Thailand Hotel Deals by Agoda for Loy Kratong

Agoda.com is "The" hotel booking site when it comes to Asia or particularly South East Asia. Born in Thailand, this leading hotel booking site has strong presence in South East Asia and negotiates great room prices with hotels here for you to enjoy good discounts.

Agoda also regularly released themed discounts. For example they are not offering great hotel deals for travelers who would like to experience Loy Kratong, long one of Thailand’s most popular festivals, and widely considered its most romantic and beautiful celebration.

On November 17th this year, the night of the 12th full moon on the traditional Thai calendar, celebrants will head to Thailand’s many rivers, lakes and canals to take part in a tradition that’s hundreds of years old. Honoring Phra Mae Khongkha, the Goddess of Water, the festival gives people a chance to pay respect and give thanks for a (hopefully) bountiful year past, and to ask for continuing good luck in the coming one. Thailand, as a culture with a heavy reliance on agriculture, has long had a deep and vital tie to the availability of water, so it’s no surprise that Loy Kratong is still seen as an important event.

The name of the festival is unique in that it describes – in Thai – exactly what participants are expected to do. Around most any large body of water throughout the country are dozens of vendors offering a huge variety of round little boats – or kratongs – that range from small and simple to large and ornate. Made from wood, bread or cross-sections of bamboo and banana trees, they are often adorned with flowers, leaves, candles, incense and other decorative items. After choosing a kratong, participants head to the water, say a prayer, and float – or loi – their kratong away from shore. For an extra bit of karma, some even include a fingernail clipping or a few strands of hair to symbolize new beginnings.

But it’s not only the water that gets the attention – floating lanterns are also released in great numbers. Called khom loy, these oversized rice paper bags use hot air provided by a candle to float upwards until they are nothing more than an orange dot in the night sky. One alone is pretty, but the sight of thousands – especially in Chiang Mai – is an incredible scene to witness. And of course, like any Thai festival, there is endless food, fireworks, and extra-vibrant street scenery.

When celebrating Loy Kratong, please try to avoid any kratongs that are not biodegradable. In years past, Styrofoam or plastic were popular, which clogged up rivers and caused a huge mess. If possible, always buy kratongs that are made from natural products.

The festival is celebrated throughout Thailand, but it’s most intense in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. In Bangkok, Lumpini Park, Benchasiri Park, Benjakiti Park, or anywhere along the Chao Phraya River are popular locations to take part, while those in Chiang Mai head to the Ping River or simply to the ancient moat that surrounds the inner city.

Rawee Waree Resort

To get the most out of this beautiful Thai holiday, make sure to check out Agoda.com’s hotel deals below, and have a great time!

The Forest Resort, Chiang Mai 3*
Save USD $13 per night on your stay. Expires 31 October, 2014.

The Balcony Chiang Mai Village 4*
Enjoy 35% off your stay. Expires 30 November, 2013.

Rawee Waree Resort, Chiang Mai 5*
Stay for at least 2 nights and enjoy 15% off your stay. Expires 28 February, 2014.

Star Hotel Chiang Mai 3*
Enjoy 50% off your stay. Expires 30 April, 2014.

Khum Phucome, Chiang Mai 3*
Book at least 14 days in advance and enjoy 5% off your stay. Expires 30 April, 2014.

Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Bangkok 5*
Enjoy 25% off your stay. Expires 31 December, 2013.

Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam 5*
Enjoy 25% off your stay. Expires 30 November, 2013.

Peninsula Bangkok Hotel 5*
Stay for a minimum of 3 nights and enjoy 33% off your stay. Expires 15 December, 2013.

Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort and Spa 5*
Book at least 3 days in advance and enjoy 15% off your stay. Expires 30 November, 2013.

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok 5*
Enjoy 72% off your stay. Expires 30 November, 2013.

Loi Kratong Festival

Loi Krathong is Thailand's most beautiful and romantic festival celebrated on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. This usually falls in November in Western calendar (Loy Krathong 2012 will be on November 28th 2012). The festival has its roots in an ancient practice of paying respect to the spirit of the waters. During the festival, Thais honor and thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha, for her help in providing the most basic of all human necessities.

Loi (or Loy) literally means "float" in Thai. Krathong is the lotus-shaped receptacle which is the central piece of the Loy Kratong ceremony. They are made off bread, wood from banana tree or simply styrofoam. During the ceremony, Thais will float decorated flowers, candles, incense sticks, a low value coin and elaborately-folded banana leaves. Many Thais believe that floating krathong will create a good luck and Thais will cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the krathong to symbolically let go of the bad parts of oneself.

Where is the best place to visit during Loi Krathong?

Loy Krathong is celebrated in all regions of Thailand. But the most celebrations can be seen in northern city of Chiang Mai, the ancient capital of the former Lanna kingdom. Loy Kratong coincides with the Lanna (northern Thai) festival known as "Yi Peng" a multitude of Lanna-style sky lanterns known in Thai as khom loi (literally  "floating lanterns") are launched into the air where they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the sky. In Chiang Mai, Loi Krathong and Yi Peng are celebrated at the same time resulting in lights floating on the waters, lights hanging from trees/buildings or standing on walls, and lights floating by in the sky.

A man praying before floating a krathong.

Thousands of sky lanternss in Chiang Mai

When will be Loi Kratong Festival in the following years?
In 2012, Loy Kratong Festival will be celebrated on November 28th 2012. In 2013, the festival will fall on November 18th 2013. In 2014, the festival will be celebrated on November 7th 2014.

See also agoda.com lights up Thailand with fabulous Loy Kratong deals.

Thailand hotel deals during Loy Kratong

Loy Kratong or Loi Krathong is Thailand’s most romantic and beautiful festival celebrated annually on the night of the 12th full moon. During the festival, people honor and thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha, for her help in providing the most basic of all human necessities. Since Thailand was, and still is, a largely agricultural society, a healthy supply of water has long been central to the country’s prosperity and development. On the night of Loy Kratong, rivers, ponds, lakes and canals across the country are thronged with people making their offerings, just as they have done for centuries.

Kratong (the lotus-shaped receptacle which can float on the water) is the central piece of the Loy Kratong ceremony. Kratong is usually made from a cross-section of a banana tree or wood. Modern krathongs are more often made of bread or styrofoam. A krathong is decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense sticks and a low value coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits. The person releasing the kratong to the river light the candle and incense, say a prayer, make a wish, and float – or loy – the kratong on the water.

Another aspect of the Loy Kratong festival is  releasing floating lanterns, called khom loy, into the sky. This is more common in Chiang Mai than Bangkok, and you’re likely to see thousands upon thousands of the lanterns rising slowly into the night in the northern Thai city.

 People releasing  khom loy, floating lanterns, during Loy Kratong
- Source : Thai Nice on You

During this Loi Krathong festival, which falls on November 28th, Asia’s leading hotel booking site agoda.com is helping travelers to find great deals. To get the most out of this beautiful Thai holiday, make sure to check out agoda.com’s hotel deals below.

If you book at least 3 days in advance at 5-Star Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort and Spa, you can get 15% off the value of your booking.

If you book at least 7 days in advance at 5-Star Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok, you can get 10% off the value of your booking.

You can get 11% off the value of your booking at 2.5 Star J & J Guesthouse in Sukhothai City until November 30, 2012.

You can get 10% off the value of your booking at 4 Star Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel until November 30, 2012.

You can get 20% off the value of your booking at Ayodhara Village in Ayutthaya until November 30, 2012.

See details here : agoda.com lights up Thailand with fabulous Loy Kratong deals