Cycling to a Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival in Rural Thailand

Readers of this blog know how much I enjoy Thailand’s Bun Bang Fai celebrations.

Well, it was that time of year again. Auntie Lamyong usually informs my wife Taew if anything is going on, and sure enough, one Thursday night, I was told of a Bun Bang Fai parade the following afternoon, followed by rockets being launched on the Saturday. 

As it turned out, I couldn’t make the first day, but I was certainly up for day two.

A Challenge Lies Ahead

Part of the attraction was finding where the fun was taking place. From what I could ascertain, it was the Nong Hai district that was staging the event, but that covered many villages. Taew told me it was near Wat Bang Ko, a temple near a music and stage party I’d had to leave early, such was the noise.

The village where the Bun Bang Fai launch was taking place was called Ban Ko Non Long, somewhere I had cycled through before on one of my longer routes around the area. Taew wanted to work on her garden, so I set off on my bike, confident I’d find the right place.

The sight and sound of a rocket before I left Suan Kluai was a strong hint. I rode through smoke on the road, as farmers burnt the stubble in their fields in readiness for planting rice ahead of the rain.

Reaching Ban Ko, I decided to ask an old lady sitting outside her house if it was the way to the festival, thinking her lane might lead to the crowds I saw in the distance across the fields as I cycled. My question was obviously delivered poorly or lost in translation, as she pointed to the sky, as if to tell me where the rockets were.

Problem Solved

I couldn’t help but laugh, going past the temple, and a small shop that rescued me when I tried to avoid the noise, with my chest vibrating and me extremely concerned, a few years previously. They sat me down that night and served me beer before Taew’s cousin drove me home.

Many motorbikes and scooters were passing me, and before long, they turned left just past the small settlement of Non Long to go through a farm. A large sign pointed the way, and I soon arrived in the busy field where cars were parked. I was met with a familiar scene.

A Sizeable Event

It looked to be quite a sizeable event, with many stalls set out, and a large bouncy castle in place for the kids. Many of the crowd had put up gazebos, possibly with each set of villagers or competitors staying together. Wah was there with some friends, enjoying drinks and probably betting on teach rocket's performance.

I buzzed in and out of the crowds, settling on some soft drinks to rehydrate. It had been far hotter than I appreciated. There were plenty of opportunities for me to film clips for the video I was collating for my YouTube Channel, with some real characters turning out for what was likely to be one of their highlights of the year.

My Video of the Festivities

While my spoken Thai was far from perfect, I could communicate a little, which was useful with so many happy smiling faces wanting to talk and be my friend, between each launch, which in general had gaps of ten to fifteen minutes between each one. 

It was more than obvious that gambling was taking place, with a couple of launches being delayed until all wagers were placed.

A Ride Home to Consider

I allowed myself a small beer, wary of having around 8km to cycle home. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours. While I enjoyed my independence, it would have been nice to be part of a group to share the fun with others between launches.

I was about to leave when Auntie Lamyong appeared. I’m not sure how long she’d been there, but she looked slightly downcast. Perhaps her luck was out when predicting outcomes.

The ride home was gentle and interrupted for an ice cream up the road, then passing a new home where a housewarming party was about to take place, and to stop once more to watch a final launch away in the distance.

Once again, a Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival proved to be great fun and an ideal way to meet new people and for me to practice speaking some Thai.

If you enjoyed this story, feel free to check out my YouTube Channel, where I share videos about everyday life in Thailand, local football, and travel across the country, including this outing to the Bun Bang Fai.

Thanks for reading.