krathong sai (กระทงสาย)

Thai. Name for a kind of krathong (fig.) used in the Loi Krathong Sai festival (fig.) in Tak, and which consists of halved coconut shells, known in Thai as ka-lah, rather than the floating flower arrangements normally made from slices of banana plants (fig.) and used in the regular festival of Loi Krathong, elsewhere. Originally, these halved coconut shells were filled with small balls formed from the latex of Yang trees, mixed with wood chips and then lit, though more recently other components are used, namely orangey-yellow thian pansa candle wax (fig.) and thick plaited wicks (fig.). The wax is smeared at the inner side of the coconut shell, while the wick is fixed into place at the bottom centre of the shell with a thick layer of wax, which fills the shell for about 30-40%, while the outside of the ka-lah is often fashioned in the form of a flower by attaching ornamental parts, often created of neatly folded banana leaves or coloured paper, and contests are held for the most elaborate creations (fig.). 回