I WAS TODAY IN THE CITY "DAN SAI"

LOEI PROVINCE

AND THERE WAS A VERY COLOURED FESTIVAL

"PHI TA KHON"

A LOOT OF LOCAL 'S

AND ONLY FEW "FARANG"

HERE SOME PICTURE'S

Phi Ta Khon is one of my favourite festivals, not least of all because its an actual local festival and not one that has been made up by the TAT.... No doubt Pattaya will be holding a Phi Ta Khon in the near future.

I first saw PTK in 1992, and have been to the festival several times since, my last visit being last year.

Over this time there has been a marked change, the first time I went there was distinct 'fertility rite' aspect to the festival - including men chasing and poking women with wooden phalic symbols, snaring reprsentations of female reproductive organs in nets and stabbing them with wooden phullii.

This had almost all disapeared by last year - shame its been changed so.

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The festival ends with launching rockets at the sky - not Yassathorn but a lot more 'accessible'.