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PHI TA KHON

Weird, Scary, Sexy & Very Thai 

3 Week Ghost festival in       JUNE / JULY 
dan sai  thailand

Phuruea-93” by Pol Tatham under CC BY- 2.0

A plane flying over a map

INFORMATION

One of Thailand's Most Fun Filled Festivals

2021-01-12%2019_58_15-Bangkok%2C%20Thail
A ghost

HIGHLIGHTS - Ghosts, Phalluses & Mud men

 

 

  • Bangkok 3N to Phitsanoluk 3N via Loei 4N - Phu Kradueng National Park 2N -                                                  Chiang Khan 4N - Khok Ngam 1N and Dan Sai 3N (Festival)

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  • Bangkok Highlights

  • Mekong Idyll

  • Camp on Phu Kradueng

  • Lunch on the Lake

  • Hot Spring Resort

  • Isaan Food

  • Robot 2029

  • Giant Thermometer

  • Mekong Sunsets

  • Floating Lunch

  • Road of Flowers

  • Chateau de Loei Winery

  • The Coldest spot in Thailand

  • One of Thailand's most beautiful Villages

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                              All travel information including hotels etc is at the bottom of this page

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  • Start the trip in Bangkok which is a major transport hub in S E Asia. You can usually find a good price to fly here with one of the airlines. Spend 3 nights here getting orientated. As a lot of the trips start here you will be given a range of activities just in case you've been here before. From seeing the major tourist sights to getting off the beaten track. Thailand is a major destination for food and there will be lots of recommendations.

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  • Fly up to the laid back Isaan (North East) city of Loei. You won't find a lot of package tourists in this province full of natural beauty. Stay in a very good value hotel in a park with a pool. Enjoy eating at the Night Market and Walking Street. The nightlife here is good with waterfront bars and Thai style night clubs.

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  • Head down to Phu Kradueng (Bell Mountain) for some fresh air, exercise and camping. Leave your main pack in town because you will be climbing up with your gear on your back. Don't worry there are rest stops and vendors on the way up and you can hire porters to carry your things quite cheaply. It's about a 5 hour climb so take your time and enjoy it. There are restaurants at the top and the bottom. There is a range of accommodation from tents, A Frame cabins and bungalows.

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  • There is a 60 square kilometer plateau on top with flora that is savannah and pine forest. You won't know if you're in Africa or Europe. The fauna includes elephants, macaques, jackals, deer, gibbons, bears and serows. There are waterfall, viewpoints, amazing sunrises and sunsets. There are lots of walks and bicycles for hire. It's a special place and great fun in the evenings. Many Thai students come here and play guitars and have sing alongs around the many camp fires. They will be very keen for you to join in. You'll make lots of friends.

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  • Return to Loei for a night before your next adventure. Unheard of by most westerners the historic little town of Chiang Khan is very popular with Thai tourists. Part of that history involves opium and rubber smuggling as well as cross border skirmishes.  It is the North East's best kept secret. Restored wooden houses set along a really scenic stretch of the Mekong River it has a really relaxed vibe and a very popular Walking street full of shops, restaurants, bars, hotels and anything else a good holiday requires.

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  • Once a part of a Lao Kingdom   it is compact and easy to walk or cycle around. Especially along the riverside promenade which stretches the length of the town. It is a foodies paradise with many must try local specialties. Some of these dishes are only available in this town and some of them are only available at one restaurant. There are also plenty of cafes with good coffee and cakes. It was once a Frech Colony. As well as having Thai, Lao, Vietnamese and Western choices. There is a Day market and a couple of Night markets with good eating. Find a nice river patio, order your food and drinks and wonder what the peasants are doing. Join Auntie Nang for a market visit and cooking lesson.

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  • For some more indulgence how about a Thai massage. You could make it part of your bicycle tour of the sights. Perhaps a boat cruise. East, West or maybe both. Head to the popular sunset spot for the view and sundowners. Many come here for the food stalls. You might want to hire a motor bike while you're here to get around to some of the many attractions, natural, cultural and historic. Or hire a tuk tuk for the day. It's a magic place to see the monks going for their morning rounds so set your clock.

