BANGKOK (NNT) -This year’s Loy Krathong Festival was celebrated widely last night, followed this morning by the collection of Krathongs floated on waterways everywhere. In Bangkok, City Hall staff had by 6 a.m. today counted and sorted some 500,000 Krathongs, mostly made from organic materials
Staff members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration quickly collected Krathong in the Chao Phraya River, city canals, and some 30 parks opened for the general public to float their Krathongs last night. The collection and sorting of these Krathong was completed by 6 a.m. today.
A total of 502,024 Krathongs were collected this year, most of which at 483,264 or 96.3 percent were made from organic materials, while only 18,760 Krathongs were made from styrofoam, just 3.7 percent, of all that were collected. Lat Krabang is the district with the biggest quantity of Krathongs collected, amounting to 33,353 Krathongs, while Pom Prap Sattru Phai district is the district with the least Krathong collected this year, at only at 214.
The number of Krathongs collected this year is 339,303 fewer than last year, which saw the collection of 841,327 Krathongs. The Krathongs collected were sorted at the collection point, after which Krathongs made from organic materials will be made into garden fertilizers at a garbage facility in Nong Khaem, while styrofoam Krathongs and those made from non-biodegradable materials will be destroyed as landfill.
Staff members at Bueng Si Than Lake in Khon Kaen University, said today that 99 percent of Krathong floated there were made from organic materials including bread. It is expected these Krathongs will weigh 6 tons in total. Khon Kaen University has prepared disposal stations, where these Krathongs will be degraded into fertilizers, which can then be used by the university in the future.
