Ayutthaya Historical Park hosts Loy Krathong from 21 November
Published on 11/14/2026 at 17:33 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSFestival setting and heritage
- Loy Krathong activities run from 21 to 24 November 2026 at the old palace precinct.
- Wat Phra Si Sanphet provides the event setting inside the archaeological park.
- UNESCO inscribed the Historic City of Ayutthaya in 1991 as a 289 ha World Heritage property.
Ayutthaya Historical Park hosts a Loy Krathong programme from 21 to 24 November 2026 at the old palace precinct in Ayutthaya, Thailand. The public festival combines illuminated heritage surroundings with cultural performances, a lantern procession, a historical market, exhibitions and floating krathongs.
Loy Krathong programme runs from 21 to 24 November
The festival is scheduled for four days from 21 November 2026 through 24 November 2026. The venue is the Ancient Palace and Wat Phra Si Sanphet, within the archaeological park, according to a published festival listing.
The programme includes a light-and-sound presentation, a procession of Ayutthaya lanterns, Thai cultural performances, a period-style market and an exhibition. Visitors can also take part in lantern-hanging activities and float krathongs beside the historic palace setting. A second festival notice confirms the dates and venue.
Wat Phra Si Sanphet connects the festival to Ayutthaya history
Wat Phra Si Sanphet stands within the former royal palace area, linking the modern festival to the political centre of the old Siamese capital. The Fine Arts Department identifies the ancient palace as the residence of Ayutthaya’s kings and describes the temple as an Ayutthaya-period site that was once part of the royal compound.
UNESCO says Ayutthaya was founded in about 1350 and became the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai. The city flourished from the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries before Burmese forces destroyed it in 1767. Its surviving prangs, monasteries, roads, canals and moats form an extensive archaeological landscape rather than a rebuilt city. The UNESCO World Heritage record lists the property at 289 ha and records its inscription in 1991.
That setting gives the November programme a specific connection to the site: the festival uses the old palace and Wat Phra Si Sanphet as its venues, while its lantern and water traditions echo the historic city’s relationship with rivers, canals and ceremonial spaces.
Visiting Ayutthaya Historical Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Loy Krathong programme runs from 21 to 24 November 2026 at the Ancient Palace and Wat Phra Si Sanphet inside the park.
- The festival adds evening cultural activities, displays and lantern events to a visit focused on the royal palace precinct and temple ruins.
- Ayutthaya is in Thailand’s Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, and the World Heritage property lies on an island surrounded by three rivers.
- The site is an archaeological ruin with prangs, monasteries, roads, canals and moats, so visits involve outdoor walking across historic grounds.
- Thai is the official language of Thailand, and the national currency is the baht.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Ayutthaya Historical Park on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Ayutthaya Historical Park
When does Loy Krathong take place at Ayutthaya Historical Park?
The programme runs from 21 to 24 November 2026 at the Ancient Palace and Wat Phra Si Sanphet.
What is Ayutthaya Historical Park?
It is an archaeological park containing remains of the former Siamese capital, including royal, religious and urban structures.
Where is Ayutthaya Historical Park and how do you get there?
The park is in Ayutthaya, Thailand, on the historic city island surrounded by three rivers.
