Chiang Khong - Kuchinarai Talai UFO Rocket Festival & Return - 2026

[DavidFL]

Chiang Khong - Kalasin / Kuchinarai Talai UFO Rocket Festival & Return - 2026.

The most exciting mysterious "rocket" festival in N E Thailand.

Rider: David Unk

Bike: The Vstrom 650

Kms: 2,600 kms
Dates: 12 - 24 May 2026

A start more to come:

 

[DavidFL]

Chiang Khong – Kalasin / Kuchinarai = 1,029 Kms.

I took my time with overnight stops in Chiang Rai, Phitsanulok, Chumphae & Kuchinarai.

1. Chiang Rai: to fix the horns on my bike before departure. I don’t like riding down the highway at 120-140 with no horns on the bike. And as luck would have it Andy F ambushed me coming out of Kong’s Mc service after fixing the horns. So we ended up have a big night in Chiang Rai that ended up with Any sleeping upstairs at Okanes & parking his bike for the night in their beer garden. I was impressed & under my supervision, Andy excelled himself that night drinking Guinness, beer & double shots of various Irish whiskies. Had not he been fooled the attractive lady-boy at the start of the night it may have been a tame evening.

The 42 kg San Miguel PG at Okanes claims she can do a box of 12 before she's fully inebriated.
There's a challenge there for some punters.


2. Chiang Rai - Phitsanulok: 428kms
Routes 1 - 1154- 103 - 101 - 11
Departure time: 9.30am
Arrival Time: 4.50pm

The PTT Amazon gas station on R1, just North of the police checkpoint & Ngao turn off, must be one of the best organised in the North.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

The riding highlight of the day was R1154 through the Mae Yom national Ngao – Song. I opted out of riding the quicker R103 due to fear of slimy mud on road works through the mountains, where 103 is being made into a 4-lane highway. It will be an amazing ride once completed, but not in the wet while under construction please. Even riding 1154 in the wet was a joy such was the beautiful nature of the winding road and the forest.

A quick pit stop followed in Phrae to check up on friends at the Gingerbread.
They have renovated their coffeeshop & are doing well selling Phrae hooch.

Back on R11, getting nicked for 124kph 30 kms north of Phitluk was another highlight of the day. 500 baht. I should know better, but thought the “danger zone” was about 15 kms north of Phitluk, not 30 kms.

(Speed Cameras For Bikes)

2nd night on the road - Phitsanuluk.
I'd not had a night in Phitluk for 10+ years; had thought about aiming for Lomsak, but at 5pm in the afternoon I didn’t fancy riding R12 with heavy rain around.
The excellent Room Residence, was my place of stay in Phitluk; and carrying on from the previous night gender frivolities I noted that hotel reception was indeed a gender bender.

(Phitsanulok Accommodation)

The Phitluk city highlight was the discovery of the Morning Bliss Cafe for brekky. Their coffee was absolutely superb for a kick start to the day.

(Phitsanulok Restaurants)

To be continued.

 

[DavidFL]

3. Phitsanulok – Chumphae = 249 kms
Route 12. Up & over the mountains twice.

It rained on the east side of the two mountain crossings.

Departure time: 10.28am.
Arrival Time: 4.15pm.

R12 from Phitluk is a favourite racetrack for many of the kingdom’s bikers, but for me it isn’t that much fun, just put it in top gear and away you go flat knackers – the Vstrom doesn’t have enough power? You also need to slow down for the many roadside bike photographers & give ‘em a smile. Or at least that’s what I do.

The Save One Hotel was my convenient place of stay in Chumphae.

Undercover parking.

Nice rooms at ground level via a side entrance.

(Chumphae Accommodation)

The masterplan for the night was to hook up with Wayne66 & his missus for the night, plus to see the dynamic Ms Dada, owner of Number One Bar.

We were successful & Ms Dada obviously still has the goods.

Wayne66 & wife left earlier than me & much later on I wandered back to my abode alone yet again. 55 I should know better.

The discovery of Proof Croissants the next morning made for a great start to the day.

(Chumphae Restaurants)

So impressed I was, I lingered longer than I should have & finally got away from Chumphae at 11am.
Only open 3 months, it is owned by a young Russian married to a local Chumphae gal.
We hope he succeeds as his croissants are truly tremendous.

4. Chumphae - Kalasin /Kuchinara- = 242 kms

I'm not sure about the elevation spike 40 kms out of Kuchinarai.
The last 40 -50 kms ride into Kuchinarai was with a devastating storm- torrential downpour with strong winds buffeting the bike.
It as absolutely epic to ride through, such that I arrived at the hotel like a drowned rat.
And hence all the unclear blurry photos at the hotel.
Even at the hotel they had suffered a leak from the top floor!

The hotel was incredible - Michael Jackson's Neverland I thought.

(Kuchinarai Accomodation)

I recalled the incredible Panthawee Hotel in Nong Khai, owner by a Miss Thailand Ladyboy, who has since passed away;
and noticed a gay guy organising an event for the Ban Koon Mae Boulevard & asked if he was the owner. Yes indeed he was.

Do you know the Panthawee in Nong Khai? Yes I do, that was owned by my good friend. He has died, the hotel demolished, and the family is fighting over the estate.

Welcome to Kuchinarai for the next few nights.

