The boats are bedecked in fantastic arrays of lights prior to launch. As the craft float gently down the mighty waterway with the dark shadow of Laos in the background they are an almost ethereal spectacle.
In days of yore, residents traditionally built smaller boats which were set alight as they were launched. Some people still do this. The practice evolved from a tradition of making merit to Buddha at the end of Lent and also appeasing the mythological Naga serpent said to live in the Mekong.
Lai Reua Fai is a week-long festival which culminates on Wan Och Phansa, the final day of Lent. The actual date is mandated by lunar cycles and falls on the night of the full-moon during the 11th month on the old Thai calendar. In 2016, this is 16 October.
The festivities have already begun in Nakhon Phanom. People heading up to this northeastern Thai town this week still have time to see the fire boats as well as take in boat-racing and an assortment of performing arts shows. 12GO ASIA is the logical choice when buying tickets for travel to Nakhon Phanom or most other destinations in Thailand.
Nakhon Phanom ends Buddhist Lent with amazing festival
News in Asia
The Thai town of Nakhon Phanom is staging a colourful celebration to mark the end of the three-month-long abstinence of Lent. The festival is called Lai Reua Fai. Residents and monks in the town build boats to launch on the adjacent Mekong River.