aspect of the festival is simply as a romantic evening for couples somewhat irrespective of any deeper meanings. However, if you are determined to get caught up in the actual significance of what you are doing. you should probably be aware that some Thais believe that a bright future for a couple is only assured if their Krathongs float in the same direction and stay adrift for the same amount of time. Moreover, it is said that students of Chulalongkorn University believe that couples who celebrate the festival together can expect to see the end of their relationship during the course of the following year, although I have no idea why they take such a contrary view. But such things cannot detract from what is on the most basic level a very sweet and charming evening for young couples to enjoy together.

Even though you won't have to worry about doing so yourself, as ready-made Krathongs can be easily bought very cheaply on the all important day, many Thai women expend a great deal of time and effort in making quite beautiful and intricate little receptacles into which to place their offerings. The tiny boat itself will traditionally be cut from the trunk of a banana tree and decorated with a variety of flowers and leaves, including orchids, African marigold and roses. And of course, given the importance of a Krathong remaining afloat for as long as possible, it must be well designed to ensure that it doesn't over-turn as soon as it is hit by even a small ripple in the water. For a while, Krathongs made from non-natural materials such as polystyrene became very common. However, given that Thais believe that another of the evening's raisons d'etre is to seek forgiveness for consuming and abusing the water supplied by nature, it seems rather odd to do so by polluting that very same resource with hundreds of thousands of pieces of non-bio-degradable garbage. I am glad to say that, with the growing aware-ness of environmental issues, such