Loy Krathong, one of my favourite festivals during childhood, just passed. On the full-moon day of the 12th lunar month, many Thais float their krathong down a river or even a pond to pay respects to the Lord Buddha and seek forgiveness from the goddess of water for any misdeeds against her. The word loy means "to float" while krathong is a lotus blossom-shaped vessel containing candles, incense sticks and flowers. What I love most about the festival is that it is the time for the reunion of family and friends. What I hate about it is that the purpose of the tradition has been distorted in some ways and some people go overboard and can put others in danger during the festival.
When I was a girl, on every Loy Krathong Day my father would take me to an amusement park to float my krathong and watch parades, the Nang Noppamart contest, and other entertainment.
About 30 years ago, there were neither motorcycle gangs roaming around Bangkok's streets causing annoyance to other people nor the reckless use of huge firecrackers to frighten revellers. Although we had good old days, many people of my generation _ Generation X _ made a big mistake. We proudly made our krathong from styrofoam and colourful paper without knowing about the negative environmental impact. At that time, the term "global warming" was not in the dictionary, I don't think.
Over the past decade, there have been a lot of changes, both good and bad, to the Loy Krathong festival. In my opinion, the best change is the way most Thais are now more aware of environmental problems and climate change. Styrofoam krathong are rarely found in Thailand now. My stroll at Pak Khlong Talat flower market as well as my visit to an exhibition on krathong on the eve of Loy Krathong Day found only krathong made of banana leaves and trunks, coconut husk, colourful biodegradable paper and cloth, bread and even pomelo peel, and decorated with either fresh or paper flowers, candles and incense sticks. Despite the change in materials, there are still questions about whether such natural materials still pollute the water. Amid these concerns, I have noticed that bread krathong have become more popular since many people believe they will become food for fish. No matter what, the switch from styrofoam to natural materials augurs well for nature.
To me, Loy Krathong festival has been tainted by the way some groups of people are careless about the safety of other people and animals. The sounds of gigantic firecrackers and fireworks can be heard in many places all over Bangkok on the Loy Krathong night.
These firecrackers are lit by teenagers and adults who think such an act is fun. Some of them believe the sounds can drive away bad luck. As a matter of fact, the sounds disturb many people and pets. Dogs and cats are seen shaking with fear and running away to find hideouts. Even some elephants are afraid of the noise, said elephant conservationist Soraida Salwala on Facebook.
Several of my Facebook friends and friends of friends complained about the annoying sounds of firecrackers and fireworks and have called for a halt. A woman wrote that her old pet dog died on Loy Krathong Day last year after being scared by the sounds of fireworks. Three pet dogs of a Facebook user hid under a bed while the dog of another user hid under a table and did not come out to eat all day. Others walked back and forth in fear and then hid under a table. Last year, a dog owned by a neighbour of mine was frightened by the noise, ran away and was never seen again.
A Facebook friend commented that the sounds of firecrackers and fireworks continued from early evening until late night and scared her dozen or so cats so much that they came to sit close to her instead of relaxing on the balcony as usual. However, it was fortunate that a school near her house did not host loud celebrations this year due to the mourning period for the Supreme Patriarch.
In addition, a woman complained that the sounds scared all her children and even some grown-ups. Another Facebook user who is a teacher wrote that smoke from firecrackers and fireworks gave her a sore throat and she had difficulty speaking to her students.
Worse, the gigantic firecrackers can cause injuries and death. For example, on Loy Krathong Day, a 11-year-old boy in Chiang Mai lit a huge firecracker which exploded and hit his neck, almost paralysing him.
Flying lanterns can also cause big trouble. In Bangkok, flying lanterns, lit by revellers, fell on to two temples, two parks, a power pole and a radio signal pole, causing several fires.
All in all, no matter how the Loy Krathong tradition has changed over time, Thai people, especially Buddhists, should bear in mind that the ultimate goal of the tradition is to remind Buddhists to follow the Lord Buddha's teachings and try to get rid of lust and selfishness when they float their krathong away. These are the words of the late revered monk Buddhadasa Bhikkhu.
Pichaya Svasti is a travel writer for Life.