November’s full moon shone as a festive celebration filled the air when the Student Association (SMO Som-O) organized 2024’s Loy Krathong event in Mahidol University International College (MUIC).

Held from November 13 to 14 at the Ground Floor, Aditayathorn Building, the “Float of Joy” fest embodied the values and vibes of the traditional Thai festival, with various activities centered around the floating of a lit vessel made of either a banana tree trunk, leaves or bread into the pool at the center of the Aditayathorn cafeteria.

This was an opportunity to immerse the students of MUIC into Thai culture with the Thai temple fair theme. With live music performances producing upbeat melodies, participants enjoyed the festive atmosphere. Some students even got the chance to shine and join in singing songs with their schoolmates. In line with the Thai temple fair, there were also plaster figurines of characters for students to paint while carnival games gave other participants a chance to win prizes in games such as “Knock down the cans,” “Ring Toss” and “Scoop the Eggs.”

The star event of the show, however, was the floating of the “krathongs” or candle-lit vessels, giving many students in MUIC the opportunity to join in this Thai cultural activity, wishing for good luck as they floated their eco-friendly “krathongs” made of halved coconut shells that could be easily collected from the pool later on.

Many of the participants came and went with mirth, as they were able to partake of a small aspect of Thai culture, at the same time making pleasant memories with friends, classmates and peers, while becoming part of a greater MUIC community.