The Bua Khok Ten Million Rocket Festival in Tha Tum district, Surin province, is a local expression of Bun Bang Fai, the Lao-Isan rocket festival tradition that marks the start of the wet season with homemade rocket launches.
Bun Bang Fai, or the Rocket Festival, is a merit-making tradition practiced by ethnic Lao communities across northeastern Thailand and Laos at the start of the rainy season, combining processions of floats and dancers with the competitive firing of homemade bamboo and PVC rockets, with Yasothon's version, held annually since the province's 1972 founding, recognized as the tradition's largest and most famous staging
The Bua Khok festival in Tha Tum district, Surin, represents a village or district-level version of this same broader tradition, branded locally around its 'ten million' rocket theme, a name suggestive of large-scale rocket counts or a specific competitive category rather than a wholly separate ritual
Part of the Bun Bang Fai merit-making tradition tied to the Phadaeng and Nang Ai fertility folklore and the start of the rice-growing wet season
shared across Lao-Isan communities in Thailand and Laos
Dates TBA · Usually May
Move patiently around ceremony routes and leave space for worshippers and participants.
Casual outdoor clothing suited to open fields and launch areas; closed shoes are advisable near the rocket-launching zones for safety.
Watch local behavior before photographing, filming, or entering sacred spaces.
Stay near the part of the city you will actually use, with a simple return route after the main event.
Public ritual moments are often free, but donations, transport, or temple access may vary.
THB
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Bua Khok Ten Million Rocket Festival is listed for Past edition: 16–17 May 2026. Always re-check the official or local source close to travel.
The festival is listed in Tha Tum, Thailand. The map coordinate is a planning reference, not a guarantee of a ticket gate or exact venue.
2 days is the listed festival span. Add time for arrival, local transport, queues, and any route changes during the event.
Needs editorial review. Eventisimus separates source confidence from travel suggestions, so check final details before booking.
Tha Tum, Surin, Thailand
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