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Published on November 23, 2007

Have Thais lost the true spirit of Loy Krathong? As they go to rivers, klongs or ponds to float their lotus-shaped vessels under a shining full moon, they will be evoking a grand ritual of the past. But what exactly is going through the minds of the new generation, who seem to be increasingly obsessed with the entertainment aspect of everything?

"I believe that more than 50 per cent of Thai youths now have forgotten the spirit of Loy Krathong," said Dr Wit Sittivaekin, a marketing executive of Siam Commercial Bank.

"By tradition, we celebrate the Loy Krathong festival to pay respect to the Mother rivers and ask for forgiveness because we drank water from the rivers and sometimes threw dirty things into them. But most people now view the festival as just another occasion for pure entertainment."

The Thais are easy-going people who never miss a chance to add entertainment to any aspect of their lives, and the Loy Krathong festival is no exception.

"Well, it's a combination of both - the entertainment and the tradition," said Ann, a writer living in Bangkok.

"In the old days, people participated in the festival to seek blessings for their love from the Mother Spirit, which resides in the rivers. But they also wanted to have a good time. I don't think it has changed that much, although people now pay less attention to tradition," she said.

Of all the Thai festivals, Loy Krathong is perhaps one of the most ritualistic and colourful. A krathong normally carries a candle, three joss sticks and some flowers. Floating the krathong down the river during high tide, and after the rainy season is over, not only signifies an attempt to purge evil or bad luck, but is also an act of worship of the Goddess of the water.

Ancient Thai beliefs and folklore hold that there are higher spirits residing everywhere - in rivers, trees and mountains. There is virtually no place on earth that is not, or has not been, occupied by ghosts or by gods. You are supposed to act with reserve and not speak out loud when you are in a forest because you do not want to disturb the spirits.

The festival is celebrated nationwide, with Bangkok, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya and Songkhla the favourite spots for tourists to observe it. A Tourism Authority of Thailand website, www.loykrathong.net provides information about the events in these provinces.

Interestingly, you can now float a krathong online. There are almost a dozen kinds for you to choose from and set afloat at your favourite spot. But first you have to make a wish, probably to the spirit of Mother Online.

"I would not want to go out on Loy Krathong these days. The traffic is very bad, it is crowded everywhere. But I think Loy Krathong has changed with the times. In the old days, we used banana leaves to make the krathong. Then we used the foam, which harmed the environment. Now we have become more conscious about the environment and use hard bread instead, which can dissolve in the water without polluting the river," said Cathriya Woradejmongkol, a housewife.

But to enjoy the true spirit of Loy Krathong, you probably have to visit the 800-year-old former Siamese capital of Sukhothai, 450 kilometres north of Bangkok.

Once a year Sukhothai is revived and brightened up for the Loy Krathong Festival, set against modern lights and sounds. As young girls clad in exquisite Thai costumes prepare to float their krathongs on the pond of the Sukhothai historical park in front of thousands of visitors, they look like descendants of the grandiose Noppamas.

Legend has it that Noppamas, a beautiful lady of exceptional wit and charm, devised the first krathong in the 13th century. She served in the court of King Lithai, the grandson of King Ramkhamhaeng The Great, inventor of the Thai alphabet. A favourite of the king, Noppamas was said to have raised court mannerisms and practices to a high order.

The krathong she floated created a lasting tradition that is still observed today, though with different imagery.

Some history scholars attempt to discredit Noppamas as a fictitious character, but that is not important to most Thais. Noppamas beauty pageants are still held across the country.

Whether she was a real person or fictional character is a subject of controversial academic debate. But let the academics carry on their debate. Noppamas will continue to exist in a country where history and legend are interchangeable.

 Thanong Khanthong

 The Nation