Many of the people taking part in the festival under the full moon opted to float their krathong on bodies of water bordered by natural barriers to prevent them from floating into the sea, where they could cause harm to ocean marine life.
At Patong Beach, local officials went one step further by setting up a ‘swimming pool’ on the beach where people could float their krathong without causing any harm to the environment.
As with all Loy Krathong events across the island, the festivities at Patong ‒ although organised by the Patong Municipality Education Office ‒ included ‘Nong Noppamas’ beauty contests, with mainly children as the stars of the show. The festivities also included Thai dance, music, light and sound performances for local residents and tourists to enjoy alike.
In Phuket Town, the main centre of the official festivities was at Suan Luang (Rama IX Park), led by Phuket Town Mayor Saroj Angkhanapilas and joined by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat and his wife Ms Busadee, among a host of other high-ranking provincial officials.
At Suan Luang, people floated their krathong into the ponds, while at the louder, more fun festivities at Saphan Hin, people turned to the reservoir beside the main centre stage to float their krathong, while the concerts and live performances continued on stage.
Governor Sophon praised the commitment for maintaining the Loy Krathong festival, a tradition he said dated back 3,000 years.
He also praised how so many people were taking steps to limit their impact on the environment while observing the festival, which is held each year to honour Phra Mae Kongkha, the Goddess of the Waters.