Loei Province

Phi Ta Khon is the festival that I want to join for many years. The trip starts at Big C on Friday night. We reach Amphoe Dan Sai at Loei Province in the morning.

Our first stop is at Wat Neramit Wipattasana located on a hillside. Inside of the temple is a replica of Phra Phutthachinnarat (of Phitsanulok Province) enshrined.

Next at Phra That Si Song Rak
Located on the bank of the Man River, this large Lao-style pagoda similar to that of Phra That Phanom houses relics of the Lord Buddha. Phra That Si Song Rak is a plaster-covered brick pagoda with a square base of 11 meters on each side. The pagoda itself is 32 meters high. Built in the Ayutthaya period in 1560 as a symbol of camaraderie between Ayutthaya and Si Sattana Khanahut (Vientiane).

Tips for visitors: As the pagoda is built for friendship and peace, red attire and red flowers are prohibited as the color denotes violence.
http://www.tourismthailand.org

We then join the Phi Ta Khon Festival. At first our group walk together, but with many tourists both Thai and foreigners packed on the street, I finally find myself walking alone.


Phi Ta Khon is an utterly unique celebration during the Bun Luang Festival, the biggest yearly merit-making ceremony of entertainment, the locals believe that it is also rain-making ceremony.

A "good manner" of younger "Phi" group.
Look at the way they sit for us to take their pictures.

The most interesting part of the festival is the uniqueness of the costumes. The participants wear a ghost mask, made of a colourful bamboo sticky rice steamer, and dress in a costume made of many pieces of fabric sewn together. The masked “ghosts” have a special bell that they wear around their waists. The first activity, which normally starts in the Phra Uppakhut image. In the afternoon, many colourful parades commence. Both small and large Phi Ta Khons will participate in the procession of Budhisattra Vessantara, the Buddha’s penultimate incarnation into the city. There is also a rocket procession. Each village will make their own parade for the competition and other cultural performances.

An actress-actor couple: Cindy and Byron.

In the afternoon we head back to Thap boek, Phetchabun Province to stay overnight.

At Ban Thap Boek, vegetables, especially cabbage, will be planted with no watering due to 2 seasons; namely, the rainy season and winter. No doubt that it will become a dish of our tonight dinner.