Phi Ta Khon Dansai

[ceejay]

This is a short trip report on a visit I made to Dansai, in Loei province, in the first week of July, to see the Phi Ta Khon festival. This is, as with many Thai festivals, a mix of animism and Buddhism, as well as being an excuse for a massive party.
Loei province borders Laos, and is to the West of Nong Khai. Dansai itself is a small, and I would guess, usually quiet town right up by the Lao border.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6092/6316013673_90dab81675_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316013673/)
Although it was a bit livelier at night, this being festival time:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6060/6316546190_63be4e1a01_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316546190/)
There was also an area to the rear of the local fresh food market, that had been set up as an open air food court. That's where I ate most nights:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6039/6315966791_e0a1358b9f_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6315966791/)
That had a stage at one end with all kinds of show on - Mor Lam bands, school dancing troupes, even fat katoeys (which are not an invention made in Boystown!)
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6315964241_dfc92ed2b7_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6315964241/)

The action normally takes place over two days, Saturday and Sunday. This year it was on the 2nd and 3rd July and we were told (at the last minute, at the hotel) that the police had cancelled the Sunday, because it was election day! So, the whole thing was compressed into a single day, and I kind of lost track of what was supposed to be going on, because it wasn't happening like in the guide books! If you're interested, this gives an overview of the usual schedule for the festival, and it's meaning:
http://www.tessabandansai.com/data_dans ... on_phi.pdf (http://www.tessabandansai.com/data_dans/description_phi.pdf)

So, it was up at three o'clock in the morning. This is Wat Phon Chai, where it all starts:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6232/6315970601_8aa6064364_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6315970601/)
The procession to the river:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6093/6316565140_6568ff20c9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316565140/)
Invoking the spirit in the river:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6225/6316053771_6fbe59d0e3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316053771/)
Returning to Wat Phon Chai:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6226/6316060983_c0f0768829_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316060983/)
Procession three times around the perimeter of the Wat (with occasional rifle shots into the air!)
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6316589218_135600877e_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316589218/)

Then back to the hotel for a rest and something to eat. A little later, back to Dansai town for the parade. First the "official procession of the two giants and Jao Por Guan:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6233/6316179093_64fa4d7371_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316179093/)
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6034/6316700648_5755373ea9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316700648/)
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6055/6316656242_1a1cf2e8a3_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316656242/)
Then the "unofficial parade with people dressed as Phi Ta Khon, mud men, demons and buffalo:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6033/6316702848_860b208a1c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316702848/)
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6107/6316814402_c82d348191_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316814402/)
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6106/6316782610_037bf03b1c_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316782610/)
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6114/6316661346_f21bd806f5_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316661346/)
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6053/6316294021_4d72a76d20_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316294021/)

Also more than a few offering drinks. I thought it was water (silly me!) It's actually more like rocket fuel.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6032/6316808622_b4b424664a_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316808622/)

I'm not even sure if they had the Bang Fai this year. In any case, I went back to the hotel for a rest since it was 4 o'clock and I'd been up since 3am. Then back into town after dark, where everyone was intent on partying all night - to make up for the loss of the second day, I guess:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6034/6316466346_1fffb0dce7_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316466346/)
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6239/6316476478_2c98c2813d_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgcman/6316476478/)

And that was the end of a very long day for me. I used the extra day from the cancellation of Sunday for a trip to Phitsanulok and Sukothai.

[Neal]

Thank you ceejay! That looks like fun.

[Beachlover]

Cool... some nice photos, Ceejay!

[Smiles]

Ceejay, I hope you did not debauch my old man for too long that night, and keep him away from much-needed beauty sleep. He's a man who can't say 'no' to a festival, and needs some help restraining himself: Mu Lam music rules!!

Nice photos, although you seem to have an electric cable fetish.

I know it's hard in Thailand to keep 'em out of photos when between each cement pole hangs 126+ electric wires of varying thickness and and who-knows-what utility.
We have them in abundance in Hua Hin, the purpose being, I think, to act as stations for a thousand little birds to hover above the heads of tourists and deliberately shit on their heads as hey pass under. I know this to be a fact from more than one direct hit. :hah:

[ceejay]

Nice photos, although you seem to have an electric cable fetish.
You know, Smiles, I don't even notice them any more. I used to go to great pains to try to keep the cables out of shot when I was taking photos in Thailand. Now, it's just the way things are.