{"schema_version":"v1","type":"trip_article","slug":"bun-bang-fai","locale":"en","canonical_url":"https://www.voucherdata.asia/trips/bun-bang-fai","updated_at":"2026-10-13T15:00:00+00:00","headline":"Bun Bang Fai 2027: Yasothon's rain-calling rocket festival, expected 7–9 May","one_sentence_summary":"Yasothon's rocket festival ran on 8–10 May 2026, and the next is expected on 7–9 May 2027. Villages across Isan fire homemade bamboo rockets before the rains to call for rain, and Yasothon's is the best known.","facts":[{"label":"When","value":"8–10 May 2026, the second weekend of May. The 2027 edition is expected on 7–9 May, with the exact dates set by Yasothon Province","source":"https://www.thailandnow.in.th/?p=8840","sourceLabel":"ThailandNow"},{"label":"Where","value":"Phaya Thaen Park in Yasothon town. The parade comes along Chaeng Sanit Road into the park","source":"https://www.theasianaffairs.com/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026-parade-launch-guide/","sourceLabel":"The Asian Affairs"},{"label":"Getting there","value":"About 1.5 hours by bus or taxi from Ubon Ratchathani. Overnight buses run daily from Bangkok's Mo Chit terminal","source":"https://www.theasianaffairs.com/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026-parade-launch-guide/","sourceLabel":"The Asian Affairs"},{"label":"The three days","value":"Folk singing and dancing on Friday night, the rocket parade on Saturday, and the big launches and competition on Sunday","source":"https://www.thailandnow.in.th/?p=8840","sourceLabel":"ThailandNow"},{"label":"The rockets","value":"Bamboo tubes packed with 20 to 25 kilograms of gunpowder, often decorated with gilded carving and a naga","source":"https://www.thailandnow.in.th/?p=8840","sourceLabel":"ThailandNow"},{"label":"Cost","value":"Watching the parade from the street and the launches from the viewing areas in Phaya Thaen Park is mostly free","source":"https://www.theasianaffairs.com/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026-parade-launch-guide/","sourceLabel":"The Asian Affairs"}],"city_tabs":{"yasothon":{"title":"Isan · Yasothon","bullets":["The main venue is Phaya Thaen Park, and the parade comes in along Chaeng Sanit Road","Yasothon has few hotels, and many visitors stay in Ubon and drive in","Cover shoulders and knees if you visit temples such as Wat Maha That"],"source":"https://www.theasianaffairs.com/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026-parade-launch-guide/","sourceLabel":"The Asian Affairs"}},"faq":[{"q":"When is the Rocket Festival in 2027?","a":"The 2026 edition took place on 8–10 May. Yasothon usually holds it on the second weekend of May, so 7–9 May is expected in 2027, with the exact dates set by Yasothon Province.","sources":["https://thailand.go.th/event-detail/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026","https://www.thailandnow.in.th/?p=8840"]},{"q":"How do you get to Yasothon?","a":"Most people fly to Ubon Ratchathani and take a bus or taxi to Yasothon, about 1.5 hours. From Bangkok, overnight buses leave Mo Chit terminal daily.","sources":["https://www.theasianaffairs.com/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026-parade-launch-guide/"]},{"q":"Why are the rockets fired into the sky?","a":"The festival comes from an Isan rain-calling tradition. In the legend, the Toad King, Phaya Khankhak, defeated the rain god Phaya Thaen, who promised to send rain whenever people fired rockets into the sky.","sources":["https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bun_Bang_Fai","https://www.thailandnow.in.th/?p=8840"]},{"q":"How do you stay safe at the launches?","a":"Stay behind the barriers. Some rockets fail to ignite and others explode on the launch pad, so never cross the barrier for a photo.","sources":["https://www.theasianaffairs.com/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026-parade-launch-guide/"]},{"q":"Where should you stay?","a":"Yasothon has very few rooms, so many visitors stay in Ubon Ratchathani and travel in each day, about 1.5 hours each way.","sources":["https://www.theasianaffairs.com/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026-parade-launch-guide/"]},{"q":"Do you need tickets?","a":"Watching the parade from the street and the launches from the viewing areas in Phaya Thaen Park is mostly free.","sources":["https://www.theasianaffairs.com/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026-parade-launch-guide/"]}],"sources":["https://thailand.go.th/event-detail/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026","https://www.thailandnow.in.th/?p=8840","https://www.theasianaffairs.com/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026-parade-launch-guide/","https://www.thailand.go.th/event-detail/yasothon-bun-bang-fai-rocket-festival-16-18-may-2025-chaeng-sanit-road-yasothon?hl=en","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bun_Bang_Fai"],"key_takeaways":[{"text":"The rocket festival comes from Isan's rain-calling tradition. Each province holds its own before the rains, and Yasothon's is the best known.","date":"2026-05-08","scope":"festival","source_url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bun_Bang_Fai","source_label":"en.wikipedia.org"},{"text":"In 2026 the grand parade was on Saturday 