# Driving in Phuket on Loy Krathong Night Page URL: https://kolesio.com/en/guide/loy-krathong-phuket-driving/ Loy Krathong falls on the November full moon, and in Phuket it happens at the water: beaches, embankments, ponds, canals, even hotel pools, where people float small leaf baskets with a candle inside. For a driver that means one evening when the roads to the shore jam, a few streets close and traffic by the water simply stops, so park a block back and walk the last stretch. The date is lunar and moves every year; check it before you plan the night. **A week from 5 145 ฿ total** — economy car 735 ฿/day · crossover from 9 555 ฿ · refundable deposit from 5 000 ฿ · live search, 7 days from 2 November, pick-up in Patong. [Ask on WhatsApp: Driving in Phuket on Loy Krathong Night](https://kolesio.com/go/wa/?p=%2Fen%2Fguide%2Floy-krathong-phuket-driving%2F) ## In short - Full moon — Loy Krathong falls on the November full moon, the date shifts every year - By the water — beaches, ponds, canals and embankments fill in the evening - A block back — where to leave the car; the last stretch is on foot - Evening peak — the hour when ride-hailing cars are hardest to find Kolesio Car Rental Phuket — car rental in Phuket. Booking and support by Kolesio on WhatsApp +66 99 647 8676. Checked 19 October. ## What is Loy Krathong and when is it in Phuket? A krathong is a small basket of leaves with a candle on it. You set it on the water, make a wish, watch it drift off. That's the whole ritual, and half the island does it on the same night (the November full moon, which lands on a different date each year). So where do the crowds go? To any water at all. Beaches first, then embankments, ponds and canals; hotels float them in their pools. You buy a krathong right at the spot where people launch them, so there is nothing to bring. ### Why drivers should care Because for one evening all traffic leans towards the shore. People gather at the water and at the temples, the approach roads fill, some streets shut to cars. We love this night. We just never try to park next to the sand on it. ## What that means for the car Treat the last few hundred metres as a walk, not a drive. Navigation apps do not know that a beach road has closed for the evening, and they will send you down the shortest approach straight into the stopped traffic. Pick a parking spot a block away before you set off, and pick the road out of it too. November itself plays a part. The monsoon withdraws during the month, with squalls still possible in the first half, so a wet road after dark is part of the picture. Hill roads between the bays are winding and mostly unlit. Drive them slower than in daylight and keep the wipers and lights checked. If you want the car for the festival week, we bring it to your hotel, villa or the airport at any hour: automatic, first-class commercial insurance, refundable deposit of 5,000–30,000 ฿, depending on the model, the total for your dates fixed in chat. Child seats are booked with the car. Send the dates in the chat or through the booking form. > Do not leave the car on an approach road near the water, even for ten minutes. By the time the candles are afloat the street is full, the car blocks the way for everyone, and you will be the last one out. ## Where to park on Loy Krathong night Go early, stop short, walk. We see the same pattern every festival: those who arrive before dark and leave the car a block back are home first, and those who push for the closest space spend the evening in a queue. Staying at a hotel on the beach? Then the easiest plan is no drive at all: leave the car in the hotel car park and walk down. Save it for the next evening, when the roads by the water are quiet again. - Park a block away from the water — the near approaches lock up first - Arrive before sunset — spaces vanish as the crowds build - Face the car towards your way out — turning in a full street is slow - Park in shade if you arrive in daylight — the cabin stays bearable for the drive home - Keep licence, IDP and agreement in the car — police may ask for the permit on a busy night ## Should you drive or use an app that evening? Ride-hailing works well inside the triangle of airport, town and west coast beaches, but the evening and rain are exactly when nobody has a free car, and the festival adds a crowd heading home at once. Getting back from a distant beach is always harder than getting there. A car solves the return. You leave when the children are tired, not when an app finally finds a driver. The price is the walk from the spot a block away, which on a warm festival night is part of the fun. ### With children Book the child seats together with the car, since they are fitted before handover. A folded pushchair fills a boot faster than suitcases do, so plan the space if you are carrying one. And agree with the children in advance where you meet if the crowd separates you by the water. ## After the festival: the drive home Leaving together with everyone else is the slowest option. Either go a little before the peak or wait until the first wave of cars has cleared the approaches. On the winding roads between bays, keep in mind: many scooters and pedestrians are out late, often without much light, and keep your speed down until you are back on the main road. Picked a spot far from where you sleep? Then do the boring checks in daylight: a full tank, all the lights working including full beam, a clean windscreen inside and out. On an unlit hill road after midnight those three matter more than anything else in the car. ## Cars for this question Easy automatic cars for a first drive in Phuket: - [Nissan Note: a hatchback that is easy to drive in town](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/nissan-note-rental-phuket/) - [Suzuki Swift: a small automatic that is easy to park](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/suzuki-swift-rental-phuket/) - [Honda City: a sedan for a first drive on the left](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/honda-city-rental-phuket/) - [Mazda 2: a compact car for narrow island roads](https://kolesio.com/en/cars/mazda-2-rental-phuket/) ## FAQ ### When is Loy Krathong in Phuket? On the full moon of November. The date follows the lunar calendar and moves every year, so check it for the year of your trip. ### Where do people celebrate Loy Krathong in Phuket? At the water: beaches, embankments, ponds, canals and even hotel pools. Krathongs are sold right next to the launch spots. ### Does Loy Krathong affect traffic in Phuket? Yes, for the evening. Approaches to the water fill up, some streets close and the traffic near the shore stops, so park a block back and walk. ### Is it better to drive or take a taxi on Loy Krathong? A car makes the return easier. Evening is the hardest time to find a ride-hailing car, and the whole crowd tends to leave at once. ### Can I bring children to Loy Krathong by car? Yes, and a car helps. Book child seats with the rental, park in shade if you arrive in daylight, and agree on a meeting point in case the crowd separates you. ### Is it raining in Phuket during Loy Krathong? It can. The monsoon ends during November, with squalls still likely in the first half of the month and a drier second half. --- Source: kolesio, https://kolesio.com/en/guide/loy-krathong-phuket-driving/. The canonical version of this page is the HTML at this address.