Thailand may not have sent anyone to the moon but did you know we’re no stranger to launching rockets into the sky? Every year hundreds of homemade rockets of all shapes and sizes are launched during the rocket festival in Laos and Isaan (the northeastern part of Thailand) called Bun Bung Fai. This shared ancient tradition sees communities gathering and celebrating the start of the rainy season with vibrant parades, song and dance and most importantly, rockets!
Rocket floats decorated to resemble Phaya Nak (Image source | Thai Health)
Usually held across two days in May or June, this vibrant festival starts off with elaborately decorated rocket floats being paraded through the streets. A lot of them have been made to resemble the image of Phaya Nak or the The Great Naga and colourful fabrics are draped below with intricate Thai patterns drawn as decoration. Amongst the floats, groups of traditional Thai dancers put on beautiful performances and ensembles of traditional Thai musicians follow. The parade ends at a temple where rockets are gathered and more performances and games continue.
(Image Source | Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
(Image source | Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Day 2 is all about the rockets or bung fai, from small to large and even fancy ones. Bung means cylindrical objects in the Isaan dialect and fai means fire. People gather in an open field with launching structures to watch these fire up one by one, making trails up into the sky as they roar. Traditionally these were made with bamboo filled with a mixture of roasted and pounded saltpetre and charcoal to make meu or gunpowder, however nowadays PVC pipes are often used instead. Different categories of bung fai are named according to their size, bung fai muen are considered mid-sized containing 12 kg of gunpowder, bung fai saen are large and hold over 120 kg of gunpowder and there’s even bung fai laan! (Note – the Thai number goes from muen, ten thousand, saen, hundred thousand and laan, million) In some provinces, competitions are also held and awards are given out to the rocket that flew the highest.
3..2..1.. Launch! (Image source | Diwerent)
Bung fai talai laan (Image source | Thailand Festival page)
Despite the spectacles, Bun Bung Fai isn’t just for fun and games. It is an important time for people in the region to make merit and show respect to the deities, a must for a peaceful life. According to the legend, there was a Prince who was born with the complexion of a toad. After diligently practicing his dhamma and living a virtuous life, his goodness changed the appearance of his skin. As he was crowned, people grew to love, respect and worship him as Phaya Khan Kak or Toad King. He looked after his people and worked to solve their issues, causing them to stop relying on wishes and offerings made to Phraya Thaen, the deity who has influence on the rain, wind and weather.
A 5-storey high Toad Museum in Yasothon with exhibitions on the legend of Phaya Khan Kak inside (Image source | Rewat-wannasuk-2561)
This angered him greatly and led him to shut the entrances to the heavenly pools which Phaya Naks usually swim in. With no Phaya Naks playing in the pools, the water stopped spilling over and falling into the human realm as rain. Without rainfall there is drought and the people and animals in the human world suffered greatly. After 7 years, the construction of a bridge into the heavenly realm was ready and Phaya Khan Kak led a large army of humans and animals to fight Phraya Thaen. With the victory of the Toad King, the deity promised to release rain and the two came to an agreement. To let Phraya Thaen know when to start releasing rain, people will send a signal up to him, the sound of toads and frogs will confirm to him that rain has reached the human realm. Once harvesting season comes and people want the rain to stop, they will create a loud noise by swinging a musical instrument called wod as a signal to the deity.
Until this day, Bun Bung Fai remains an important tradition for people in Laos and Isaan to show respect and ask the deity for rain. This year the biggest festivities in Thailand are being held in Yasothon over a 3-day event from 16 – 18 May 2025.
A farmer swinging a wod to signal to the deity (Image source | Matichon Weekly)