Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival

BKKSTAN wrote

I was standing on the new walkway along the Mekong River last weekend watching rockets going up on the Lao side!

I wonder why it is not a big gambling scene like the Isaan ones?

My pictures are from 40 years ago. Its quite possible that now there is a "big time gambling scene" in Laos. I hope not and suspect there is no problem. Besides I'm not sure what a big time gambling scene means. What comes to mind are visions of Mafia controlled style gambling. Or a system of gambling that sucks the money out of the pockets of victims causing grief and hardships to innocent family members. In Vientiane there always has been small wagering between individuals - so I'm told but I wouldn't bet on it.

May be FrazeeDK in Vientiane can shed some light on This year's Lao Rocket festival.

Oh how I wish I could be there to see this merriment for my self. Nothing compares to the excitement and joy I found at Rocket Festivals. In fact I tried to change my wedding date when I found out it was on the day of the Rocket Festival at Wat That Luang. These Issan women have no sense of priorities.

All you forum members in Issan and Laos have so much to be grateful for.


Thai_1_On

Sorry we both couldn't be in Issan this month. Was looking forward to seeing you firing your own rocket in the festival. Next year for sure !!

I'll have more pictures posted in a few days . Hopefully I'll be able to post my 8mm movies too.

Good pic's uncle,.... the lady in the last pic looks like she would rather be at home watching Thai soaps,and notice the guy up the launch frame complete with an Issan roll-up in his mouth.

beer monkey wrote: notice the guy up the launch frame complete with an Issan roll-up in his mouth.

People who stay on the launch pad while the rocket blasts off have got to be smoking something. Besides he just puffs on it to keep it lit so he can light the rocket fuse. At least that's what he told his wife.

His wife is the woman in the last picture, which is another good reason for the Issan roll- up.

uncle tom wrote:Thai_1_On

Sorry we both couldn't be in Issan this month. Was looking forward to seeing you firing your own rocket in the festival. Next year for sure !!

You know it Uncle Tom! I have a line on a guy that reloads his own shotgun shells so I'll have him get me some black gun power as in my youth I tried white smokeless power with less then exciting results

I do have a perfect launch site here in Florida...a park in the middle of the swamp. So far though we are in a drought and if my Bang Fai rocket doesn't work right (I have little fear of that) I could set the swamp on fire

My plan is to use PVC pipe like the local Thai's for 2 reasons. One being dried bamboo isn't that easy to find and two PVC is cheap. One problem I see is the launch pad. I need something I can set-up, launch, and teardown quickly as living this close to NASA I'm sure with any luck they will see it on radar moving fast. I can just see telling the local police that I'm practicing a Buddhist rite

If luck is with me I will make a few "test" rockets to see how tight to pack the powder and how much weight the stick should be to keep my shot heading skyward

ray23 wrote:Well from what I was told the guys who went to the one bike orientated had a great time and party. No one killed by flying debri

...but quite a few injured though. This is a snippet from one of the local rags. It shows three men being treated for serious burns. Obviously they didn't follow the instructions on their DIY home rocket kit.

Thai_1_on

Good Luck Send Pictures !!!!

Please.

I am fairly confident that you can expect a visit from the ATF and FBI boys with that plan - especially given your proximity to the Cape.

You could easily be labeled a terrorist - and in today's climate that is a rather hard charge to refute.

It really does seem that this event has a widespread variance in dates!

I phoned my wife, Jack, around 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning (Thailand time, June 9/2007), and there seemed to be quite a lot of noisy activity all around her. She also seemed likely to have had a few drinks, which is unusual for her so early in the day -- and her rather noisy cousin promptly was put on the phone to try and boisterously communicate with me. This cousin loves her drink!

Anyway, apparently the village was celebrating their version of this Bun Bang Fai Festival. And Jack promised that she was putting our video camera to good use!

It looks like you and Usa are missing out on some good fun there in the village, Brian!

Anyway, I called Jack again around 10:00 p.m. (Thailand time). Jack was now utterly finished for the day, and probably had crashed well before then from a few too many drinks. Conversation would have been futile, so I just wished her a good sleep.

Emmm Garnet isnt that supposed to be a PM???

Well, not really -- although I guess by making a specific comment to someone with no sure likelihood of them actually stumbling upon my entry, does make it seem like shooting arrows blindly!

Okay, guilty of that!