Yasothon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yasothon (Thai ยโสธร) is a town in the Isan region of Thailand. It is the capital and administrative center of Yasothon province, and had a population of 21,134 in 2005. It lies a little more than 500 km northeast of the Thai capital Bangkok.
[edit] Yasothon Rocket Festival
Bun Bungfai (Thai: บุญบั้งไฟ), or the Rocket Festival, is held annually in May at Phaya Thaen Park. The festival's origins lie in a custom of firing rockets into the sky at the start of the rice-growing season to encourage rain.
The festival now takes the form of a competition to see whose rocket will stay aloft for the longest time. The competition is marked by a weekend of celebration, including highly-decorated floats parading through the town, accompanied by partying, dancing and music.
On May 10, 1999, the Yasothon Rocket Festival made world headlines when a 120 kg rocket exploded 50 meters above ground, just two seconds after launch, killing five persons and wounding 11.
[edit] Transport
Yasothon is at the intersection of Highways 23 and 202, about 530 kilometres or 7 hours drive from Bangkok, and the southern end of Highway 2169. Several bus lines daily connect direct to Bangkok's Northeast Bus Terminal, Pattaya's Northern Terminal, as well as all bus terminals in the North and Northeast. Train and Air services connect Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani, 100 kilometres east on Highway 23.
[edit] Places of interest
- Phra That Yasothon – a Thai chedi or stupa over 1000 years old, said to contain a relic of Ananda, a favoured disciple of the Buddha. An annual festival is held in March to honour the temple.
- That Kong Khao Noi – a chedi southwest of Yasothon in the village of Tat Thong, housing a statue of Buddha. Each April the statue is bathed in a ceremony to call for rains.
- Tat Thong is also an excavation site of a prehistoric settlement.
