. Buses run several times a day from Mo Chit 2 bus terminal in Bangkok to Sukhothai. Sukhothai has no railway station; by train you go as far as Phitsanulok and change to the bus there. By car it is about 430 kilometres from Bangkok and about 285 from Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai also celebrates on 24 November, with sky lanterns. Dates and rules for that are in the report Yi Peng and Loy Krathong 2026, and more dates are in the festival calendar.

Sources: Thai Data and the official Loy Krathong Sukhothai festival site (October 2026).