Ban Pho Sai Rocket Festival (บ้านโพธิ์ไทร บุญบั้งไฟ)

The festival today was in Ban Pho Sai (บ้านโพธิ์ไทร). I was not feeling it today and on arrival at the festival it seemed more aggressive then what I have encountered at other festivals. There seemed to be more drunk people and a lot of shouting and I kept thinking a fight was going to break out.

I decided I would video a few rickets and leave but as the day went along things seemed to mellow out.

Following is the short I did at the festival and I ended up staying till the last rocket.

Finding Rockets at Ban Khok Sa-at (บ้านโคกสะอาด)

My love hate relationship with google maps is an ongoing thing. I would be lost without google maps but I am often really confused and aggravated by it. I was headed to a village a little past the village I was at yesterday but the route was nothing like the route it took me on yesterday. I had to add two additional stops on the route to get it to take me along the river today and it even tried to send me a different way through the city to reach the river. A long story to say I enjoyed riding along the river today.

I stopped and took a couple of pictures along the way.

There were 3 festivals on the schedule for today. I don't know anything about the festivals and don't know who to ask about them. I first went to Wat Ban Kut Phan Khiao (บ้านกุดพันเขียว). There was a party taking place and the first picture is of one of the ladies on stage from the side of the stage.

I didn't want to walk to the front of the stage because I would have had to go through the mud pit. While I watching people play in the mud they turned on the water and that is the following picture.

I found the rocket launch area without getting covered in mud. They appeared to only be lauching the small rockets at this village.

I did find the launch grounds attractive but my picture didn't capture it well. The launch platform with 2 rockets ready for launch is between 2 ponds covered in lotus plants.

I stayed for one rocket launch and then went in search for bigger rockets.

The next village on the schedule was Ban Kaen Noi but I either messed up on the place I found or the schedule was wrong. I arrived in this village and didn't see any rockets or a party going on. I maybe should have asked someone but I just headed to the thrid village on the schedule.

I ended up spending a lot more time on the motorbike in search of rockets today than watching rockets but when I arrived at Ban Khok Sa-at (บ้านโคกสะอาด) I found what I was after.

Following is the YouTube short I uploaded today.



I only arrived a little after 4 PM so had less than 2 hours of the show but I really enjoyed the time I had.

Ban Nong Tu, Rocket Festival (บ้านหนองตุ บุญบั้งไฟ)

Yeah!! I found rockets today.

The village of Ban Nong Tu (บ้านหนองตุ) was about 35 km from my hotel but was the nicest ride I have done to one of the festivals. Google maps took me on a small road along the Chi river which was very enjoyable.

Today I heard the music from the stage before seeing a rocket but I had been following a motorcycle rider that had on a rocket festival T-shirt so I assumed he knew where to go.

I have just finished uploading my short video for the day to YouTube and started writing this while waiting for the next rocket.



Google maps took me back to my hotel along the other side of the river. Not sure why google seems to pick a different way coming and going. I didn't enjoy the return trip as well with the sun down the ride in the dark is a bit more stressful. I didn't hit the black dog standing in the middle of the road but think that dog has a death wish.

This was another fun day of watching rockets.

No Rockets so went to church

The schedule only had one place listed today so I hopped on the bike and rode to Ban Na Wiang (บ้านนาเวียง).

I was disappointed to not find a launching platform in the village and only a party going on at the village temple.

I found a chair and watched the stage for about 45 minutes. Following is a 13 second video of the show.



I had seen most of the tourist sites in the Yasoton area 2 years ago when I first came to Yasoton City to see the rocket festival. I watched a travelers YouTube video recently that had a place I hadn't heard about. With no Rockets it seemed like a good day to visit.

I rode about 50 km from the non-rocket festival to St Michael's Church (วัดอัครเทวดามีคาแอล บ้านซ่งแย้).

St Michael's Church is claimed to be the largest wooden church in Thailand.

There was a bit of construction at the front of the church but I was lucky to have a few of the local children as guides to show me how to get inside and turned on the lights.

It was a pretty place but a sad replacement for watching rockets. Hopefully I will get to enjoy rockets tomorrow.