Loy Krathong is a Thai festival held on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month of the traditional lunar calendar, usually in November. People float decorated krathong, buoyant baskets, on rivers and waterways, which is what the name means. Many Thais float them to thank Khongkha, the goddess of water and rivers. Its Hindu-Buddhist roots reach back to India and to the Angkorian Khmer Empire of the 11th and 12th centuries. The modern festival was shaped by post-war nationalism and tourism, which turned an elite Bangkok custom into a national celebration, and it is also observed in neighbouring countries under other names.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.