Pattaya cleans up after Loy Krathong: beaches sparkle until sunrise!

Pattaya cleans up after Loy Krathong: beaches sparkle until sunrise!

Pattaya's Loy Krathong Festival celebrations have drawn large crowds, but the city has also placed a strong focus on environmental protection. So the night after the festival, teams from the city of Pattaya worked tirelessly to clear the beaches of Jomtien and Pattaya of hundreds of krathongs. The entire cleaning team made up of municipal environmental and cleaning staff was busy removing the remains of the celebrations from the sea and the beaches, so that a clean picture could be created for the tourists before sunrise. The authorities were active with eight boats between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to collect the floating krathongs. The morning shift then removed the remaining debris on the beaches to preserve Pattaya's natural beauty and provide a clear overview of how the Pattaya Mail reported.

Loy Krathong is all about paying respect to water resources with small, decorative baskets that serve as a sign of gratitude and apology to the water goddess. This year, city authorities emphasized that the use of floating lanterns, or krathongs, is not permitted in open water. This was introduced to minimize marine pollution and fire hazards caused by the numerous krathongs and fireworks that are traditional to the festival. Mayor Poramet Ngampichet has launched a public outreach campaign to encourage people to use alternative locations such as Lan Pho Park in Naklua, where prepared ponds are available. Online platforms also make it possible to swim krathongs digitally, which is another environmentally friendly option. That reports The Thaiger.

Tradition meets environmental protection

The Loy Krathong Festival is not only a festival of lights, but also a deep-rooted tradition in Thailand that aims to respect water bodies. However, krathongs, traditionally made from banana trunks and leaves, have changed over the years. In the past, non-degradable materials such as plastic were also used, which had a serious impact on the environment. In recent years, however, there have been increasing efforts to make the tradition sustainable. In 2025, 96.75% of krathongs were environmentally friendly, a sign of the positive trend. New concepts like bread krathongs and experiments with biodegradable materials like ice cream or coconut shells help reduce waste, like the Ocean Generation reported.

The city is striving to promote a long-term change towards more sustainable celebrations. Despite resistance from residents and vendors who have invested in their supplies, there is no going back. The authorities are relying on a combination of tradition and environmental awareness to preserve the impressive celebration for future generations. The deployment of the cleaning teams is only part of this initiative, which could serve as a model for other regions.