Ch Ch Ch Ch Ch Chiang Mai: Loi Krathong and Yee Ping

I arrived back in Chiang Mai on a high from my week at Elephant Nature Park. On my first night back, a group of the people I’d met while volunteering made plans to meet for a drink, and it was so lovely to see everyone back together that evening after wandering the Sunday night market solo. New friends Jessica, Katie and I hung out at a ladyboy cabaret the next night (HIGHLY recommended) and I settled into my Airbnb for the next week and a half, a charming room just outside the walls of the old city, run by a super smart Thai girl named Mo. Mo’s parents are diplomats, working abroad in Angola, and she rents out the rooms in her home while they are gone. Mo herself studied international relations in Denmark and so her English is perfect and she’s sharp as a tack. We had many a stimulating conversation in the courtyard, especially after the US election and its dismal results.

I had always thought I would love Chiang Mai. It has history, it isn’t too big, it is known for being home to many expats with a creative vibe. It seemed like it would be more my kind of city, compared to bustling Bangkok. And most travelers I met absolutely loved it.

I would go to a yoga class and listen to expats around me sharing their stories.

”I came here on my honeymoon, and I just knew I had to come back and live here,” said one. ”Yeah, I totally feel you,” the other replied dreamily.

Eh.

I liked Chiang Mai well enough and I can understand why expats move here. It is safe, clean, and pretty.

There are legitimate coffee shops and coworking spaces. And the northern dish of khao soi is ubiquitous: noodles and meat or veg in curried broth, topped with fried noodles. DOUBLE CARB!

But still, meh. It didn’t work its magic on me. I found navigating the city pretty frustrating, as someone who likes to walk. Getting in and out of the old city is a challenge as the traffic is constant and there are very few traffic lights.

And to me, it just felt overdeveloped and touristy. Nice enough, but not somewhere I need to return. I liked the markets and shops, but it didn’t have the dusty, lazy charm of Luang Prabang or the buzzing energy of Hanoi.

But there was one big reason I was hanging around Chiang Mai for so long: Loi Krathong and Yee Ping. These two festivals coincide and involve setting beautiful banana leaf baskets afloat on the river, as well as sending paper lanterns airborne. The reasons for the ceremonies range from appeasing the water gods to releasing bad luck to setting wishes and intentions for the coming year.

You could argue that this event was one of the reasons I embarked on this crazy trip in the first place. I had seen pictures of the lanterns floating en masse, a blanket of amber embers sparking the sky. I knew I had to get there and I knew it had to be in Chiang Mai, famous for having the biggest Loi Krathong and Yee Ping celebrations in Thailand. But they always take place on the full moon, usually in November. Working at a school meant taking time off during the school year was tough, and the amount of time I would need to get myself to Thailand and back, almost impossible.

So I did the logical thing and quit. At least no one can ever accuse me of doing things half assed.

Sadly, the people of Thailand lost their beloved king this year, which clamped down on the celebrations. I am told that usually the number of lanterns released is usually even more breathtaking, but as the Thais are in mourning, they are naturally less inclined to participate in displays of happiness. Still, the ceremony lived up to my admittedly high expectations. Typically you can attend private or public celebrations in Chiang Mai; the public ones are free, but the private celebrations are better for capturing photos. My new friend Aimee, who I had met in Singapore, was also going to be in Chiang Mai for the festival, so we made plans to meet up and bought tickets to a private release. We figured it would be better for pictures, especially since the public celebrations might be less popular in this year of mourning. We were picked up in the old city and driven about an hour away to a lovely field, where we snacked on some street food before picking up our krathongs and walking them to a nearby river.

We lit the candles and incense and took a moment for some quiet introspection before setting them gently into the flowing water. Then it was back to the field, where we prepared our lanterns. I was a little nervous to light mine. It is a pretty sizable flame in the middle of a vast paper chamber. I envisioned myself becoming the subject of tomorrow’s headline: Tourist from New York Torches Thailand!

Luckily, a local helped me out and I did not light anything on fire as I rustled the paper chamber of my lantern, helping it puff out with air before finally releasing it into the sky.

Watching all the lanterns lazily lift up into the night sky made me catch my breath. I don’t know if it will truly release my bad luck or bring my wishes, but it’s hard not to feel hopeful when looking at this.