#  >  > Thailand Festivals, Beaches, Scuba Diving and Temples, Tell us Your Tales >  >  > Thailands Festivals and Celebrations >  >  Yasothon Rocket Festival May 15th

## dirtydog

*ROCKET FESTIVAL*

*Yasothon's big bang*






The Northeastern province gets ready for its annual Bung Fai Festival
Yasothon, 600 kilometres northeast of Bangkok, is getting ready to launch its trademark rockets into the sky from May 13 to 15.

The  rockets, the highlights of the annual Bung Fai Festival, mean no harm  to Laos, Cambodia or even to neighbouring villages, but are aimed at the  heavens and convey a very important message to the gods: "let the rain  pour down on our fields".

Like many festivals in Thailand, Bung  Fai "literally rockets of fire" would not be complete without plenty of  fun and crazy activities. Drawing upwards of 50,000 spectators, the  event features a rocket competition, crazy mud dances and plenty of  eating and drinking.

This year the Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese  and Lao teams will joy the Bung Fai Festival, trying to outdo the local  "rocket science".

On the first few days, the locals will leave their routine work behind, and head to the local temples for rocket making.

Out  on the empty Isaan plains, Yasothon folk don't need quantum physics to  make their rockets fly into the blue sky. Led by monks, who seem to have  the formula, these rural engineers put the gunpowder inside a long  plastic pipe. The secret lies in how to make the rocket fly high.

Once  the rockets are done, they're loaded on to floats. Pulled by handsome  bulls, the procession marches around the town allowing visitors to  admire the gigantic missiles up close. In between the procession of  floats, are groups of white-powdered men wearing frog masks and doing a  weird dance.

The whole atmosphere is an unfakeable indicator of the style and emotion of Isaan.

On  launch day, Sunday, May 15, thousands of people will converge in  Yasothon's civic park. Projectiles will be shooting off everywhere - big  ones every half hour, small ones all the time. Groups of monks sit  under the trees while families wander past the vendors selling beer, lao  khao liquor, chicken, wooden phalluses and balloons.

The crowd  thickens where the giant rocket launchers stand at the far end of the  park. The respectable-sized rockets, which roar off every 30 minute, are  made of blue PVC drainage pipe and packed with explosives.

The  higher the rockets go, say the locals, the more rain will come. The  higher the rockets go, say the gamblers, the more they'll win on their  wagers. But not every rocket will fly. If yours didn't go anywhere, your  team could expect an embarrassing treat - dancing in the mud until you  look like walking cookies.

There is plenty of shouting.

To  bring forth good rains for wealth and for survival. Most do, but some  don't - generally those that are too big, too powerful and way too  ambitious.

*IF YOU GO*

The Rocket Festival  takes place in Yasothon from May 13 to 15. The hotels are usually fully  booked. If you drive, take a tent, you can pitch it in the temple  grounds. Mukdahan province, a short drive from Yasothon, is your best  bet for a comfy bed.

*The Nation*

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## Thai Pom

I spent the weekend up there last year for the "festival".  It is really amazing what these farmers can do with lot of gunpowder and some blue water pipe.  Well worth a visit if you are in the vacinity.

Cheers, TP

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## bobo746

Thais and fireworks that can only lead too tears

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## BobR

Some times this place is amazing; if you sent something like that into airspace at home (USA) without the proper clearance, they would lock you up for years.  Especially if there was an airport within 20 kilometers.

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