The Associated Press reports that Thai Airways International PCL has adjusted and temporarily suspended some of its flights during the annual Loy Krathong festival.
During the night of the festival, the Thai people let their small lotus-shaped vessels float on a river, canal or a lake. When a candle or fuel cell inside the lantern is burning, it traps the hot air in which lifts it up to the sky. Natives believe that the floating lanterns are used for warding off bad luck.
"From Nov. 27-29, 2012, people in the northern provinces will participate in the tradition of releasing floating lanterns during the Loy Krathong Festival," said Sorajak Kasemsuwan, Thai Airways President. "As floating lanterns are released at night, Thai is adjusting its flight schedule and temporarily suspending certain flights on the Bangkok-Chiang Mai-Bangkok route and Bangkok-Chiang Rai-Bangkok route as a precautionary measure to avoid floating lanterns being suctioned into airplanes engines.”
Read AP's story here.