 

[DavidFL]

Rocket Festivals & the Kuchinarai Talai Spinning Wheel Rocket History

So Kuchinarai is the destination for the UFO “rocket” festival.
Kuchinarai is 70 kms from Kalasin, & the actual location of the festival is in Kut Wa, another 9 kms from Kuchinarai, but Kut Wa lacks facilities, so Kuchinarai is the place to be.

The rocket festival is much older than modern Thailand.
It comes from ancient Tai-Lao fertility rites linked to agriculture and rainmaking.
Before Buddhism became dominant, local people believed heavenly spirits controlled rainfall. Rockets were launched to communicate with or awaken the rain deity known as Phaya Thaen.

The mythology is connected to famous Lao-Isan legends, including:
• Phaya Khankhak (The Toad King)
• Pha Daeng–Nang Ai
In these stories, humans or spirit beings challenge the rain gods, after which the rains return to earth. The rockets symbolically “announce” the planting season to the heavens.

Rocket Festival in Transition: Rethinking ‘Bun Bangfai’ in Isan[1]

Abstract Every year from May to June, ethnic Lao from Laos and Northeastern Thailand hold a rocket festival called Bun Bangfai. Traditionall...

bun-bangfai.blogspot.com

At this time of the year, there are multiple rocket festivals all over Thailand & Laos, but thanks to the TAT, the one in Yasothon is the most famous. Check out this list of 2026 rocket festivals GTR was able to garner.
(2026 Rocket Festivals)

The “Kalasin” rocket festival became famous because of its unique “Talai” spinning wheel-style rocket.
Unlike the long cylindrical rockets seen in places like Yasothon, the Kalasin version is circular and spins rapidly while climbing into the sky, creating dramatic spiral smoke trails.
This style became a cultural trademark of the Phu Thai communities around Kut Wa.

The Phu Thai—who are they?
The Phu Thai originally came from southern China, later moving to Vietnam, Laos, and northeast Thailand.
In Vietnam they are in Điện Biên Phu / Sơn La (Vietnam), and in Laos at Houa Phan and Xiang Khuang.

Before arriving in Thailand from Laos, many Phu Thai communities lived in:
• Muang Vang
• Muang Thaeng
• Muang Phin
• Muang Tapon
• Savannakhet region
These were tributary Tai principalities linked at different times to:
• Lan Xang
• Siam
• Vietnam

Why did they migrate to Kalasin?
The biggest movement into present-day Thailand happened during the late 1700s and early 1800s.

The major causes included:
The major causes included wars between the Siamese and Lao kingdoms - population transfers, forced resettlement, slave raids & political instability after the collapse of the Lan Xang kingdom.

After the defeat of the Lao Rebellion (1826–1829) led by Chao Anouvong, Siam forcibly relocated many Lao and Phu Thai populations west of the Mekong into Isan.

Large numbers settled along the:
Phu Phan mountains
Kalasin basin
Kuchinarai district
Khao Wong area
These locations resembled the upland terrain they already knew.

The Phu Thai in Kalasin became one of the strongest Phu Thai cultural centres in Thailand.
The most important areas include Kuchinarai, Kham Muang, Khao Wong & Huai Phueng.

The famous Phrae Wa silk tradition of Kalasin is strongly associated with Phu Thai weaving culture.

To be continued.

 

[DavidFL]

The three nights in Kuchinarai gave me two full days at the festival.

Both days were stinking hot.

On day two, the rocket launch day, I’d parked my bike in the shade under some trees. When I got back on the bike to leave, the temperature gauge was showing 37°C — and that was in the shade.

On the first day, parade day, I arrived just as the parade was getting underway and the police had already blocked the road off.
However, with a little sweet talk, I managed to ride into the parade area and score a convenient parking spot instead of ending up kilometres away.

It was a long, slow procession along a hot asphalt road with very little shade anywhere.

If you were lucky, you could squeeze into a shopfront already packed with people trying to escape the blazing heat.

How the parade participants survived those few hours fully dressed in their costumes, I honestly don’t know. It must have been brutal. I tip my hat off to them — well done.

The big wigs & parade judges get a nice shaded dais to observe from.

On day two, launch day, I was again able to ride in relatively close before being turned around.
Security was extremely lax, which helped me find another shady parking spot without too much trouble.

The talai rocket launch field is here.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

The spectators and village talai teams are spread across the rice fields, where they have a clear view of the rockets soaring skyward.

I quickly discovered that if you stand too close to the launch area — especially under the shade of the trees — it’s actually difficult to see the rockets properly as they shoot into the sky.

To really watch the launches, you need to be out in the open sun, or sheltered beneath an umbrella or tent. I had neither.

The village talai teams were gathered beneath their tents, preparing their talai rockets for launch.

There’s a queue system for the launches, and once your number is called, it’s time to carry your spinning missile across the rice paddies to the launch area.

The Talai wheels are actually quite heavy,

A mud hat may keep you cool in the heat.

The launches of the spinning wheels are quite risky and dangerous.
I didn't venture any closer to the launch area, as I assumed I would be turned back; however, I've since noted that may not be the case.
So armed with a bit more info & experience, next year another visit is required.

Let the party begin.

Here's an exciting vdo clip from FB that shows the amazing hazardous launches,

Supposedly this Talai rocket cost 20 million baht.