Sukhothai Historic Park hosts Loy Krathong from 15 November
Published on 10/04/2026 at 00:18 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Sukhothai Historic Park and the Loy Krathong, Burning Candles and Playing with Fire Festival will share the same setting in Sukhothai, Thailand, from 15 to 24 November 2026. The site, also known as Sukhothai Historic Park in the Fine Arts Department's English material, includes the ruins of the former Sukhothai capital.
Loy Krathong festival runs from 15 to 24 November
The festival is listed by Thailand's government portal as a ten-day programme at the park. Its English title is Loy Krathong festival details, while the Thai programme describes the event as a celebration of floating lights, burning candles and fire.
The listed evening performance begins at 7pm from 15 to 24 November. An additional performance is scheduled for 8.30pm on 24 November, the final day. The programme describes light, sound, cultural performances and a procession involving war elephants, with illuminated monuments and water forming the setting.
Ancient temples provide the festival setting
The festival takes place among the remains of Sukhothai, which was the capital of the first Kingdom of Siam in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. UNESCO describes the historic town as a place where early Thai architecture developed into the style now associated with Sukhothai.
The central area includes Wat Mahathat, once the most important large temple of the kingdom. A government guide identifies its main pagoda as a lotus-bud form and records more than 200 pagodas in the park. That architectural landscape gives the November programme a specific connection between contemporary performance and the remains of the former royal and religious centre. The site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Historic Town of Sukhothai, inscribed in 1991.
The Fine Arts Department states that the protected area covers 70 square kilometres and contains more than 200 archaeological sites. The department also records official registration in 1975 and the opening of the historic park on 20 November 1988. Its English overview describes the city walls as roughly 1,300 metres wide and 1,800 metres long, enclosing ruins spread across the old settlement. The park is managed as part of Thailand's heritage administration, while UNESCO identifies the Fine Arts Department as responsible for management of the wider property.
November performances connect water, ruins and memory
The festival's timing places its closing day on 24 November 2026, the date associated with Loy Krathong in the published government programme. The illuminated ponds and monuments are not a separate venue: they are features of the historic city that frame the festival's performances.
Visiting Sukhothai Historic Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Loy Krathong, Burning Candles and Playing with Fire Festival takes place at Sukhothai Historic Park from 15 to 24 November 2026. Evening performances are listed for 7pm, with an additional 8.30pm performance on 24 November.
- The programme is staged among the archaeological remains, including the central temple area around Wat Mahathat. The government listing separately identifies the evening show as a ticketed performance, so the performance and the wider heritage setting should not be treated as the same admission.
- The park is in Mueang Sukhothai District in Sukhothai Province. Inside the old city, visitors commonly cycle between the monuments; the government guide also mentions a sightseeing tram and an electric train.
- The site contains city walls, reservoirs, ponds, canals, temples and scattered archaeological remains. Travel between the monuments therefore involves outdoor walking or cycling across an extensive historic landscape.
- Thailand's official language is Thai and its 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.
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Frequently asked questions about Sukhothai Historic Park
When does the Loy Krathong festival take place at Sukhothai Historic Park?
The festival runs from 15 to 24 November 2026. Performances are scheduled at 7pm, with an additional performance at 8.30pm on 24 November 2026.
What is Sukhothai Historic Park?
It is the protected archaeological site of the former Sukhothai capital, with temples, city walls, water features and more than 200 archaeological sites. The historic town forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage property inscribed in 1991.
Where is Sukhothai Historic Park and how do you get there?
The park is in Mueang Sukhothai District in Sukhothai Province, Thailand. Visitors commonly cycle inside the old city, while a sightseeing tram and an electric train are also listed by the government guide.
