The Bun Bang Fai festival is usually held in May of every year.
Home-made rockets roaring into the skies, dirty humor, cross-dressing parades, mud fests and lots of rice wine – the centuries-old Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival Thailand, or Bun Bang Fai, held in May is amongst the country’s most memorable events.
When: Friday, 9th May, 2025
Where to Go: Rocket Festival in Thailand Phaya Thaen park, Yasothon
This ancient festival is a merit-making ceremony that involves firing homemade rockets toward the heavens to captivate the rain gods and hopes for a good monsoon season before the crop plantations take place.
The rockets are launched as a gesture of homage to Phaya Thaen, the god of rain, for a good monsoon season. A good monsoon is particularly important for achieving a good rice harvest season in Thailand.
Bun Bang Fai is widely celebrated in the Northeast of Thailand, which includes the provinces of Yasothon, Roi Et, Kalasin, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Maha Sarakham, Sisaket, Nong Bua Lamphu, Loei, and Amnat Charoen, as well as some provinces in the North.
Yasothon province generally organizes the Rocket Festival on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the second weekend in May, which this year falls on May 10th–12th, 2024.
It is considered an important tradition in Isaan.
Isaan people have believed that if the Boon Bang Fai festival is not held in any year, the sky and rain will not fall during that season, causing drought and no water for farming.
However, if the Boon Bang Fai festival is held in any year, the rain will fall in abundance.
When the day of the festival is approaching, Isaan people, no matter where they are, will return home to join the Boon Bang Fai Festival, which is an event that creates love and unity among the local people.