Some famous feasts are only organised in "ISAN" area. For example:
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| Elephants round up in Surin |
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This is the biggest elephant gathering in Thailand. A few centuries ago elephants were used as war weapons. So during this feast, tourists can see Siamese war simulations and also elephant work demonstrations in the forest.
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| Bun Bang Fai |
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According to traditional belief, the villages gather to organise the "BUN BANG FAI" rocket festival. During this festival, big rockets are launched into the sky. The highest win. This is a symbolic call to the rain god in order to have bountiful crops. Despite this feast is an animist feast, monks often participate by making the powder for the rockets. It rockets fails, there is no respect for monks. Villagers throw them in a muddy paddy field. Accidents happened when the rocket did not succeed to take off.
In may 1999 a tragedy happened during the "BUN BANG FAI" feast in Yasothon. Five spectators were killed when a large home-made rocket launched during the "BUN BANG FAI" Festival in Yasothon exploded. The colourful missile, estimated to weigh 120 kg, blew up seconds after it left the launch site in a downtown park. Debris showered down on the thousands of people who had gathered to watch the annual event. Five people were killed on the spot and 11 others suffered injuries.
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| Phi Ta Khon |
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A long time ago, in a previous life, when Lord Buddha was a king, he travelled outside his kingdom during several years. As he didn't come back, everybody thought he was dead. When he finally came back, everybody was so happy that they made a loudly exclamation to welcome the King's return. They made so much noise that the dead woke up and went gathering to the feast.
This feast is in fact a religious feast. It is divided in three days. First day people wear big fearful masks and clothes then frighten and make tricks to people. On second day it is the same but they are going in the city centre. Third day, people listen to sermons said by monks.
This feast is like the "BUN BANG FAI" feast in Yasothon. But the rockets fly from under the Mekong river instead of the soil.
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| Rain Retreat Candle Wax procession |
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Those wax candles are big enough to last three months for a rain retreat season. In 1999 a tragedy happened in Nakhon Pathom. They built the highest and biggest candles in the world. They collapsed and killed several people. That was the end of the Amazing Thailand search after World records.
This feast takes place each year in the Khmer site of "PRASAT HIN PHANOM RUNG".
In the 15th century Laotian kingdom was used by Khmer kings as a buffer state between Khmer kingdom and Thai kingdom. At that time Isan area was divided between Laotian kingdom and Khmer kingdom. Actual Laos and "ISAN" area were under the rule of the Siamese King since 1828. At the end of the last century French colonialist army forced the Siam to withdraw from the right shore of the Mekong. At that time "ISAN" was included in Thai kingdom.
During Vietnam war, "ISAN" area received money thanks to the deployment of US military bases (Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani...) in order to send bombs on Laos, Kampuchea and Vietnam. In 1975 after Vietnamese, Laotian and Kampuchean governments became oriented by communism-socialism, Thailand worried that external powers might want it to become communist also. If Thailand might fall, "ISAN" area will be the entry point because it was the poorest area of Thailand. So central government feeling the danger did quite a lot for "ISAN" area development. Some sources said that best development chances are in the development of the Mekong trade. The Mekong River project might be one of solution to develop economy in all area where the Mekong river flows through.
At the beginning of the 1980's there was a communist resistance (most of them were students) in "ISAN". Big parts of forests were destroyed in order to discover the resistance shelters. Thanks to a specific law, all were amnestied. Isan area has always had a reputation of insurrectionary area.
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