Ao Nang Beach: New Year's Eve Adventures

The first four floors of Exploring Thailand were designated to Bangkok, but the larger chunk of Exploring Thailand skyscraper is saved for Krabi Province, more specifically Ao Nang beach. The fifth level of Exploring Thailand is called: Ao Nang Beach’s Nightlife during New Year’s Eve. On this floor, I’ll show you around Ao Nang beach during the eve of New Year — the fireworks, the lanterns, the air filled with excitement, and an unfortunate event.

Our flight arrived in Ao Nang around noon. By the time we arrived at Ao Nang beach, checked in to our hostel, grabbed lunch and settled down, evening was around the corner. The sun shined bright, but the sea breeze kissed the air near the coast, including our hostel. We stay at a hostel that had the view of the ocean. The coast was a minute away. That evening, we walked the streets near us and the perimeter of Ao Nang beach, more to get familiar with the surrounding area than to explore.

Many people would argue where the best place is to spend New Year’s Eve. I would side with Ao Nang Beach for an exciting and unique traditions. Simply put, it provides a taste of everything. Thailand has a tradition of sending New Year lanterns to the dark sky. The heart of these festivals is in Chang Mai—northern Thailand—but almost every city and town has their own event in place for its locals. A smaller festival than Chang Mai but Ao Nang beach offered more tastes for a complete New Year’s Experience.

Hundreds of people gathered at the beach two hours before midnight. Out into the water, there were speckles of light; small boats prepared for a firework display. These fireworks lit up the sky at midnight, but before midnight, the lanterns controlled the night sky, displaying their beautiful design as a small flame burned the base.

About an hour before midnight, travelers scrambled Ao Nang beach toward the locals who sold these lanterns, at first, flat lanterns. These sellers walked up and down the beach exchanging a lantern or lighter for baht. They were distinct from the travelers, as each one carried a duffle bag containing a ton of the lanterns. The lantern festival was popular among the travelers, and less popular to the locals. I assumed they had enough of these lantern balloons, but for us travelers, it could be a once a lifetime event.

Once my friends and I purchased three, one for each of us, I opened the compacted lantern, slowly so that the tearable paper material won’t tear, forcing it to its original size—larger than my head. All it needs now is the flame to burn the base, I thought. My eyes scanned around. Many people had trouble lighting their lanterns. How hard could it be?

Finding someone who sold lanterns and lighters was easy, but lighting the lanterns was not. We spent a few minutes putting our heads together, figuring out a solution. I looked around as we struggled to light the lantern’s base. Everyone around us had the same problem—the base wouldn’t remain lit after I held the small flame on the base.

After a few minutes, we figured out the solution—we had to rip a small portion of the base, and that would allow the flame from the lighter to burn it just enough so that it circled around the base. I believe it was the reason the base burned for a long period as it journeyed into the darkness of the night sky. Our faces lit up with excitement, but they were soon extinguished. Another problem presented itself. My lantern wouldn’t rise above my head before tumbling down to the ground.

I raised it and gave it a boost toward the sky, hoping it would follow its siblings. Instead of flying up like its siblings, it sank to the ground. “My lantern is lazy,” I told my friends. I continued attempting to persuade it to soar the dark sky, but it did not budge beyond my head. My friends moved on to their own lanterns. I searched around, figuring out what made others’ fly that mine lacked.

Soon, both my friend’s lanterns flew, side to side, without a problem, as if happily embarking on their adventure until they reached their inevitable downfall. At that moment, I felt as though my lantern was defective, too sick or something. I made eye contact with a man who saw me struggling, and then he approached us.

He said, “You need to allow the smoke from the fire to fill inside so it could fly. If it still doesn’t, it might have a tear.” The man was old, and I assumed he stayed at one of the resort by the beach. He wore a nice dress shirt that gave off beach vibes and looked and sounded American. It must be a tear. The smoke from the flame had all the time in the world compared to my friends’ lanterns.

After inspecting the lantern, I found a small tear in the top corner, and then trashed the lantern. I purchased another, and it flew with no problems. It was then that 2019 New Year sprinted up the list and became the best New Year I’ve had right on Ao Nang beach.

At the far end of Ao Nang beach, a bunch of resorts gathered away from the noise from the lantern lighting and the soon-to-be firework mayhem. A few resort workers gathered on the concrete path, right in front of a resort, more specifically, its restaurant. Most of these workers redirected the walkers on the path around to the sand and four of them took the spotlight.

Like many other travelers, we didn’t stay at the resort, so the show wasn’t intended for us, but we were still welcome to stand and watch from the beach side of the path. The four under the spotlight had quickly gathered a crowd; on their left and right a few locals blocked the path who wished to watch, in front of them were the restorers, and behind them were more travelers who caught the show expectedly, like us.

The four shirtless men that took the spotlight had chains and sticks on fire, and soon they started doing tricks—twirling them around their shirtless bodies. Many people had their phones out, recording the show, as I had done so too. The entire show lasted for about ten or fifteen minutes from the time we arrived. The crowd soon dispersed, except for the resorters who sat on the opposite side of the path, looking out into the beach, waiting for the fireworks to welcome 2019.

At the center of Ao Nang beach, there was a group of carrying fireworks. I sensed trouble as soon as I spotted them. Large box of fireworks with all these travelers around? Not good. They had the box on the ground, so I had hoped it would remain unlit, at least around the enormous crowd.

My friends and I agreed we’d retreat to the ledge separating the road and the beach. After searching for a seat on it, we found one and did not get until past midnight. We watched foreigners send up their lanterns and beyond the crowd—the dark water glittered. My eyes continued gravitating back to the group with fireworks.

Once midnight struck, the fireworks on the ocean lit up the sky — making the lanterns’ light seem minimal. But then my worry became real. The adults lit the box of fireworks, and at first a few of them painted the sky in different colors. And then seconds later, one of them tipped over, causing the fireworks to shoot out into the ocean. Thankfully, they shot away from the majority of the crowd, and as far as I know, no one got hurt, judging from the fact that the ambulance never came. Many people rushed away from the tipped box and retreated toward us — near the road.

The night ended with an explosion. My friends and I returned to our hostel across the road.