If you're interested about photography in Chiang Mai, this has to be first on your list ! This is really magical! Most people are familiar with the breathtaking photographs of Thai lantern festivals that occur each autumn: a dark sky illuminated by trails of thousands of burning lanterns. It is a special time to visit Thailand, to experience the buzzing crowds, countless decorations, flower-adorned floats, lively parades, competitions and traditional music. While most people recognize the iconic images of these dazzling festivals, few people understand the significance of what the celebrations mean. In Northern Thailand, where the majority of the lantern festivals take place, there are two main celebrations, Yi Peng and Loy Krathong, which usually overlap. Main difference between these two festivals is the type of lanterns used; Yi Peng features the floating sky lanterns and at Loy Krathong, water lanterns are offered to the river gods. Both are celebrated on the full moon in the second month of the Lanna (the ancient northern Thai kingdom) lunar calendar, usually end of november. My favorite places to release khratongs are Wat Phan Tao where you can see monks praying and releasing khratongs and lanterns, and the banks of the Ping River (Nawarat bridge), where it's also a good spot to release lanterns as it's quite busy with thai and foreigners. For mass lantern release a t the same time, for the best photos), these are costly private events organized outside the city, costing between 4,000 to 6,000 THB. Booking in advance is necessary.