Haad Bai - Takhong Festivals

DavidFL

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2025 Salak Festival @ Wat Haad Bai
Sunday 21 September

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The 2020 Haad Bai festival on GTR
(2020 Tai Lue Salak Festival Haad Bai - Chiang Khong)

A Salak Festival in Fang
(Fang & Back - A Fang Meander)


2025 Haad Bai Tha Leng Khao Chula Kathin
9 October 2025

2025 Chula Kathin Haad Bai
25th October


Why you should go to Haad Bai & Takhong
(Takhong - Haad Bai - Chiang Khong - & A Special Mekong Sunset)

Sunset at Takhong today.

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Takhong & some excellent Tai Lue History Haad Bai
(Tai Lue Heritage)
 
Sorry I am in italy i will come back only next week

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After an extremely wet and slow ride from Mae Sai I arrived in Ban Haad Bai to see the Salak Festival in full swing.

The exquisite weaving skills and tayloring in this community are truly stunning. As are the strengths of the community for the cultural values of Tai Leu, Salak and Buddhism.

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I arrived around 10.30am, unfortunately missing the main parade, much later than I intended.
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Spirited and passionate dance performances by adults and younger community members.
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Music, drumming and sword dancing.
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The community looked on with pride.
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After the performances I was invited to enjoy a delicious community feast. Sorry no photos taken of the meal served on banana leaves with sticky rice, but it was delicious.

Lovely to see GT-Rider David in his element, catching up with long time friends.
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After the meal, merit making under the shade of trees.
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Winding up this closely knit Thai Leu Salak Festival by this proud community.
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After sitting out another downpour it was a sunny and dry ride back to Maesai.
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To finish off this post, I'd like to invite any guests or free-viewing members to please support GT-Rider forum with a paid subscription.

It's a very reasonable subscription fee, which is located after joining the forum in your account information settings - upgrades and helps keep the forum running costs under control and ensures a library of up to date and historic infornation is available.

A GT-Rider subscription will bring you these forum benefits

Thankyou.
 
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A cool day @ Wat Haad Bai for their annual Salak festival.
I arrived behind schedule as usual, due to showers in Chiang Khong before departure - I was undecided whether it would be worth going if it was going to rain all day. A positive decision was made and wet roads and light rain was encountered along the way.

The main parade was missed, but the village dancing was under way when I arrived.

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Beside the Mekong, Haad Bai is in Rim Khong district which has a diverse ethnic population with many villagers originally coming from Laos; and Haad Bai is one.
There are also Akha & Lahu villagers from Songphinong.

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The local Haad Bai Tai Lue schoolkids are the popular performers on the day.

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Some spectators
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An enamoured old GTR fellah.
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The fabulous goat dance
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Donations for the goat performers.
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Merit making by villagers after the main ceremony.

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Two gtr dudes who enjoyed their day at the Haad Bai Wat.
Lots of friendly sociable happy people.
The villagers of Haad of Bai have some gentle charm and warm hearts.
 

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