2022 Bun Bung Fai Rocket Festival in Isan promises plenty of sky-high action to watch

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Bun Bung Fai Talai Lan parade, Kalasin

 

Scheduled for mid-May, the famous Northeast Thailand event is returning to Yasothon and Kalasin after 2 years with rocket launching, parades, and more on the programme.

TAT Newsroom

 

Bangkok – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) invites tourists to experience one of the must-see spectacles of the annual festival calendar – the exhilarating Bun Bung Fai Rocket Festival in the Northeastern Thai provinces of Yasothon from 13-15 May and in Kalasin from 21-22 May.

 

The annual rocket festival, which takes place in the Northeast as the rainy season begins, is seen as a way of encouraging the rains to fall and to help the local rice crops to grow. It also allows people to have a fun and festive break before the hard work of planting and harvesting begins.

 

The celebrations differ from province to province, but mostly involve the firing of home-made rockets up into the sky with teams competing against each other to send their rockets the highest – some up to hundreds of feet. There are different types of rockets classified by the weight of gunpowder they carry. ‘Bung Fai Kilo’ indicates a rocket has 1 kg of gunpowder, ‘Bung Fai Muen’ is 12 kg, and ‘Bung Fai Saen’ is 120 kg. There are also parades with floats and displays of traditional costumes and folk dancing.

 

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The Festival can be enjoyed in many provinces of Isan including Kalasin, Roi Et, and Yasothon with festivities in Yasothon and Kalasin being among the largest and most well-known of them all. There is also a rocket festival in Sukhirin district in the Southern province of Narathiwat initiated by the people who moved south from Isan. And with the event having been cancelled in 2020 and 2021, this year it is making a much-anticipated return.

 

Yasothon Bun Bung Fai Festival

 

13-15 May, 2022, at Mueang Yasothon District Office, Lan Wiman Phaya Tan (Phaya Khan Khak – Naga) and Phaya Thaen Park.

 

Over the three-day event, there are celebrations and activities to enjoy, in addition to the actual launching of the rockets. This includes colourful rocket processions of floats and folk dancing, merit-making ceremonies, a rocket team cheering contest, light and sound show, and Bung Fai parade contest.

 

Bung Fai parade contest, Yasothon

 

Bung Fai (Rocket), Yasothon

 

Kalasin Bun Bung Fai Talai Lan Festival

 

21-22 May, 2022 at Kutwa Wittaya School in Kuchinarai district

 

A tradition of the ethnic Phu Thai Kutwa people, the celebrations in Kalasin stand out as many of the rockets are launched as part of huge cartwheel-like structures up to six metres in diameter. This year, in addition to the launching of 50 ‘Bung Fai Talai Saen’ (120 kg) rockets and two ‘Bang Fai Tai Lan’ (1,200 kg) rockets, other celebrations include colourful rocket processions of floats and folk dancing, a merit-making ceremony, and activities showcasing the traditions of the ethnic Phu Thai Kutwa people.

 

Bang Fai Tai Lan, Kalasin

 

Source: https://www.tatnews.org/2022/05/2022-bun-bung-fai-rocket-festival-in-isan-promises-plenty-of-sky-high-action-to-watch/

 

 

-- © Copyright TAT NEWS 2022-05-07

 

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[Excel]

Wonder how many idiots will lose fingers, hands, suffer facial disfigurement or worse, lose their lives this time round ?

[Chris.B]

Looks fun!  ????

[BostonRob2]

If you've never been to one of these festivals you can never say you have been to Thailand. One of the "must see" events anywhere in the world IMHO. 

 

I shall write about my experiences in Yasothon over the years in next week's TWTW column. 

 

Rooster

[Enoon]

11 hours ago, Chris.B said:

Looks fun!  ????

It is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[The Hammer2021]

12 hours ago, Excel said:

Wonder how many idiots will lose fingers, hands, suffer facial disfigurement or worse, lose their lives this time round ?

Hundreds of thousands of people have great  fun

 

[The Hammer2021]

These rocket festivals are great  but many people don't  know that Phanom Phrai in Roiet is the best and biggest far exceeding Yasothon. Kalasin or Kuwa to be precise has the brilliant round rockets. I have followed  the rockets  all round Issan since 2016.

[The Hammer2021]

16 minutes ago, Enoon said:

It is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brilliant