Loy Krahtong Cambodia

[Duggsie]

Hi,

Someone told me Loy Krahtong is also celebrated in Cambodia as well as Thailand.

I've googled it without too much luck (all roads lead to Chiang Mai).

Can anyone help me out, please?

Duggsie

[Sheryl]

Loy Kratong is not celebrated in Cambodia. However there is a big Cambodian holiday that falls around the same time, also referred to as the Water Festival. No kratongs, rather there are boat races in the capital, with teams from villages all over the country competing. Gets incredibly crowded at that point, streets closed of to traffic, traffic jams, massive influx of people all around the riverfront - many farang prefer to leave town.

It was cancelled for the past few years because of a tragedy that happened when a crowded pedestrian bridge collapsed. This year will be the first year in a couple that it was held. Goes on for days.

[Duggsie]

Loy Kratong is not celebrated in Cambodia. However there is a big Cambodian holiday that falls around the same time, also referred to as the Water Festival. No kratongs, rather there are boat races in the capital, with teams from villages all over the country competing. Gets incredibly crowded at that point, streets closed of to traffic, traffic jams, massive influx of people all around the riverfront - many farang prefer to leave town.

It was cancelled for the past few years because of a tragedy that happened when a crowded pedestrian bridge collapsed. This year will be the first year in a couple that it was held. Goes on for days.

I remember that disaster. It was quite shocking and the sort of stuff you expect to happen in real "Third World" countries, during bonkers religious pilgrimages.

Doesn't sound much like a barrel of laughs, anyway...... A few boat races.

Sounds more of a thing for the locals, rather than foreign tourists.

Chiang Mai sounds much more fun.

Thanks for the info. Really appreciated.

[IsaanUSA]

I have been to the Water Festival in Siem Reap. We could see them setting it up in Phnom Penh also. The Siem Reap festival was great. It was small and intimate. We ate food on blankets by the river as the boat races went on in front of us. We met Cambodians from Europe that had come to show their children Cambodian culture. They had live music at night. When I was there a few years ago there were not many farang at the festival.

If you are looking fomr something different, then I would reccomend it.

The one in Phnom Penh looked similar but much much much bigger.

[phuketrichard]

The one in Phnom Penh looked similar but much much much bigger.

now that is a real understatement!!!

Had a fantastic time in pp in 2008,

the city swells with more than 1 million locals come to the city for their once/year trip for fun

[IsaanUSA]

The one in Phnom Penh looked similar but much much much bigger.

now that is a real understatement!!!

Had a fantastic time in pp in 2008,

the city swells with more than 1 million locals come to the city for their once/year trip for fun

haha, I did put 3 "much" on there

[freebyrd]

Loy Kratong is not celebrated in Cambodia. However there is a big Cambodian holiday that falls around the same time, also referred to as the Water Festival. No kratongs, rather there are boat races in the capital, with teams from villages all over the country competing. Gets incredibly crowded at that point, streets closed of to traffic, traffic jams, massive influx of people all around the riverfront - many farang prefer to leave town.

It was cancelled for the past few years because of a tragedy that happened when a crowded pedestrian bridge collapsed. This year will be the first year in a couple that it was held. Goes on for days.

I remember that disaster. It was quite shocking and the sort of stuff you expect to happen in real "Third World" countries, during bonkers religious pilgrimages.

Doesn't sound much like a barrel of laughs, anyway...... A few boat races.

Sounds more of a thing for the locals, rather than foreign tourists.

Chiang Mai sounds much more fun.

Thanks for the info. Really appreciated.

It's overrated, a sea of humanity all pushing and shoving in different directions. I've told my wife she has to stay home, advised her relatives to do likewise, stay in the province. As with elsewhere in the world, people have short memories, who's to say it won't happen again?

A chance for me to bike anywhere but the vicinity of the Riverside.

[Saan]

Friends went to Phnom Penh last year to escape Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai. They found just about everything closed down as everyone went to their villages for the festival.

Chiang Mai is the place to be if you don't mind getting wet.

[Jip99]

Loy Kratong is not celebrated in Cambodia. However there is a big Cambodian holiday that falls around the same time, also referred to as the Water Festival. No kratongs, rather there are boat races in the capital, with teams from villages all over the country competing. Gets incredibly crowded at that point, streets closed of to traffic, traffic jams, massive influx of people all around the riverfront - many farang prefer to leave town.

