Over the centuries, people have sent 'krathongs' - small, baskets made from plants and loaded with flowers, candles and bamboo - down waterways to make wishes and pay their respects to water spirits.
The beautiful 'floating basket' or Loy Krathong festival lights up Bangkok's canals and rivers at night - but often leaves organisers scrabbling to clear canals clogged up with hundreds of thousands of soggy vessels the next morning.
This will help reduce waste," said 11-year-old Jirayada Surapant, showing off her design by a Bangkok canal on Monday evening.
Across the capital, monks set out in row boats to scoop up the physical krathongs and recycle them into animal feed.
Reporting by Napat Wesshasartar, Artorn Pookasook and Thomas Suen; Writing by Chayut Setboonsarng, Edited by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Loy Krathong, Loy, scrabbling, Mathee Vatchara Prachatorn, Napat Wesshasartar, Artorn Pookasook, Thomas Suen, Chayut Setboonsarng, Andrew Heavens
Organizations:
Thomson
Locations:
Samut Songkram, Thailand, BANGKOK, Bangkok