Photography Thailand Forum

[antonie]

I see at the following URL that there will be a big Loi Krathong and Candle Festival at the ancient Sukhothai historical park city from 1 to 5 November 2006.

http://www.thailandgrandfestival.com/festival.asp?festID=453

I have a few questions;
1.  Is it worth the trip, it seems to be 7 hours by bus, or one hour flying time?
2.  Anybody organizing a photographic trip for this event?

There is a lot of general information about Sukhothai at the following URL

http://www.tourismthailand.org/destinationguide/list.aspx?provinceid=51&typeid=1

Cheers
Antonie

[bjorn slis]

Antonie, the Loi Krathong festival is celebrated everywhere in Thailand not only sukhothai

[antonie]

Bjorn, the problem with the Loi Krathong festival here in and around Bangkok is that there are just to many people, I thought the setting of the Ancient Sukhothai city would be great for photographs.  Different question, have you been to Sukhothai . is it worth the trip?

[Renato]

Antonie- Sukhothai is probably one of the most beautiful places to take photographs in Thailand whether it is during the Loy Krathong or not. If you think there are so many people in Bangkok during the festival, there will be even more in Sukhothai. Try your luck but it is worth your time and money if you can be there and book early.

[willow]

Antonie

I went to Loy krathong in Sukhothai, 2 years ago. I was heavily disappointed, far from being the magical experience I thought of. 

Anywhere near water was crowded, this I believe has some bearing on Sukhothai’s historical value to the ceremony – one of, if not the first places etc.

What really got me was the kids looking who had the best krathongs – the offering, following them to the water, waiting till they thanked Buddha, then lassoing the krathong, taking it for resale or pulling it to pieces, …and the adults said nothing.
The water surface, instead of being a wealth of krathongs, was raft of floating Polystyrene or Banana bases, incense sticks and candles – that’s if they weren’t burnt to far.
The charm went.

There was a market there – as there seems to be with every festival, everything cost more than what it would normally. There was also a couple of shows, one free the other not.
My word for the whole event here is commercialism.

Last year it was BKK, the river by Saphan Taksin was packed, just to get a boat to any pier. We ended up near the (night) flower market, there were some elaborate krathong arrangements there, we bought a couple of lesser displays and launched them at midnight. Later, I saw some homeless people – not the professional beggars you see on the streets with their McD’s drinks cups, but a down on their luck family all sleeping in a doorway, with all their worldly possessions – the money I saved by getting cheap krathong soon went.


Philip

[Renato]

Philip, I agree with you and bringing this matter to TAT gets a silent treatment. They publicise the event, get their money and never care if you were inconvenienced or not, the local spoils the event most of the time. Commercialism is the norm here now unlike before. You just have to try your luck, for myself I never bother anymore, got fed up with the hassles.

[antonie]

Thanks guys, that helps a lot, I will go but at a different time of the year.
 Regards