Every year, the usually peaceful town of Dan Sai in Thailand’s Loei province takes on a new energy as it celebrates the traditional Phi Ta Khon festival.
Part of the Buddhist holiday “Bun Luang”, Phi Ta Khon is a colourful and visual spectacular of fireworks, merit-making, lanterns, and masked “ghosts” and “spirits” dancing through the streets. The festival is an important event in the calendar for Loei as it is a festival of worship, giving thanks to the spirits and protectors of the villages in the province.
Although the precise origins of the festival remain undecided, Phi Ta Khon is one of Thailand’s unique and most well known festivals, happening each year on the first weekend after the sixth full moon, with this year’s festivities taking place on 24 to 26 June.
The three-day event begins with residents dressed in colourful ghost costumes invoking protection from the local spirits, followed by the Rocket Festival on the second day, where homemade bamboo rockets or “Bang Fai” are let off, in the hopes of producing rainfall. The festival commences on the third day, where crowds gather at the local temples to receive blessings from the Buddhist monks.
To celebrate the upcoming Phi Ta Khon festival and offer visitors the chance to join in the festivities, Loei Palace is offering a special package for stays from 1 to 30 June 2016 and includes; a special Thai set dinner menu at Botun or Wine de Bay restaurant, early check in and late check out, and complimentary Wi-Fi.
Conveniently located in the centre of town, Loei Palace offers comfortable accommodation with spacious guest rooms and suites, great facilities, and warm hospitality. Loei province is a seven-hour drive from Bangkok, and car transfers from Udon Thani Airport to the hotel can be arranged.
