Floating lanterns not a Thai tradition
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Some Thais and foreigners think that floating lanterns to celebrate the New Year is an old Thai tradition. My opinion is that this is a misconception.
In the old days, the use of floating lanterns (or “khom loi”) in Thailand occurred only during the Yi Peng festival, which fell on the full-moon night of the second month according to the Lanna calendar (around November).
On this day, people went to float their worries and bad luck away by releasing lit lanterns up in the sky or floating them down the river. This Lanna-style activity was restricted only to the North in those days.
Even in those days, the floating lanterns had caused fires each year, since most houses at that time used thatched roofs. These lanterns also caused huge forest fires each year.
Nowadays, these balloons are also posing as a danger to flying airplanes, whose numbers are increasing rapidly by the day.
Hence, this floating-lantern activity should not be allowed to continue in our country –and with such an incorrect conception.
Vint Chavala
BANGKOK