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  • Back to Loei for the night. You'll almost be a local by now and will probably have your favourite restaurants and bars that you'll want to get back to. You'll need your own driver today as you have a few stops along the way. This is always easy to organise in Thailand. You'll be travelling along the "Road of Flowers" with beautifully quintessential Thai scenery through the mountains. Stop for brunch at the Huai Krathing Reservoir. This is the number one thing to do in the area. Spend a few hours floating around aimlessly taking in this stunning vista. Eat, drink, swim and relax. They tow your bamboo raft house out to the middle and anytime you want something just raise a flag or make a phone call and your wish will be their command. If you order fish it will be fresh out of the water and the vegies are grown nearby as well.

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  • On your way through you may want to stop in Phu Ruea and see the giant thermometer or visit the National Park. The reason they have a giant thermometer is because it is the coldest place in Thailand and they're proud of it. Leave yourself plenty of time because your hotel tonight has a Japanese style hot spring, steam room, good restaurant, massage with a view, lake and a fantastic warm water swimming pool. It's a great spot for star gazing. All set in some pretty wonderful scenery. Nearby is the Chateau de Loei Winery which you may want to visit and pick up some supplies. 

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  • Hope your feeling relaxed because it's about to get crazy. Today is the first day of the festival. Head off to Dan Sai and check into your hotel you booked a year ago. Hit the streets and enjoy the fun. See details below.

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  • After three days of non stop fun you'll probably need a rest. head over to Phitsanoluk the world capital for flying through the air fried morning glory vine. If you want to know what that means put your hand up and volunteer. Or just sit back with a drink in hand and have a good laugh. Stay in a nice riverside hotel in the centre of town. 

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  • Like everywhere you've been so far Phitsanoluk doesn't get a lot of western travellers so it remains an authentic Thai town. They do have bus groups stopping in for the Morning Glory. Spend a few days learning about it's history and trying local specialties. There is a tramway service around the city. You can go white water rafting. Later on head to the Night Market and Night Bazaar. A lot of the action happens down along the river.

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  • You can fly from here to Bangkok. You can also catch a train or a bus. You still have 10 days on your visa. You could catch the train to #97 Chiang Mai or see the old capital Sukhothai and the UNESCO listed Historical Park then catch a bus up to Chiang Mai.

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Boat on the Chao Phraya River

  Image by Michael J. M. Lang from Pixabay  

Image by Piyanut Suntaranil
Image by paolo candelo

  Photo by paolo candelo on Unsplash  

2021-01-12 21_07_57-File_Chiang Khan, Lo
Thai Massage-

  Image by Michael Gripp  from Pixabay  

Big Buddha

  Image by Puchong Doungbanyang  from Pixabay  

        PHI TA KHON

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DATE -

  • The first weekend after the sixth full moon on the Thai Lunar Calendar, usually late June or early July

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LENGTH -

  • 3 days Friday to Sunday

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HISTORY -

  • Believed to be based on the tale of the Buddha's second last reincarnation Prince Vessadorn  who was very generous and gave away his dad's white elephant who was renowned for bringing rain. The locals were so upset about it they banished him from to the forest. Eventually they let him back and held a parade and big celebration.

  • This is the story that is being re enacted at the festival complete with the spirits he met in the forest.

  • Part of the Bun Luang festival that has been going for 400 years.

 

WHERE -

  • Dan Sai, Loei Province 468 km north of Bangkok.

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ABOUT -

  • Begins on Friday with a colourful procession that ends up at the temple in the main street, Parade and rockets on day 2.

  • Two days of mayhem followed by a day of spiritual calm.

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INCLUDES -

  • Ghosts with huge wooden phallus's,

  • Home made rockets, parades, Buddhist rituals, lots of costumes, Mud men, Thai Fair,

  • Mischief, lots of music, souvenirs, beer garden, street food,

  • International dancers, games, cowbells, International mask wearers, T-shirts, Fridge magnets,

  • Rockets for sale at the temple. 

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HIGHLIGHT -

  • The main parade on the second day

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BRING -

  • Hat

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SAFETY -

  • Don't use a drone for photos

  • Beware of the rockets


PARTY FACTOR -

  • Costumes, Rice whiskey, Mischief and phalluses, sounds like a party

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TIPS -

  • Not a lot of foreign tourists,

  • It's actually 3 festivals,

  • Very friendly,

  • Plenty of masks for sale so you can join in the fun and the parade,

  • There is a mask museum,

  • Go early to the parade to get a good spot

Art of the world and an aeroplane flying around the world
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