The annual Lai Rua Fai festival, otherwise known as the illuminated boat procession, will be held in Nakhon Phanom between 17 and 25 October. The festival marks the end of the three-month Buddhist Lent.
The festival commemorates Buddha’s return to Earth after preaching to his mother in Heaven. It features dragon-boat races on the Mekong River and culminates in a mesmerizing procession of bamboo boats lavishly decorated with lights on 24 October.