9 May, assembling at 15:30, with the big launches on Sunday.","date":"2026-05-08","scope":"festival","source_url":"https://thailand.go.th/event-detail/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026","source_label":"thailand.go.th"},{"text":"Stay behind the barriers at the launches: some rockets fail to ignite and some explode on the pad.","date":"2026-05-08","scope":"festival","source_url":"https://www.theasianaffairs.com/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026-parade-launch-guide/","source_label":"The Asian Affairs"}],"reading_outline":[{"id":"executive-summary","label":"Summary"},{"id":"city-routes","label":"Places and routes"},{"id":"rules","label":"Before you go"},{"id":"faq","label":"FAQ"},{"id":"sources","label":"Sources"}],"topic":{"chain":["trips","thailand-festivals","bun-bang-fai"]},"status":"published","hero_image":{"src":"/hero/bun-bang-fai.webp","alt":"Bun Bang Fai 2027: Yasothon's rain-calling rocket festival, expected 7–9 May"},"editorial":{"tagline":"Teams whose rockets misfire get thrown in the mud","paragraphs":["Yasothon usually holds its rocket festival on the second weekend of May, centred on Phaya Thaen Park in town. Provinces across Isan, including Roi Et, Kalasin, Udon Thani and Nong Khai, hold their own versions, and Yasothon's is the best known.","Farming in Isan depends on the rain, and firing rockets is a way of asking the sky for it. In the local legend, the Toad King, Phaya Khankhak, fought the rain god Phaya Thaen and won, and the god promised to send rain whenever people sent rockets up to him. The park is named after that god.","The rockets are bamboo tubes packed with 20 to 25 kilograms of gunpowder, often decorated with gilded carving and a naga. In Saturday's parade, teams bring their decorated rockets along Chaeng Sanit Road into the park, with folk dance troupes in traditional dress.","Sunday is launch day. The big rockets are fired from tall wooden towers and judged on how long they stay in the air. By custom, teams whose rockets fail to ignite or blow up on the tower are thrown into the mud pit."]},"guide":{"lede":"The big rockets go up on Sunday only, with the parade on Saturday, so seeing both means staying the whole weekend. Yasothon has few rooms, and many visitors base themselves in Ubon, about an hour and a half away by road.","sections":[{"heading":"How the dates are set","body":"There is no national date. Towns and villages across Isan set their own, mostly in May before the rains. Yasothon keeps to roughly the same weekend each year, the next edition is estimated on that pattern, and the province announces the official dates."},{"heading":"The three days","body":"Friday night has folk singing and dancing. Saturday is the grand parade, which assembled at 15:30 in 2026, with decorated rockets and folk dance troupes moving along Chaeng Sanit Road into Phaya Thaen Park. Sunday is for the big launches, with teams competing on flight time. To see the main launches you need to stay until Sunday."},{"heading":"Getting there","body":"By air: fly to Ubon Ratchathani International Airport, then take a bus or taxi to Yasothon, about 1.5 hours.\n\nBy bus: overnight buses leave Bangkok's Mo Chit terminal for Yasothon every day."},{"heading":"Heat, noise and mud","body":"Isan is very hot in May, and the parade and launches are outdoors, often with hours of standing in the sun. The launches are loud, failed teams are thrown into the mud pit and people nearby can get splashed. If you mind heat, noise or dirty clothes, the Saturday parade alone may be enough."},{"heading":"Where to stay","body":"Yasothon has very few rooms, and they are harder to get during the festival. Many visitors stay in Ubon Ratchathani and travel in each day. If you want to stay in Yasothon, book early."},{"heading":"Costs","body":"Watching the parade from the street and the launches from the viewing areas in Phaya Thaen Park is mostly free. The main costs are transport and a room."},{"heading":"What to wear and etiquette","body":"Bring a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen and water, and wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty and wet. If you visit temples such as Wat Maha That, cover your shoulders and knees. Do not block the parade or teams preparing a launch, and do not touch the rockets or decorations."},{"heading":"Safety at the launches","body":"Always stay behind the barriers. Some rockets fail to ignite, others explode on the launch pad, and the big Sunday rockets fired from tall towers do not always fly straight. Never cross the barrier for a photo, and keep children towards the back of the viewing area."}]},"kind":"festival","available_locales":["zh-TW","en","th","id"],"event_start_date":"2026-05-08","event_end_date":"2026-05-10","dates_estimated":false,"next_edition":{"start_date":"2027-05-07","end_date":"2027-05-09","estimated":true,"source":"https://thailand.go.th/event-detail/yasothon-rocket-festival-2026"},"offers":[{"id":"th-esim","title":{"zh-TW":"泰國 5G eSIM（AIS）","en":"Thailand 5G eSIM (AIS)","th":"eSIM 5G ประเทศไทย (AIS)","id":"eSIM 5G Thailand (AIS)"},"merchant":"klook","utility":"esim","landing_url":"https://www.voucherdata.asia/go/bun-bang-fai?o=th-esim&locale=en&src=data","checked_at":"2026-10-13"}]}