Sky lanterns rising into the night during Yi Peng

A 40th-birthday journey · Draft, nothing booked

Philip
turns 40

Eighteen nights, four stops, one full-moon birthday. Singapore to Bangkok to Chiang Mai to Yao Noi — with the huge CAD Khomloy lantern release on Saturday, November 13, 2027.

  • Nov 3–21, 2027
  • 18 nights
  • Singapore · Bangkok · Chiang Mai · Yao Noi
01 04
Marina Bay skyline at dusk

Leg 01 Nov 3–5

Singapore

Three nights to land softly. An early-evening Marina Bay stroll, the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest, then a celebratory seafood dinner before the flight north.

  • 3Nights
  • Nov 3–6In / out
  • PARKROYALCollection Marina Bay (suggested)
The Chao Phraya river at golden sunset, Bangkok

Leg 02 Nov 6–10

Bangkok

Five nights on the Chao Phraya. The 32-metre standing Buddha, the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, a Yaowarat food walk — and a Muay Thai fight night.

  • 5Nights
  • Nov 6–11In / out
  • Mandarin OrientalBangkok

Leg 03 Nov 11–16

Chiang Mai

Six nights in the old north, timed to the full moon. Temples on birthday eve, a lantern release on the birthday itself, and krathong on the Ping River the night after.

  • 6Nights
  • Nov 11–17In / out
  • RachamankhaChiang Mai

Saturday · November 13, 2027 · Full moon · Day 11

Forty, under a thousand lanterns

The whole trip bends toward this night. A slow morning, an unhurried afternoon, then the enormous CAD Khomloy lantern release in Mae On.

Yi Peng 2027

Projected Nov 13–14

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Birthday night · Decided

The CAD spectacle.

CAD Khomloy is the centerpiece: the largest synchronized lantern release, staged at the CAD Cultural Center Lanna in Mae On.

The centerpiece · CAD Khomloy฿4,900–15,900

CAD Khomloy mass release

The iconic wall of lanterns: a synchronized, ticketed production at the CAD Cultural Center Lanna in Mae On, about 30 km east of Chiang Mai.

Scale
20,000–25,000 people per night
Release
About 25,000 lanterns, synchronized
Includes
Shuttle, buffet, two lanterns, one krathong
2027 status
Dates, venue and prices not published

Why it won: breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime visual impact. The tradeoff: tourist-heavy, expensive, and recurring reports of long waits, crowded shuttles, and uneven logistics.

Chosen for Nov 13 Official CAD ticket site

2027 is still unconfirmed. The festival is projected for Nov 13–14, but exact programs are not published. Watch for tickets around February–May 2027 and buy the day they drop. Releases inside Chiang Mai city are banned; CAD is an authorized organized event outside the city.

Leg 04 Nov 17–21

Yao Noi

Four nights of nothing in particular. A speedboat across Phang Nga Bay, private pool villas, an optional longtail morning, and a sunset dinner to close the trip.

  • 4Nights
  • Nov 17–21In / out
  • Six SensesYao Noi · decided

Trip vote · Three hotel choices

Your
ballot

Pick one hotel in Singapore, Bangkok and Chiang Mai. CAD Khomloy and Six Senses Yao Noi are already decided. Enter your name and submit to add your hotel choices to the group's shared tally.

Your ballot is shared with the group. Resubmit with the same name anytime to update your picks. Results show aggregate counts only, never voter names.


    

Before we go

The fine print

An easy pace, every day

Breakfast first. Sightseeing starts around 10am. Rest breaks between activities, and a nice dinner to end each day.

Most days carry one or two anchors — never more.

Qatar Qsuites, on points

The long-haul legs are planned for Qatar Airways Qsuites using points. Nothing is booked yet.

Route: home → Singapore (overnight, departing ~Nov 1–2), then SIN → BKK, BKK → CNX, CNX → HKT, HKT → home.

CAD tickets: move fast

CAD tickets usually go on sale six to nine months ahead, and popular tiers can sell out two to three months before the festival. They are non-refundable. Buy only from the official CAD website or an authorized agent.

For November 2027, watch around February–May 2027 and buy when tickets drop.

No cooking class

Deliberately excluded — none anywhere on this trip, per Philip's rule.

Muay Thai seats wait until the November 2027 fight card is confirmed.

Flights (not booked) HomeSINBKKCNXHKTHome