As the Yi Peng festival looms closer, lantern sales are up – but beware, there are strict rules this year on where you can release them.
From November 5-6, Chiang Mai officially celebrates Yi Peng – the northern counterpart to Loy Krathong is usually celebrated by releasing paper lanterns into the sky, often adorned with names, wishes and prayers to the gods.
This year, authorities have drawn up six ‘surveillance zones’ where launching anything that flies, sparks or explodes is strictly off limits.
Red Zones, where lantern release is strictly prohibited, includes Hang Dong, Saraphi, San Sai, Mae Rim, San Patong, Muang Chiang Mai and the ‘Toffy Zone’ – a designated flight safe area that stretches 15km north and south from the airport.
If you still want that picture-perfect lantern release for your social media stories, you’ll need to head to one of the few officially approved events, CAD Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival, where thousands of lanterns are set free in one go under strict safety rules.
Take this as your warning: if you ignore the ban, you face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to B200,000. This almost doubles if your lantern starts a fire.
If, after all this, you’re still planning your own mini-release, then keep it green by using only biodegradable materials that vanish within a year – yes, this is also a strictly enforced rule from this year.
So if you’re planning to release a lantern this year, swap out the old frames for biodegradable ones and send off your prayers early to avoid any issues. Better safe than singed, right?