My Last Loy Krathong

November 28, 2012 marks the day where Thais go to the temple to pray to their gods to offer of respect to the water spirits.

Loi Krathong takes place on the evening of 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', while krathong refers to a usually lotus-shaped container which floats on the water. The traditional krathong are made of the layers of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. Modern krathongs are more often made of bread or styrofoam. A bread krathong will disintegrate after a few days and can be eaten by fish. Banana stalk krathong are also biodegradable, but styrofoam krathongs are sometimes banned, as they pollute the rivers and may take years to decompose. A krathong is decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, incense sticks, and a candle. A small coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits. On the night of the full moon, Thais launch their krathong on a river, canal or a pond, making a wish as they do so. The festival may originate from an ancient ritual paying respect to the water spirits.

(extracted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loi_Krathong)

I had the opportunity of finally celebrating together with my friends and other people on this day. Some of the pictures I took was not really clear since I only have a small camera phone so the pictures didn't quite look OK.