The Culture Ministry has asked authorities in flood-affected provinces to swiftly retrieve krathong floats from waterways for fear they will block attempts to drain floodwaters.
The Loy Krathong festival will be held on Thursday but much of the country remains bogged down in attempts to contain widespread flooding in the Central Plains.
The flood crisis has affected 26 provinces and more than 700,000 households so far.
Culture Minister Sukumol Khunploem said she had been informed that many communities affected by the flood had opted not to organise any events to mark the festival this year.
But the tradition will continue in many other provinces unaffected by flooding.
"In areas where the Loy Krathong festival will be held, the ministry has pledged, with the concerned authorities, to collect the floats as soon as possible [after the festival] so that they do not end up obstructing the water flow," Ms Sukumol said.
An accumulation of krathong floats in public waterways could hamper floodwater drainage efforts, she added.
Last year, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration collected more than 900,000 krathong floats, about 13% _ or more than 118,000 _ of which were made from non-biodegradable materials.
Ms Sukumol said the ministry has no authority to suspend an organisation or the festival, as several provinces are not affected by the floods.
Still, she said that since a flood crisis is ongoing in the Central Plains and several parts of Bangkok, members of the public have an obligation to clear the waterway and not aggravate the situation.
She also warned people to pay attention to the higher than normal water levels and the increased danger of electrocution.
Kasemsun Chinnavaso, chief of the Environmental Quality Promotion Department, said he is not too concerned about an increase in the amount of rubbish from leftover floats, as he believes most people would not be in a mood to join the festival. "This year we don't have any campaign for the festival. We don't expect to see a large number of krathong out there," he said.
"I think people don't care about the festival [this time]. They just have to pay attention to the flood crisis.
"This means there will be no litter problems [from discarded floats]. What we are more concerned about is the large amount of rubbish caused by the floods."
Mr Kasemsun said his department has been working with the Pollution Control Department to improve the quality of river water by adding EM (Effective Microorganism) balls and clearing rubbish.
Last year, the department launched a "one krathong for one family" campaign in a bid to reduce the number of floats used during the festival.
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