Yasothon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the town Yasothon. For other uses, see Yasothon (disambiguation).
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 lies on Route 202; there are no rail or air connections.
[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.
