The Bang Fai or Rocket festival of Thailand is held annually in the middle of May, just before the start of the rainy season.

(Source: http://www.thaitravelblogs.com)

The Bang Fai festival has been a part of the North Eastern or Isan tradition for centuries. The belief is that, to get sufficient rainfall, humans must ask for it from the rain god by shooting rockets, decorated as Naga, into the sky.

The highlights of the festival are the rocket launching contest, a Fancy rocket parade, Miss Bang Fai Contest, a multimedia show of Bang Fai history and OTOP products from every district for sale in Yasothon province.

This year, the Bang Fai festival will take place from 9 to 13 May while the grand opening ceremony will take place on May 11. But visitors can enjoy the many preparations and rehearsals for Bang Fai parades by different local villages from 7 May.

“Our festival is very special. It is considered one of the five most visited festivals in Thailand. Visitors have an opportunity to join many activities, for example a traditional dance parade, the OTOP products fair and, especially on 13 May, the last day of the festival, when we launch the rockets. The visitors will see how beautiful and entertaining our event is. Besides the rocket festival, we also have other attractions that can be visited all year long. For example the Christian church, which is the biggest wooden church in Thailand." said Phuangkhum Thongthua, Director of Yasothon's cultural office.

(Source: VNA)