Just say no to Loy Krathong, campaign urges

Loy Kratong is tomorrow (also, Happy Halloween!), but a groundswell of opposition to its environmental impact has led to calls not to celebrate it this year.

While the nation’s traditional festivities are going ahead as usual this year and countless numbers of krathong, or floats, will be deposited into waterways for a few fleeting seconds of admiration, an online campaign is asking the public to refrain, driving #NoLoykrathong2020 to rise atop trending hashtags on Thai Twitter today.

A number of people said the tradition spoils the very waters it is meant to venerate.

“Stop worship by putting trash in it,” Twitter user @Yooinnareligion wrote.

Bangkok collects 60 tons of krathong waste from waters

“Trash [comes] from this traditional festival,” @Neophiliac7 said. “Loy Krathong has been known to [cause] water pollution, since many krathong and other…