Yi Peng Chiang Mai with Kids: Booking the Paid Lantern Event

If you’re planning Yi Peng and Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai with kids, first separate the public festival in the city from the paid mass lantern release outside town.

To see the sky fill with lanterns from a reserved seat with shuttle transport, book the paid CAD event (November 24–25 in 2026). For lanterns and parades around Chiang Mai’s old city, the public festival schedule is announced separately by Chiang Mai City Hall.

Quick Summary

Paid event dates: November 24–25, 2026
Venue: The CAD Cultural Center Lanna, Mae On District
Event time: 1:30–9:30 p.m., per the official sales page
Tickets: 4,900–15,900 baht per person, with seats and shuttles varying by tier
Included: round-trip transport, dinner buffet, souvenir, two lanterns and one krathong per person, cultural activities
Free for kids: under 8 on the event day, with no seat, souvenir or lantern
Key rules: all tickets non-refundable; no outside lanterns or drones

Dates, prices and inclusions were checked on the official CAD Yi Peng 2026 sales page on August 9, 2026. Chiang Mai City Hall announces the public Yi Peng schedule separately, so check it apart from the CAD event.

Explaining Yi Peng and Loy Krathong to Kids

Yi Peng is a lantern tradition of northern Thailand’s Lanna culture, while Loy Krathong is a nationwide festival of floating krathong on water to give thanks. The Tourism Authority of Thailand describes Yi Peng as a northern tradition combined with Loy Krathong on the full moon of the 12th lunar month, with safety guidelines that limit when and where lanterns are released.

Who It Suits

The paid Yi Peng event suits families who want a guaranteed seat and transport for one big mass release, with elementary kids who can handle a long afternoon-to-night event. If your child fears fire, needs to sleep before 8 p.m., or a non-refundable payment worries you, choose the public city program instead.

Schedule and Route

Keep the morning of the event light, with a pool or nearby café. The official schedule: meet at 1 p.m. with shuttle departure at 1, crafts, Lanna village and krathong activities from 2:30 to 5:30, dinner 5:30–7, enter the ceremony area at 7, drums, candles and monks’ chanting at 7:40, the mass lantern release and fireworks at 8:15, and the end at 8:45 followed by the ride back to town.

Standard, VIP, Premium and Gold tiers board at the Chiang Mai International Exhibition and Convention Centre; Platinum and Elite board at the fountain in front of MAYA mall. Screenshot your tier’s meeting point and arrive 20–30 minutes before 1 p.m. Traffic makes the return time hard to predict.

Booking, Tickets and Transport

Tickets range from 4,900 baht for Standard to 15,900 baht for Elite, so a family of three paying full price spends 14,700–47,700 baht. Kids under 8 on the event day are free but sit on a guardian’s lap, with no seat, lantern or souvenir. Most elementary kids will need a paid ticket.

All sales are non-refundable once paid. Check the date, English names, tier and meeting point before paying. The venue is outside town, so the included round-trip shuttle is easier than a taxi. Standard uses non-air-conditioned red local trucks, while higher tiers use air-conditioned vehicles, so weigh heat and motion sickness.

Tips with Kids

Use only the lanterns provided, and let parents handle lighting and releasing them. Wear cotton clothes without loose sleeves and tie back long hair.

A light foldable seat cushion helps during the long ceremony, but don’t spread it in aisles or lantern-lighting areas.

Food and Cafés

A Lanna dinner buffet and soft drinks are included. Give picky eaters a familiar snack beforehand and check allergens on site. Instead of a café crawl that day, stop at just one café near your hotel in Nimman or the old city to save energy.

Estimated Costs

For a family of three on Standard tickets, the event costs 14,700 baht. Shuttle and dinner are included, so add 800–1,500 baht for city transport and snacks, for about 15,500–16,200 baht for the day, excluding flights, hotels, exchange rates and card fees.

Pros and Cons

Pros: transport, dinner, activities and the mass release are bundled, which simplifies an out-of-town Yi Peng event and makes it easy to explain Lanna culture to kids. Cons: high prices, long waits, fire and crowds, and no refunds. Before paying for the photo-perfect scene, consider whether your kids can last from 1 p.m. to after 10 p.m.

Things to Note

Tourists may not release lanterns anywhere they like in Chiang Mai. Follow designated sites and staff instructions, and don’t bring personal lanterns or drones. Check rain and wind forecasts and schedule changes three days before on the Thai Meteorological Department and official event pages. During religious rites, avoid loud noise, wandering and excessive photos of monks.

FAQ

Is all of Yi Peng paid? No. The public city festival and the private paid mass release are different; check Chiang Mai City Hall’s announcement for the city schedule.
Is a 7-year-old free? Kids under 8 on the event day are free but get no seat, lantern or souvenir and sit on a guardian’s lap.
Can the cheapest ticket release lanterns? Yes, the official inclusions list two lanterns and one krathong per person; seats and transport vary by tier.
Can we call a Grab afterward? Given the huge demand outside town, plan on the included shuttle; check whether separate transport is allowed.
Is it refunded if it rains? Sales terms say all payments are final and non-refundable; save the terms shown at checkout.

Dates, programs and prices in this guide are as of the 2026 edition. Check the official website for next year’s schedule before you go.

More Family Trips on Yans World

Schedules and prices can change, so check the Tourism Authority of Thailand before you go.

Yi Peng and Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai with Kids: How to Book the Paid Lantern Event