Bangkok, 6 May, 2022 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) invites tourists to experience one of the must-see spectacles of the annual festival calendar – the exhilarating Bun Bung Fai Rocket Festival in the Northeastern Thai provinces of Yasothon from 13-15 May and in Kalasin from 21-22 May.

The annual rocket festival, which takes place in the Northeast as the rainy season begins, is seen as a way of encouraging the rains to fall and to help the local rice crops to grow. It also allows people to have a fun and festive break before the hard work of planting and harvesting begins.

The celebrations differ from province to province, but mostly involve the firing of home-made rockets up into the sky with teams competing against each other to send their rockets the highest – some up to hundreds of feet. There are different types of rockets classified by the weight of gunpowder they carry. ‘Bung Fai Kilo’ indicates a rocket has 1 kg of gunpowder, ‘Bung Fai Muen’ is 12 kg, and ‘Bung Fai Saen’ is 120 kg. There are also parades with floats and displays of traditional costumes and folk dancing.

The Festival can be enjoyed in many provinces of Isan including Kalasin, Roi Et, and Yasothon with festivities in Yasothon and Kalasin being among the largest and most well-known of them all. There is also a rocket festival in Sukhirin district in the Southern province of Narathiwat initiated by the people who moved south from Isan. And with the event having been cancelled in 2020 and 2021, this year it is making a much-anticipated return.

Yasothon Bun Bung Fai Festival

13-15 May, 2022, at Mueang Yasothon District Office, Lan Wiman Phaya Tan (Phaya Khan Khak – Naga) and Phaya Thaen Park.

Over the three-day event, there are celebrations and activities to enjoy, in addition to the actual launching of the rockets. This includes colourful rocket processions of floats and folk dancing, merit-making ceremonies, a rocket team cheering contest, light and sound show, and Bung Fai parade contest.

Kalasin Bun Bung Fai Talai Lan Festival

21-22 May, 2022 at Kutwa Wittaya School in Kuchinarai district

A tradition of the ethnic Phu Thai Kutwa people, the celebrations in Kalasin stand out as many of the rockets are launched as part of huge cartwheel-like structures up to six metres in diameter. This year, in addition to the launching of 50 ‘Bung Fai Talai Saen’ (120 kg) rockets and two ‘Bang Fai Tai Lan’ (1,200 kg) rockets, other celebrations include colourful rocket processions of floats and folk dancing, a merit-making ceremony, and activities showcasing the traditions of the ethnic Phu Thai Kutwa people.

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This information has been updated on 30 April, 2022.

The following rules will be in effect from 1 May, 2022, with specific requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated / not fully vaccinated travellers from all countries/territories with scheduled arrivals from this date.

Pre-arrival requirements

Vaccinated travellers must have the following documents for entering Thailand:

• A valid passport, and a Thailand Pass (via https://tp.consular.go.th/), or a Border Pass for arrivals via border checkpoints.
• An insurance policy with coverage no less than US$10,000. Thais and foreign expatriates under Thailand’s national healthcare coverage are exempt from this requirement.
• A Certificate of COVID-19 Vaccination
  • Everyone 18 years of age and older must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 with an approved vaccine at least 14 days before travelling to Thailand.
  • Travellers 5-17 years of age travelling to Thailand unaccompanied must get vaccinated with at least 1 dose of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before travelling to Thailand. Those travelling with parents are exempt from this requirement.
  • Travellers with a history of COVID-19 infection who have received at least 1 dose of an approved vaccine post-infection must have a medical certificate of COVID-19 recovery.

Unvaccinated / not fully vaccinated travellers must have the following documents for entering Thailand:

• A valid passport, and a Thailand Pass (via https://tp.consular.go.th/), or a Border Pass for arrivals via border checkpoints.
• An insurance policy with coverage no less than US$10,000. Thais and foreign expatriates under Thailand’s national healthcare coverage are exempt from this requirement.
• A proof of prepayment for 5-night quarantine at government-approved hotel/s; such as, SHA Extra Plus (SHA++) hotel, or AQ Accommodation/s, plus a proof of prepayment for 1 RT-PCR COVID-19 test. Thais are not required to prepay for the test.

The quarantine is exempt for unvaccinated / not fully vaccinated travellers who are able to upload proof of a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of travel via the Thailand Pass system. The exemption also extends to travellers under 6 years of age travelling with parents.

On Arrival Requirements

Upon arriving in Thailand, all travellers must undergo entry screening including body temperature check, and present the required documents to the Immigration/Health Control officer to carry out the checks.

The vaccinated travellers will then be allowed entry and are free to go anywhere in the kingdom. *For arrivals by land using a border pass, they will be allowed a stay of no longer than 3 days within the specified areas only.

Likewise, unvaccinated / not fully vaccinated travellers who have uploaded proof of a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of travel via the Thailand Pass system will be allowed entry and are free to go anywhere in the kingdom.

Otherwise, unvaccinated / not fully vaccinated travellers must proceed to undergo the quarantine for 5 days. The trip to the prebooked accommodation must be by a prearranged vehicle on a sealed route within a travelling time of no longer than 5 hours. Then, they must undergo an RT-PCR test on Day 4-5. Travellers under 5 years of age, travelling with parents and undergo the quarantine together, can have a saliva test. Travellers whose test result returns as negative will be allowed to go anywhere in the kingdom, while those whose test result returns as positive will be referred for appropriate medical treatment and the expenses must be covered by the required insurance / own expense for foreign travellers, or national healthcare coverage for Thais and eligible foreign expatriates.

During the Stay

While in Thailand, both vaccinated and unvaccinated / not fully vaccinated travellers are advised to strictly follow the health and safety standards. Travellers who are experiencing COVID-like symptoms should get tested. If testing positive, they must get the appropriate medical treatment.

We wish all visitors an enjoyable, safe, and rewarding holiday in Thailand during this exciting time in which we are able again to welcome travellers from around the world.

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