"Thousands of glowing sky lanterns rise together over Chiang Mai on one November night."
Yi Peng Lantern Festival, Chiang Mai Overview
Yi Peng is Northern Thailand's traditional festival of light, held on the full moon of the second Lan Na lunar month, usually in November, and coinciding with Loi Krathong. Its signature moment is the mass release of khom loi (sky lanterns) that drift upward as offerings tied to Buddhist merit-making. Chiang Mai is the festival's epicenter, with large organized releases at venues such as San Sai district near Maejo University and the CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival in Mae On district, drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year.
Yi Peng unfolds over three days around the full moon of the second Lan Na lunar month (typically November), rooted in Theravada Buddhist tradition across Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, and Chiang Rai. Its defining ritual is releasing thousands of paper sky lanterns skyward as an act of merit and letting go, distinct from Loi Krathong's practice of floating decorated rafts on water, even though the two festivals usually overlap in timing and are often experienced together. Large-scale, sometimes ticketed mass releases take place at venues including San Sai district near Maejo University and Mae On district's CAD Khomloy Sky Lantern Festival, the latter drawing 30,000-40,000 international visitors. The 2025 edition ran October 31-November 8.
