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iBooknow.com Accepting Hotel Room Reservations For Thailand’s 2012 Annual Loy Krathong Festival 2012

Press release August 31, 2012 Tourism

iBooknow.com has instantly confirmed hotel room bookings in every destination across Thailand for the 2012 Loy Krathong holiday season. Book early and get the deepest discounts available without any hidden charges or fees.

Loykrathong 2012

iBooknow.com has instantly confirmed hotel bookings all across Thailand for this year’s 2012 Loy Krathong season. Although the event’s official date is celebrated during the full moon of Wednesday November 28th, there will be many festivals, parades, fairs, beauty pageants and traditional events surrounding the holiday. From the southern island of Phuket, all the way to the north in Chang Rai, Loy Krathong is a national holiday celebrated by all Thais and tourists alike.

With the rainy season official ended on October 30th, and recognized with the Ork Phansa ritual and the end of the three-month long Buddhist Lent, Thailand begins preparations for the annual Loy Krathong Festival.

Loy Krathong is one of the most celebrated of Thai holidays and it is a very important part of Thai history, culture and society. Observed on the evening of the full moon Loy Krathong, like many Asian holidays, is a lunar celebration.  On this night, everyone goes to the closest river, lake or beach to release a floating offering hoping for luck in the year to come.

Loy Krathong is the day when everyone in Thailand, and some surrounding countries, gives thanks to the water goddess for the water they will need for growing crops by going to the sea, a river, lake or other body of water and offering a Krathong to the goddess for a blessing. The word “Loy” in Thai means “to float” and a “Krathong” is a raft. Traditionally Krathongs were made from a section of a banana tree trunk but over the years Krathong making evolved into ones of Styrofoam, but now in an effort to protect the waterways and surrounding environment Krathongs are once again being made from banana tree, bread, and other biodegradable materials. Adorned with flowers, a candle, and incense sticks they are then set upon the waters in such great numbers the night scene becomes one of unique beauty.

Thais believe that by performing this ceremonial ritual in honor of the water goddess Phra Mae Khongkha she will cleanse their sins, forgive them for all their past wrongful deeds committed, and grant them a bountiful growing season. The symbolism of the raft is also meant to be a letting go of grudges and an offering of forgiveness. In this way everyone can start the New Year fresh and unencumbered by the frustrations and anger of the past and with good luck on their side.

Along with the traditions of making merit on this day fairs, parades and pageants are held in every town and city. Beauty Pageants have become a favorite event and girls and women of all ages compete in what are known as the “Noppamas Queen Contests”.  Legend has it that Nong Noppamas was a consort of the Sukothai king Loethai during the 14th century, and she is the first Thai credited with floating a Krathong to honor Phra Mae Khongkha.

iBooknow.com encourages travelers to the Loy Krathong Festival to book early as this is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year for Thais and visitors alike. With other events surrounding this day travelers may also wish to arrive early, or stay a bit longer. In Bangkok there is the annual ten days Golden Mount Temple Fair in the area surrounding Wat Saket. For film and cinema enthusiasts the 10th Annual World Film Festival of Bangkok will be held the week before Loy Krathong between November 16th and 25th this year.

With this year’s Loy Krathong being at the very end of November, travelers who remain in Thailand for the next week can also enjoy the annual Trooping the Colours on December 2nd.  Held at the Royal Plaza in Bangkok the Thai armed forces march in review and to show respect to the Thai Royal Family arrayed in traditional plumed dress uniforms of brilliant hues. This event is then followed by yet another fantastic annual celebration on December 5th, the King of Thailand’s Birthday, also known as Father’s Day to Thais.

On this very auspicious day the king addresses the country from the Royal Plaza in the morning. In the evening time multitudes of Thais go to Sanam Lung to party and enjoy the fabulous food, fireworks, traditional music and dance.

Some places across Thailand where visitors may wish to join in and observe the Loy Krathong holiday in 2012 are:

  • Bangkok:   Chao Phraya River area, Sanam Lung, or Lumphini Park.
  • Sukhothai: The Sukhothai Historical Park is where Nong Nappamas supposedly floated the first Krathong and this is a very popular location. There are accompanying sound and light shows and the lighting and launching of “sky lanterns.” Sukhothai is also a great historical area for day tours.
  • Chiang Mai: Mae Ping River on two nights of the full moon. The first night is for the lighting of krathong lanterns on the river near the Dusit Thani and Rimkok hotels. On the subsequent evening the illuminated Chiangmai Loy Krathong parade takes place with color floats and authentic Thai and Lana costumes.
  • Chiang Rai: Similar to Chiangmai Chiangrai has a two day event. There is a parade held in the late afternoon on Thanalai Road. The Chiangrai celebrations are considered to be some of the more authentic ones in Thailand.
  • Pattaya: Being one of Thailand’s top tourist destinations, and only a couple of hours drive south of Bangkok, Pattaya is a prime location for those who wish to celebrate Loy Krathong by the sea. With food stalls and Nong Nappamas competitions, colorful costumes, fireworks and sky lantern displays Pattaya has a lot to offer.
  • Phuket: Similar to Pattaya, Phuket hosts celebrations all across the island, and in the evening time people from all over the island go to the beaches to set their Krathongs afloat and make merit for the upcoming year.

Hotels in Bangkok:

  • Centre Point Silom
  • Chatrium Hotel Riverside
  • Ibis Bangkok Riverside
  • Montien Riverside Hotel
  • Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside
  • Riverfront Residence
  • Shangri-La Hotel
  • The Peninsula Bangkok
  • The Royal River Hotel
  • The Tower Club at Lebua
  • Tongtara Riverview Hotel

Hotels in Sukhothai:

  • Sukhothai Treasure Resort & Spa
  • Thai Thai Sukhothai Guesthouse
  • Le Charme Sukhothai Hotel

Hotels in Chiang Mai:

  • Veranda Chiang Mai the High Resort
  • Touch Star Resort
  • Kao Mai Lanna Resort

Hotels in Chiang Rai:

  • Dusit Island Resort Hotel
  • Rimkok Resort Hotel
  • The Legend
  • Imperial River House
  • Le Meridien

About iBooknow.com

iBooknow.com was established in 2008 as a one-stop destination for people wishing to book holidays and business trips around the globe. iBooknow.com offers a wide range of services to our customers, including discounted hotel bookings, car hire and exclusive promotional pricing not found anywhere else through our industry network and partnerships.

From the start, iBooknow.com has always been more than just a travel site. The staff at iBooknow.com care deeply about the reputation of the company, and they will always go the extra mile to ensure that you have a great stay as you travel around the world.

Unlike other travel sites, the prices that iBooknow.com offers include all fees and charges up front. With iBooknow.com, what you see is what you get. iBooknow.com will always make sure that you are getting the cheapest possible room rates, so there is no need to trawl through dozens of sites to find the best available deal.

iBooknow.com has continually grown and progressed to servicing a worldwide clientele who travels globally, but they still treat every customer as if they were a guest in their home. iBooknow.com’s experience servicing traveler’s needs and requests is philosophically local, but global in scope. Travel and Hospitality are their passions.

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