Ban That Rocket Festival input requested

Post by **Geoffrey** » February 25, 2015, 11:52 pm

The Ban That Rocket Festival will be held about 1 May this year. The Head of the Municipality asked me for some input as to what farangs would like for them to enjoy the festival. Please give me your ideas. There's a good chance that some of them will be implemented. Here's a few of my own:

additional road access
easy access to parking
shaded bleachers from which to watch the parade and rocket launches
cleanliness: lots of trash cans.
access to clean restrooms with sit down toilets
a website in Thai and English
a good writeup about the local legend.
some announcements in English commenting on the parade.

A few years ago they tried to have a fashion show featuring Farang-Thai couples.

Oh, they're planning a "marathon" run around the lake.

Post by **Brian Davis** » February 26, 2015, 6:37 am

I hope it's a fun occasion for one and all.
Not wanting to be a wet blanket, Geoffrey, but safety is paramount. Wasn't it last year that a rocket went haywire and led to deaths? These rockets are impressive and frightening in their power.
I'm not far from Ban That myself, enjoy the colour, beauty and fun of processions. It is a nice setting on the lake, but I have to feel the facilities will always be basic, although improvements on e.g.rubbish and traffic can be made through proper organisation.
I did feel 'marketing' the festival as the World Rocket Festival a while back was rather over the top.
Ban That is talked about as having many farangs, resident and visiting. Some say it should be called White Head Village!

Even so, I'll be very surprised if much happens in English.

Post by **Brian Davis** » February 26, 2015, 9:47 am

A bit more. I can't recall if the Rocket Festival coincides with the big Ban Trat procession, or whether it's a separate thing?

If I do recall correctly, the Rocket Festival runs over a few days. There are mobile toilet 'wagons' available, as used at Udon FC on occasions, which are quite good. I'm getting into trivia here, but it's worth mentioning to organisers that employing people to clean toilets, refill water, collect rubbish and getting the refuse truck to turn up a few times is useful.
The presence of medical staff, perhaps particularly if a run does happen, would be sensible too.

Post by **mak** » May 15, 2022, 9:53 am

The Ban That Rocket Festival.
Is it still on?

Post by **parrot** » May 15, 2022, 10:18 am

This is the only showing I see for Udon
Udon Thani Province
Bun Bang Fai Festival, Wang Sam Mo

May 15-21, 65 Wang Sam Mo District Udon Thani Province

Post by **FrazeeDK** » May 16, 2022, 10:44 am

nothing like getting thousands together to mill about drinking alcohol and watching other drunken louts messing with gunpowder fuelled rockets. I remember a video of one such festival up near Nong Khai from a rew years ago where an errant missile flew into the windshield of some poor guy and his wife pulling into the parking lot. Killed them both in a huge explosion..

Post by **tamada** » May 16, 2022, 4:31 pm

FrazeeDK wrote: ↑
May 16, 2022, 10:44 am
nothing like getting thousands together to mill about drinking alcohol and watching other drunken louts messing with gunpowder fuelled rockets. I remember a video of one such festival up near Nong Khai from a rew years ago where an errant missile flew into the windshield of some poor guy and his wife pulling into the parking lot. Killed them both in a huge explosion..

I'm not sure how it's said in Thailand buy you've got to die of something. It's not the national culture's fault that death can be sometimes opportunistic.

Post by **Brian Davis** » May 16, 2022, 6:29 pm

My belief is that the incident FrazeeDK refers to, where the rocket flew into a car, was at Ban That.
Driving back to Phen this pm, the wife spotted several rockets in the sky not too far away and it seemed they originated Ban That way.

Post by **FrazeeDK** » May 16, 2022, 7:03 pm

the original is gone from YouTube since it showed two people gtting toasted. Now there are two "recreations" of what happened. It says it was in Nong Khai Province...

Post by **Shado** » May 16, 2022, 7:18 pm

The Nong Khai rocket accident was in May of 2013.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/201 ... 369667255/

Post by **stattointhailand** » May 16, 2022, 7:49 pm

How do they build these things? Surely there must be regulations that stop you just walking into a shop and ordering whatever is needed to build a lethal weapon capable of killing dozens of people at a time

Post by **jackspratt** » May 16, 2022, 7:53 pm

It's part of the Thai Constitution, statts.

The right to bear unregulated rockets ..... militia...etc etc.

Many Thais consider their Constitution to be beyond challenge, and a model that every other country on earth should be looking up to..

Post by **tamada** » May 16, 2022, 9:39 pm

stattointhailand wrote: ↑
May 16, 2022, 7:49 pm
How do they build these things? Surely there must be regulations that stop you just walking into a shop and ordering whatever is needed to build a lethal weapon capable of killing dozens of people at a time

Such regulations didn't stop Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.

Post by **jackspratt** » May 16, 2022, 10:14 pm

Were there any regulations preventing McVeigh and Co from buying 2 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, plus diesel fuel, back in 1995?

Post by **pepesgrill** » May 17, 2022, 5:13 am

did musk volunteer spacex rocket technology?
maybe that's what's needed. farang advice

Post by **Brian Davis** » May 17, 2022, 9:40 am

I stand corrected on the location of the accident then, Nong Khai not Udon. Perhaps the confusion was reference to a Taat temple in the report?
Back in Nongbualamphu,I recall helping the father of my first wife here stuff a pvc pipe with a 'mixture' he had bought and think a few thousand baht had been invested.Hope I'm not so wet behind the ears now! Subsequently, the rocket disintegrated on the launching structure with a tremendous bang. Fortunately, nobody hurt and maybe I had a lucky escape.

Post by **pepesgrill** » May 17, 2022, 6:12 pm

been a few hands blown off as well over years
or was that another holiday involving explosives

Post by **Doodoo** » May 17, 2022, 6:22 pm

Yes July 4th has involved numerous incidents and lose of limbs

"17, including police officers, injured in explosion of illegal fireworks in LA, suspect arrested"

https://abcnews.go.com/US/injured-explo ... d=78599084

Post by **glalt** » May 17, 2022, 6:48 pm

A small village, (Phon Pai) contends that they originally started the rocket festival. A city across the river. (Yasothon) says they started it. There are still fist fights. That aside, that festival was one of the best times I have ever had upcountry in Thailand. Lots of drinking and lots of wagers. It rained big time. I had a little four wheel drive Suzuki. Many pickup trucks were stuck in the mud. That little Suzuki pulled out quite a few of them. I wouldn't take any money but the people I helped insisted that I have a drink with them. Too many drinks and I was wasted but what a great time.

Post by **parrot** » May 17, 2022, 6:58 pm

There are a number of accident related videos at https://www.google.com/search?q=%E0%B8% ... e&ie=UTF-8 . We had a village rocket maker just down the road from our house......spent most of the year seasoning and straightening bamboo poles, then just before rocket season, he'd hire a crew to pack the rockets. Most were 6-9 ft varieties, but he'd usually have a few larger ones packed with 4"pvc pipes at the top