Rim Sai Than Lan Krathong Sai

Rim Sai Than Lan Krathong Sai is a riverside plaza on the Ping River in Mueang Tak, at the foot of the Somphot Krung Rattanakosin 200 Pi Bridge. It’s not a garden — it’s the permanent staging ground for Tak’s Loi Krathong Sai Lai Prathip, a Loy Krathong tradition found nowhere else in Thailand, where illuminated krathong chains float down the river in a single unbroken procession.

Ordinary Loy Krathong releases individual krathongs one at a time; Tak’s version strings dozens of small coconut-shell lanterns onto ropes to form long, glowing chains, each led by a large decorated “lead krathong” about a metre across, woven from fresh banana leaf and flowers and packed with a monk’s robe, ceremonial offerings, betel, sweets, coins, and incense. Local teams — often representing schools, temples, or neighbourhoods — build and launch their chains from this plaza, and the effect from the bridge above is a river lit end to end with moving light. Locals call the full event “Loi Krathong Sai Lai Prathip 1,000 Duang” — a thousand lanterns adrift — and it draws visitors from across the country for a festival Tak treats as its signature event, blending Buddhist merit-making with the coconut-shell craft the province is known for.

Recent editions have run in early November (2-5 November for the most recent confirmed dates), aligned with the lunar Loy Krathong calendar rather than a fixed Gregorian date, so exact dates shift year to year — check with Tak’s provincial tourism office or the TAT calendar before planning a trip around it. Outside festival week, the plaza itself stays open as an ordinary public riverside space: paved walkways along the Ping River, space to sit, and views across to Tak town, but without the crowds, lights, or vendor stalls that fill it during the festival.

Insider Tip: Arrive an hour before dusk during festival week to claim a spot on the bridge itself — the best view of the lantern chains is from above, looking down the length of the river rather than from the bank.

Watch out: Festival nights bring heavy traffic and parking is scarce near the bridge — arrive by songthaew or taxi rather than driving if you’re visiting during the event.

The plaza sits in Nong Luang subdistrict, a short ride from central Tak town, and is best combined with a stop at Krathong Sai, a sculpture commemorating the same tradition a short walk along the same stretch of bank.