Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival

I've been told that the Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival is currently in full swing. Does anyone know how long the festival lasts for and can anyone give me directions for getting there? Thanks

lee wrote:I've been told that the Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival is currently in full swing. Does anyone know how long the festival lasts for and can anyone give me directions for getting there? Thanks

Lee, sounds like you already know more about it than me... I thought it should be called the "Fun, Bang, Fly" festival...

I just checked out the other thread and it gives the location Amphur Phen.



The question is, is it sign posted and what are the times?

I have been to two of them, and both in different locations.
To my best understanding it goes for a couple of weeks and is spread around most of the area east of Nong Khai. Fits with the ethos of the event being competition between groups of local village's to see who has the best rocket. The last one I went to was held in late May (check all my posts for the actual date as I have loaded some dated photos of the event on this site) and was by chance that I saw the rockets while we were in Phon Phisai. Thai girl asked at a resturant and a bike rider guided us from Phon Phisai. Best I could make out is that we would have travelled about 7-8 km east of Phon Phisai putting us somewhere around Kut Khaen.

The other one I went to was at a different spot a few years earlier and all I can rememeber is we came in a couple of kms north of Ban Daung, but did not travel anywhere as far north to get near to Kut Khaen.

To answer the question, no I cannot recall any signs to direct one there and I would heve been there from 10 in the morning to 3 or 4 in the afternoon and there were rockets going most of the time. However by 4pm there were some pretty pissed rocketeers on the job.

Sounds like a different one?

The annual Yasothon Rocket Festival is on the weekend of 11-12 May. The Bikers make it their night for a party and last year about 150 bikes were there.
The town really

Guess what guys look like it is the same one at least that what google says, no where near the place shown. Yasothon is 300 Klms from here the other side of Roi Et. Is there one closer and when is it going? Normally i wouldn;t mind but it can be very hoton abile or wet these days

Sounds like, worth seeing once at least

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Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival


Date: May
Venue: Phya Thaen Park in the Northeastern province of Yasothon

The rocket festival, known in Thai as 'Bun Bang Fai,' is an ancient local festival that has been carried out continuously till modern times. It is popularly celebrated in Yasothon, a province in Thailand's northeast, and is usually held in the second week of May.

In Thailand, the month of May is the beginning of the rainy season and farmers are ready to begin planting their rice fields. The festival is associated with traditional beliefs in the supernatural powers that help promote the production of rice crops for the coming planting season.

The legend has it that once there was a rain god named Vassakan who loved to be worshipped with fire. The townspeople created a rocket or 'Bang Fai' to send to heaven, where the god resided. They believed that the god would hear their entreaties and bless them with plentiful rain for rice cultivation. So the celebration is entirely to the god of rain.

Like several other Thai festivals, Buddhist monks would be in attendance for the ceremony. The rockets, launch platforms and other decorations for this event are prepared for several weeks before the actual event. An average rocket is some nine metres in length and carries 20-25 kilograms of gunpowder

Originally the rockets were made out of natural materials, but these days, they are slightly more sophisticated. Rockets are packed with several kilos of gunpowder instead. In order to make the rocket festival much more fun, various competitions for the biggest and highest flying rocket are held, all conducted with the undying Thai spirit of 'sanook'.

On the festival day, rockets are paraded to the launch site. Villagers dress in colorful traditional costumes, playing, teasing and dancing, to accompany the procession.
The climax of the festival is the launch time. The rockets are fired from their launch platforms one by one. Noisy folk music and cheers can be heard for each liftoff. The rocket that reaches the greatest height is declared the winner. The owner of this rocket dances and pushes for rewards from the crowds. The owners of rockets that exploded or failed to fly are thrown in the mud.

Whether or not their wishes are granted as they believe, the festival helps strengthen and promote harmony among the villagers, which will be needed when the new crop season begins

Thai girl has confirmed what I thought - that the festival is not confined to any one place. It is an event that is held over the entire north east. Most cities or districts will have one. There will be some that are bigger than others and they are the ones that probably are noted in toursit guides.

Another she suggested was also in her birth town Khampawhapee.

Bet the monkeys love that Any idea when

Now you guys know I would show up in this thread. Just as last year ANYONE going please post some pictues. My plans for this years show when "up in smoke" just like many of the rockets http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gDMFsTi6s4

But next year

Please someone tell me that they went to one of the Bung Bang Fai events this year!

I want to hear details and hopefully pictures or video

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

There is one every year in Kut Chap (route 2263 west of Udon). Not too big, but exciting rockets and party/celebration/market/fair in the evening. Very friendly place. Bring your own mat and ear plugs.

Does anyone have pictures of the rocket festival ? Like Thai-1-On, I too am fascinated by the rockets and all the activity at these celebrations. Also like Thai-1-On, I had to change my plans and couldn

Uncle Tom thank you so much for you vintage pictures and a true taste of Issan life With any luck I'll be back for Songkran or Bang Fai 2008

I really liked the novice Monk picture in your picture album

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?