Poy Sang Long 2027: expected 31 March–5 April, Mae Hong Son's novice ordination parade

Poy Sang Long is the ordination of Shan (Tai Yai) boys as novice monks. Poy means a grand event, sang a novice, and long comes from alaung, meaning king. The boys are aged 7 to 14 and are usually ordained as a group.

Dressing as princes recalls Prince Siddhartha before he renounced the world. While in costume their feet must not touch the ground, so male relatives carry them on their shoulders, or they sometimes ride a horse.

In 2026 Wat Chong Kham in Mae Hong Son town held it from 31 March to 3 April. The 2027 edition is expected on 31 March–5 April.

Ordinations usually fall in the school holidays between March and May, and each temple sets its own dates, so temples in Mueang Mae Hong Son, Khun Yuam and Pai run on different schedules. Pick your temple first, then book flights and a room.

31 March: head-shaving for the sang long at Wat Chong Kham.

1 April: receiving the sang long. The boys are dressed as princes and taken in procession to pay respects to local spirits and the town's elders.

2 April (Hae Kho Lu): families carry offerings in procession along the town's roads, and a spirit-calling ceremony is held.

3 April: ordination in the temple hall, after which the boys are novices and the festival closes.

Wat Chong Kham is in Chong Kham subdistrict, Mueang Mae Hong Son, within walking distance of the town centre.

By air: Ezy Airlines' October 2026 schedule lists two daily Chiang Mai–Mae Hong Son flights, leaving Chiang Mai at 9.30 am and 2.40 pm and returning from Mae Hong Son at 10.50 am and 4 pm, about 50 minutes each way. Check the March–April schedule before you travel.

By road: Highway 1095 runs through the mountains via Pai, with a great many bends. If you get carsick, come prepared.

March and April are the hot season in northern Thailand. The processions are outdoors, and following them means long spells standing and walking in the sun, so bring a hat and water and keep to the roadside out of the way. The ordination itself happens inside the temple, so for visitors the processions on the second and third days are the main part.

Each ordination is organised by the boy's own family. Don't push into the procession or block its path, and don't interrupt relatives adjusting a boy's costume. Ask with a gesture before photographing the boys or their families.

At the temple, cover shoulders and knees and take off your shoes. Women should not touch monks. The ordination takes place inside the temple hall, so don't follow in to film unless invited.