The island city’s strategic riverside setting provides the perfect backdrop and venue for Loi Krathong festivities. Event highlights include a Royal Trophy Krathong Contest, the Nang Noppamas beauty contest and procession of the Nang Noppamas beauty queens of the four regions reflecting ancient customs, and a Thai food contest.

Loi Krathong festivities would not be complete without opportunities to shop around for souvenirs, delicious food, and great bargains. With a traditional floating market recreated on site and the bustling all-night riverside market featuring an interesting range of stalls, visitors will be spoilt for choice. Visitors will also be presented with an opportunity to shop for crafts and gift items from the Bang Sai Folk Art and Crafts Centre.

Popular Thai folk songs, traditional folk games, and contemporary performances provide lively entertainment. The evening ends with a fireworks display and the release of khome loi (floating lanterns) offered as merit-making offerings.

Activities in front of Chandrakasem Palace on the island city of Ayutthaya
Admission is free.
November 2/ 08.00 - 12.00 noon: Traditional Krathong Contest featuring ornate hand-crafted krathong floats made from banana leaves and adorned with fresh flowers. In the evening, watch the Nang Noppamas beauty contest and enjoy various forms of traditional folk entertainment and stage drama, such as Likae Porntewan Porntewa, and musical entertainment. Set adift krathong floats on the Lop Buri River (Mae Nam Lop Buri).

Activities around the Pridi Thamrong Bridge near the site of the Phra Srisuriyothai Memorial
Watch musical and folk performances presented by performers from the local village communities and students. 'Loi krathong' on the Pasak River (Mae Nam Pasak).

Activity near the site of the Phra Srisuriyothai Memorial
'Loi krathong' on the Chao Phraya River

The Folk Art and Crafts Center at Bang Sai
The Bang Sai Folk Arts and Crafts Training Centre and Bang Sai Arts and Crafts Village in Ayutthaya Province comes under the supervision of the SUPPORT Foundation established by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand to preserve and promote traditional Thai folk arts and crafts in tandem with the development of supplementary occupations to help augment the earnings of impoverished farming families in rural communities throughout Thailand. The annual Loi Krathong celebrations at the Arts and Crafts Centre help promote these objectives.

The Centre is situated on 14 acres (285 rai) of land. Farmers from Ayutthaya as well as other nearby provinces undergo training in folk arts and crafts at the Centre. Through special handicraft demonstrations, visitors to the Centre are offered a glimpse of the way of life in the four regions of Thailand. An extensive range of products and activities which can be seen here are: various forms of basketry, the production of artificial flowers, hand-woven silk and cotton and silk dyeing, wood carving, miniature hand-made Thai dolls, furniture making, products made from fabrics and much more. All of these products are sold at the Centre and at all branches of the "Chitralada Store", all over Thailand.

The Centre is open everyday except Mondays, from 08:30 to 16:00 hrs.

Bangkok-Ayutthaya Air-conditioned Bus Service
To facilitate travel between Bangkok and Ayutthaya, an air-conditioned bus service will be available from 15.00 hrs. to 01.00 hrs the following morning. Board the bus at one of the following stops — the Victory Monument, Future Park Rangsit shopping mall, Thammasat University, and Siam Paragon.

Shuttle Bus Service
The provincial authorities will also be operating a special shuttle bus service for travel around Ayutthaya between 12.00 noon to 01.00 the following day. Board the bus in front of the Ayutthaya Provincial Centre office (ask for directions to the Sala Klang Changwat) or at the Ayutthaya Bus Terminal.

Contact information:
Bang Sai Arts and Crafts Village
Ayutthaya, Thailand
E-mail: bangsai@wnet.net.th

Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Office
Tel: +66 (0) 3524 6076-7
Fax: +66 (0) 3524 6078
E-mail: tatyutya@tat.or.th