Haad Bai - Wat Had Bai Saithong

[DavidFL]

Haad Bai - Wat Had Bai Saithong 2026

Wat Had Bai Saithong has a merit making event that I don't quite understand or have witnessed before on at the end of the month
29-31 January at night
1 February the main event.

Worth investigating for something a bit different.
Many villagers will come Ban Sidonegneng across the Mekong river in Laos.

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[DavidFL]

Slowly getting better & back on the road gently.
At 4.30pm ths arvo, I suddenly remembered the start of the festival at Wat Had Bai.

It was a click ride down Paradise Road & onto R4007 to follow the Mekong River road around to Wat Had Bai & Takhong for sunset.
True to form I missed the earlier main parade but popped into the wat for a few pics and a couple of bevvies with some locals at the general store across the street from the Wat.

It's all about the black balls and anointing them with gold leaf.

Villagers make a donation to the wat, 100 baht seemed to be the norm, for which you get some gold leaf & paste it onto the black balls located around the temple.

I made a donation of 200 baht to which they called out the donors name Mr Farang.

There will be another "main parade" with dancing at a claimed 1pm on Sunday 1st.
C u there.

Of note too is that there was a small local fair going on across the street in a field, with Thai boxing, stalls and some traditional dancing.
The last day for this far is on Saturday the 31st I was told.

450 kms from Wat Had Bai is he stunning sunset restaurant resort of Takhong.
I just caught it as the sun was going down.

MY fave gal at Takhong is Yai, grandma of the Takhong family.

The same age, currently 72, we always share a beer and a hug.

Lotsa love to everyone on GTR.