Thailand
Phi Ta Khon 2027: dates to be announced (usually June–July), the Dan Sai mask parade in Loei
At a glance
- Dates
- Next dates to be announced
- Where
- Dan Sai district office and Wat Phon Chai, Loei
- Getting there
- About 80 km by road from Loei town on Highways 203 and 2013
- Cost
- Phi Ta Khon Museum at Wat Phon Chai is free to visit
- Limits
- Take shoes off in temple halls, dress modestly, do not block parades
The 2026 edition has passed · Next dates will be added once announced (usually June to early July)
Dates last checked: 13 October 2026
The festival
Masks carved from coconut frond stalks and crowned with rice steamers
Each Phi Ta Khon mask has a face shaped from the thick base of a coconut frond stalk, with a woven bamboo steamer of the kind used for sticky rice sewn on top, which makes the wearer a head taller. The festival in Dan Sai district, Loei, is part of Bun Luang, a merit-making festival, and in 2026 it ran from 20 to 22 June.
Its story comes from the Vessantara Jataka, one of the Buddha's past lives. When Prince Vessantara returned to his city, the townspeople and the spirits of the forest came out to celebrate, and the masked ghosts are those spirits.
In 2026 the first day was given to the invocation of Phra Upakut, and the second was the main ceremonial day, when the masked procession took to the streets. In the programme published by the Tourism Authority of Thailand in past years, this is also the day of the official opening outside the Dan Sai District Office and of the bamboo rockets.
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Prices and ratings checked 13 Oct 2026
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Details
Dan Sai is a small town with few hotels and homestays, so book as soon as the 2027 dates are out. Before the 2023 festival, rooms in Dan Sai and neighbouring Phu Ruea were fully booked.
The 2027 dates and recent years
The 2027 dates have not been announced. Phi Ta Khon is not tied to a calendar date; Dan Sai sets the days by local tradition. Recent editions ran 1–3 July 2022, 23–25 June 2023, 7–9 July 2024, 28–30 June 2025 and 20–22 June 2026.
Location and getting there
The festival is in Dan Sai district, Loei. The opening takes place in front of the district office and temple rites at Wat Phon Chai. From Loei town it is about 80 km by road: follow Highway 203, turn right onto Highway 2013 at around km 66, and continue about 15 km into Dan Sai. The nearest airport is Loei (LOE), and long-distance buses run from Bangkok to Loei, from where you continue to Dan Sai.
Where to stay
Rooms in town are limited. If you miss out, look in neighbouring Phu Ruea district or Loei town and drive into Dan Sai early on parade day.
The Bun Luang rites
Phi Ta Khon is part of Bun Luang, a merit-making festival, and the religious rites run through all three days. In 2025 the first day opened with a bai si su khwan blessing for Chao Pho Kuan and Chao Mae Nang Tiam at Chao Pho Kuan's house, and Phra Upakut was invoked on the riverbank between the Man and Sok streams. The opening day brought, alongside the masked groups, processions for Prince Vessantara and for Chao Pho Kuan and Chao Mae Nang Tiam, plus a ceremony for discarding the masks. The last day was given to 13 Mahachat sermons at Wat Phon Chai.
The masks: how they are made and where to buy one
There are two kinds: small masks anyone can wear in the parade (Phi Ta Khon Lek), and the big ghosts (Phi Ta Khon Yai), made to traditional rules, which lead the procession. A small mask has a face cut from the base of a coconut frond stalk, a headpiece made from an old woven sticky-rice steamer and horns from dried coconut spathes. It was traditionally coloured with lime, ash, turmeric and soot; oil paint is common now. The Phi Ta Khon Museum in Wat Phon Chai has a mask-making demonstration, and its souvenir corner sells small masks and ceramic Phi Ta Khon figures.
Temple etiquette
The spirit invocation and the sermons are religious rites. Take off your shoes in temple halls, dress modestly, and don't block the procession during the parade.
Good to know
- The three days in 2026
- 20 June: invocation of Phra Upakut. 21 June: the main ceremonial day, with the Phi Ta Khon procession. 22 June: Mahachat sermons, closing the festival's religious programme.
- Bun Luang rites in 2025
- 28 June: a bai si su khwan blessing for Chao Pho Kuan and Chao Mae Nang Tiam at Chao Pho Kuan's house, and the invocation of Phra Upakut between the Man and Sok streams. 29 June: the opening outside the district office, the mask parade and a ceremony for discarding the masks. 30 June: 13 Mahachat sermons at Wat Phon Chai.
- The masks
- There are two kinds: the small masks anyone can wear in the parade (Phi Ta Khon Lek), and the two big ghosts (Phi Ta Khon Yai) made to traditional rules, which lead the procession. The face is shaped from the thick base of a coconut frond stalk and sewn to a used woven sticky-rice steamer (huad) that forms the headpiece. The nose is carved separately from softwood, and the mask was traditionally painted with natural pigments; oil paint is common now.
- From Loei town
- About 80 km: Highway 203, then right onto Highway 2013 at around km 66, and another 15 km to Dan Sai. The Phra That Si Song Rak stupa is about 1 km beyond the town.
- Rooms at festival time
- Ahead of the 2023 festival, rooms in Dan Sai and Phu Ruea districts were fully booked.
- Phi Ta Khon Museum
- Inside Wat Phon Chai, open daily 08:00–17:00 with free admission. It has a mask-making demonstration, and its souvenir corner sells small masks and ceramic Phi Ta Khon figures.
- Enquiries
- TAT Loei Office: +66 (0) 4281 2812, +66 (0) 4281 1405, tatloei@tat.or.th.
FAQ
6
What happens on each day?
Day one has the Phra Upakut invocation and a blessing for Chao Pho Kuan, day two the opening and the mask parade, and day three the sermons at Wat Phon Chai.
Where is it held?
In Dan Sai district, Loei. The opening is in front of the Dan Sai District Office, and temple rites and sermons are at Wat Phon Chai.
Can you see the masks outside the festival?
Yes. The Phi Ta Khon Museum inside Wat Phon Chai is open year-round and free, with masks and costumes on display.
What are the masks made of?
The face comes from the thick base of a coconut frond stalk, the headpiece is an old sticky-rice steamer, and the two are sewn together and painted.
Where can I buy a mask?
The souvenir corner at the Phi Ta Khon Museum sells small masks, and craft markets run during the festival.
Who can confirm the latest details?
The TAT Loei Office: +66 (0) 4281 2812, +66 (0) 4281 1405 or tatloei@tat.or.th.
Date sources
12
- thailand.prd.go.th
- tatnews.org · Bun Luang and Phi Ta Khon Festival 2024 to Take Place 7 9 July
- tatnews.org · Bun Luang and Phi Ta Khon Festival 2023 Scheduled From 23 25 June
- tatnews.org
- lovethailand.org · 2969 Phi Ta Khon Museum
- en.wikipedia.org · Phi Ta Khon
- so03.tci-thaijo.org
- lovethailand.org · 2963 Phra That Si Song Rak
- mgronline.com
- tatnews.org · June Events Calendar
- thairath.co.th (1)
- thairath.co.th (2)
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