Illuminated Boat Procession in Nakhon Phanom

The Illuminated Boat Procession in Nakhon Phanom will take place on 12-20 October this year. The illuminated boat procession or Lai Ruea Fai in thai is a tradition of the Northeastern people existing for centuries. It marks the end of Buddhist Lent. Legend says that the Lord Buddha spent the entire Buddhist Lent period in Heaven and returned to Earth at the end. To pay respect to Him, boats were decorated with flowers, incense sticks, candles, and lanterns and launched on the Mekong River in the evening. Originally, the boats were made of bamboo or banana tree trunks and decorated. nowadays, with competitions to find the most beautiful illuminated boat, the boats are a lot more impressive.

To go to Nakhon Phanom (in Isan near Lao border), here are the time tables for buses Bangkok to Nakhon Phanom. Count between 10 and 12 hours to get there. Otherwise Nok Air offers two daily fligths from Bangkok.

For more information, you can contact Nakhon Phanom TAT Office (Tourism Authority of Thailand): 042 513 490