It was cancelled for the past few years because of a tragedy that happened when a crowded pedestrian bridge collapsed. This year will be the first year in a couple that it was held. Goes on for days.

I remember that disaster. It was quite shocking and the sort of stuff you expect to happen in real "Third World" countries, during bonkers religious pilgrimages.

Doesn't sound much like a barrel of laughs, anyway...... A few boat races.

Sounds more of a thing for the locals, rather than foreign tourists.

Chiang Mai sounds much more fun.

Thanks for the info. Really appreciated.

It's overrated, a sea of humanity all pushing and shoving in different directions. I've told my wife she has to stay home, advised her relatives to do likewise, stay in the province. As with elsewhere in the world, people have short memories, who's to say it won't happen again?

A chance for me to bike anywhere but the vicinity of the Riverside.

I bet you are a barrel of laughs at Songkran as well......

"told my wife to stay home"...... if I was her I would go out on principle!

[freebyrd]

Loy Kratong is not celebrated in Cambodia. However there is a big Cambodian holiday that falls around the same time, also referred to as the Water Festival. No kratongs, rather there are boat races in the capital, with teams from villages all over the country competing. Gets incredibly crowded at that point, streets closed of to traffic, traffic jams, massive influx of people all around the riverfront - many farang prefer to leave town.

It was cancelled for the past few years because of a tragedy that happened when a crowded pedestrian bridge collapsed. This year will be the first year in a couple that it was held. Goes on for days.

I remember that disaster. It was quite shocking and the sort of stuff you expect to happen in real "Third World" countries, during bonkers religious pilgrimages.

Doesn't sound much like a barrel of laughs, anyway...... A few boat races.

Sounds more of a thing for the locals, rather than foreign tourists.

Chiang Mai sounds much more fun.

Thanks for the info. Really appreciated.

It's overrated, a sea of humanity all pushing and shoving in different directions. I've told my wife she has to stay home, advised her relatives to do likewise, stay in the province. As with elsewhere in the world, people have short memories, who's to say it won't happen again?

A chance for me to bike anywhere but the vicinity of the Riverside.

I bet you are a barrel of laughs at Songkran as well......

"told my wife to stay home"...... if I was her I would go out on principle!

Then I guess you're lucky you're not her. I told her to stay home for her own safety, not for any selfish reasons - and she agreed by the way. Have you ever experienced the water festival here?

And I am a man who has always been able to make people laugh. How about you? Or is posting emoticons your limit?

Songkran? after the first few some love it, others don't as they mature. I've never seen many 50somethings, other than occasionally tourists, indulging in what was once fun, pre powder and plastic guns, that can cause serious injury.

That said, one man's meat......

[IsaanUSA]

Friends went to Phnom Penh last year to escape Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai. They found just about everything closed down as everyone went to their villages for the festival.

Chiang Mai is the place to be if you don't mind getting wet.

Why would you get wet in Chiang Mai? Rainy season is over by then, right?

[Sheryl]

Friends went to Phnom Penh last year to escape Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai. They found just about everything closed down as everyone went to their villages for the festival.

Chiang Mai is the place to be if you don't mind getting wet.

Why would you get wet in Chiang Mai? Rainy season is over by then, right?

I think he has it confused with Songkran. During Songkran one will indeed get wet and in Phnom Penh it is indeed deserted with everything closed.

During Loy Krathong however, perfectly dry In Chiang Mai and the very crowded water festival in Phnom Penh - the city's population more than doubles with influx of people from the countryside as PP is where the main boat races take place. Ant New year the movement is in the opposite direction, from city to countryside.

[krols61]

Does anyone know if the Thai Embassy in PP will be open during the water festival?

[Sheryl]

Probbaly not as it is a Cambodian Govt Holiday.

[TheSiemReaper]

This year's Water Festival was awesome in Siem Reap. The whole town and surrounding provinces turned out for some great boat racing, some good food and lots of beer. Despite this there was no fighting/violent crime/brawling of any kind... just smiling folks having a good time. It was one of the nicest times I have ever spent in Asia. Thoroughly recommended.

[phuketrichard]

could this be why the numbers of boats from the last boat race were about half in Phnom Phen?

[General Mackevili]

This year will be the first year in a couple that it was held. Goes on for days.

Yep. No huge disasters this year.

Here are some pics from this year's Water Festival: