Loy Krathong

Thailand's festival of lights, during which little lighted rafts are launched on the rivers as offerings to the water goddess. Loy Krathong is celebrated every year on the full moon night of the 12th lunar month, which usually falls in November on the western calendar.

The words mean "to float a lotus." The lotus-shaped rafts are traditionally made of banana leaves, decorated with flowers and fruit. These days they are more often made of bread or styrofoam.

This year the government asked people not to so this, so that the rafts would not clog the canals and drains and worsen the already disastrous flooding, but most people ignored them.

In the city of Chang Mai, people also launch lights into the air.