The story
Pattaya Loy Krathong Festival in Pattaya
Pattaya's Loy Krathong festival centers on Bali Hai Pier, Pattaya Beach, and Jomtien Beach, where locals and visitors float decorated krathongs each November. The city has recently added environmental rules limiting krathongs and banning fireworks and sky lanterns on the beach itself, shifting celebration toward designated safe zones.
Pattaya grew from a small fishing village into one of Thailand's largest resort cities over the second half of the twentieth century, and its Loy Krathong celebration reflects that transformation: rather than a single riverside or lakeside gathering typical of older inland towns, the festival is distributed across several distinct coastal locations, each attracting a different mix of local residents, domestic tourists, and the international visitors who make up a significant share of the city's population and economy.