In the hours preceding sunset, you'll notice many makeshift stalls selling 'krathongs' along the streets of Phuket. Buy one…or better still, buy (or make) one, for each person in your holiday party. These flower covered min-floats, complete with candles and incense sticks, often resembling lotus flowers, are an essential part in promoting good fortune during the festival.
As the sun dips below the horizon and the full moon begins to hover in the night sky, take your krathong to the nearest beach, lake or similar watery area and release it with the outgoing tide or current. The belief being, that if the krathong floats away from you, the coming year will bring good fortune, if it floats back towards the shore, then perhaps your luck may not be quite as you had wished.