A 10-meter-wide circular rocket, stuffed with black powder and spun by hand, roared into the sky above Ban Kut Wa, Thailand, on May 17, 2026. It was the largest rocket of its kind at the annual Bun Bang Fai festival, a tradition that predates the 9th century and asks a rain god to start the agricultural season.
A Pre-Buddist Ritual That Survived Centuries
The Bun Bang Fai festival, also called the Rocket Festival, takes place in northeastern Thailand and across Laos at the start of the rainy season. The practice began as a pre-Buddhist fertility ritual. Locals believe the rockets signal the god Phaya Thaen to bring rain for rice farming. The use of black powder in the rockets likely came from China, and the tradition has continued for more than 1,200 years.
How the Biggest Rockets Are Built and Launched
In Ban Kut Wa, a village in Kalasin province, the rockets are not simple tubes. They are circular gondola-shaped devices called bang fai talai, or firework pinwheels. A central metal column holds black powder, with holes drilled along the underside to release thrust. Bamboo and wood form the circular outer frame. The rockets are placed on launch stands with rotating tops. Teams light them with gas torches and spin the rockets by hand before release. The result is a helix-shaped smoke trail and an oscillating roar as the rocket flies upward.
Rockets come in different size classes: pan (1,000), muen (10,000), sen (100,000), lan (1,000,000), and the very large sip lan (10,000,000) and yee sip lan (20,000,000) classes. The largest, with a diameter of 10 meters, are usually only launched in Phanom Phrai and Ban Kut Wa because of safety concerns. The rockets are hoisted onto angled platforms and ignited electrically.
A Multi-Day Celebration in Small Villages
Throughout May and June, villages and regional cities hold their own Bun Bang Fai festivals. The events last several days and include parades, traditional music, and dance performances. The final day is reserved for launching rockets near open rice fields, away from populated areas. The modern rockets are made from PVC pipes, but the purpose remains the same: to call on Phaya Thaen for rain.
For the people of northeastern Thailand, the festival is not just a spectacle. It is a practical and spiritual act tied to the start of the farming season. The rockets are a plea for water, a request made with fire and noise, and a tradition that has outlasted empires.
