Those who have visited Bangkok and other parts of Thailand may have heard of Loy Krathong, a similar festival honoring the gods and marking the coming of spring. Loy Krathong and Chiang Mai's Festival of Lights have one main difference: Loy Krathong sees candles float down the river on homemade boats, whereas locals in Chiang Mai release paper lanterns. While the sentiment is the same, the celebrations in Chiang Mai are more picturesque and attract more significant numbers of travelers.