Illuminated Boat Procession

Lai Ruea Fai is held at Ok Phansa, the end of the Buddhist rains retreat in October, and is strongest at Nakhon Phanom on the Mekong. The origin is the older practice of setting small lighted rafts adrift on the river as an offering - to the naga, to the river itself, to ask forgiveness for polluting it, and to mark the Buddha's return from preaching to his mother. What is floated now is much larger: boats of eight to twenty metres built on bamboo and banana-trunk frames by communities, temples and offices, covered in patterns of lamps making images of nagas, temples and Buddhist scenes, and floated down the river after dark in sequence past the promenade. Oil lamps and candles were traditional and electric lamps have largely replaced them. Fireworks and a market run alongside, and the Lao bank is directly opposite. Accommodation books out for the week.

What you actually see

• The illuminated boats - eight to twenty metres, patterned in lamps, floated after dark.
• The Mekong promenade - the viewing ground along the Nakhon Phanom bank.
• The offering tradition - lighted rafts set adrift for the river and the naga.
• The Lao bank - directly opposite across the water.

When to go

October at Ok Phansa; the date follows the lunar calendar and moves each year. The procession runs after dark over one or more evenings.

Honest expectations

Dates change yearly. Accommodation in Nakhon Phanom books out for the festival. The promenade is extremely crowded and viewing is from a distance. Traditional oil lamps have largely been replaced by electric lighting.

Nearby

Phra That Phanom is south along the river; the Lao border crossing is in the town.