My First Thai Rocket Festival – Bun Bang Fai in Rural Isan

When I moved to Thailand in 2021, I made two promises — to integrate with local people and experience real Thai festivals and traditions.

My first Bun Bang Fai rocket festival in rural Isan in June 2023 would go a long way towards both.

I’d certainly achieved the first, meeting some amazing Thai people, becoming friends and then marrying one of them. Taew had taught me so much that I was previously oblivious to, long before our wedding day, through our trips away in her car, and spending lots of time together.

There were times when I must have done her head in, asking questions about places and trying to speak Thai. I’d found a dream partner who had as much fun as I was having, laughing and helping me learn in a way that is always more conducive than lessons in the classroom. At least to me.

Once we moved full-time to Sisaket in March 2023, it was time to start attending local events, becoming accepted in our village along the way. I had been told that some foreigners married local women, but hardly stayed locally, as they found it boring and difficult to adapt to. I was determined that was not going to happen to me.

The Launch Pad

Discovering Bun Bang Fai

I’d done research of my own, watching YouTube videos and checking out Wikipedia and Google Maps, trying to find out as much information as I could. Therefore, I was vaguely aware of rocket festivals that took place near us in the northeast of the country. 

Bun Bang Fai, or simply Bun Fai, is one of the most famous traditional celebrations near us and in neighbouring Laos. While it is especially associated with Yasothon province, many others also celebrate with rocket launches, such as Roi Et. They are held each year before the rice-planting season, usually in May, combining Buddhist merit-making with older folk beliefs about fertility, rain, and agriculture. 

Villagers build enormous homemade rockets from bamboo and metal pipes packed with gunpowder, then parade them through town on elaborately decorated floats accompanied by music, dancing, and mor lam performances. The rockets are launched to symbolically ask Phaya Thaen, the sky god of rain in Isaan folklore, to send rain for the coming crops.

The Journey to the Festival

Then, out of nowhere, one Sunday morning, Taew announced that we were going to a Bun Fai. It didn’t take me long to get ready! Her mother got in the car, picking up her uncle and auntie and then heading past our nearest city, onto Rasisalai and then towards Suwannaphum.

Now, while I was no expert, I did know how to use Google Maps after being given a place to find. The elders held sway; Taew followed their instructions despite none of them having a map, only to be told that we should have followed my directions to Phanom Phrai.

My YouTube Video of the Day

We found the town and took directions from a local stallholder by the roadside. Heading down a country lane, it quickly became obvious that it was a big event attracting huge crowds. A homeowner with spare land turned it into a temporary car park and took some cash from us before we walked to the launch site.

It was a fair old trek, especially in hot conditions. I was carrying bags, making it even harder work. Lanes were packed with market stalls. It is said that the USA is the land of opportunity. After living in Thailand, I’m not so sure. We found the entrance and walked into somewhere, the likes of which I’d never experienced before.

Blankets were plonked down anywhere as people sat and got out their food and drink. There was no question of it having to be flat. Anywhere would do. It was not what I would describe as comfortable. Tired, hungry, thirsty, confused and hot, I decided to go for a walk to see what I could find.

The difference a cold beer and some chicken coated in crispy breadcrumbs can make to someone is incredible. I was a new man, wandering around and then finding the area where the rockets were being launched. The platforms were amazing structures, made of wood, strong enough to hold the huge rockets.

Crowds Gather

My First Rocket Launch

The sight and sound of seeing my first rocket being launched will live with me forever. I was confused about what was going on, loving every second of it. I found the area where the teams prepared their rockets ahead of their turn, and then quickly deduced that gambling was taking place. Illegal in Thailand, it probably resembled the old days at racecourses back in England, when the authorities turned a blind eye when receiving payments.

Indeed, while Thailand has very little horse racing, the event was quite probably their equivalent, as crowds headed out for the day into the countryside, had fun while eating and drinking with those wanting to, having a bet. That immediately made me inquisitive. How do they decide who is the winner, and what do they bet on each time?

Research told me that the rockets are placed into categories of size and weight. The overall winner is usually decided by which rocket flies the highest, straightest, and longest without exploding or failing at launch, as the judges watch for altitude, stability, and flight time. Betting and side wagers are taken on whether a rocket will launch successfully, how high it will go, how long it will stay in the air, or which village’s rocket will outperform the others. Rival villages often challenge each other for pride, honour, and local bragging rights as much as for money.

Some of the rockets disappear, some going several kilometres. I saw the judges' table next to the man commentating, but just how do they assess distances accurately and are they open to accepting gifts that might impair their decision-making? 

The other thing that crossed my mind was the thought that what goes up must come down. I wouldn’t want one of those rockets landing on my bonce, thank you. With that and plenty of other stuff puzzling me, like where the others were, I went to try and find them.

That was not as easy as it sounds, in an area with lots of trees, occasional clearings, and lots of people. Eventually, we were reunited. An excited me told the others what I had found in what limited Thai I could speak. I must have been like one of those villagers, westerners make fun of, pointing into the sky at a passing aeroplane.

Once I’d got my bearings, I returned to the launch pad, while watching others making an unmistakable noise as they took off, while lying on our blanket, trying to find a modicum of comfort, while locals commented on my wearing a Sisaket United shirt and being delighted I had shown an interest in local customs.

Eager Anticipation

Heading Home

Walking back was always going to be tiring, so I told the others I would carry everything and meet them at the car, dodging the led elephant wandering around the market, as its keeper hoped people would pay for a photo next to it. I planned to get ahead and relax with a beer while waiting for the others. 

Naturally enough, there were no vendors to be found further up the lane. Not to worry, we had a great day and refreshed ourselves in Sisaket.

My introduction to a Bun Fai rocket festival is something that I will never forget, with it being exciting, interesting and fun, but also hot, tiring, and at times uncomfortable.

Overall, this was a memorable experience that gave me a real insight into local life in rural Thailand. It’s experiences like this that make living in Thailand so interesting.

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.

Thanks for reading.