2wheels
Community Manager
On Saturday I rode out to meet up with Ally and Bill at the ‘Rock and Loft Cafe/Resort” on 1317.
We were to chat a bit then continue out to a delightful parkland area where the San Kamphaeng Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) was being held over the weekend.
‘Rock and Loft’ is an attractive venue.
Diners alert: the kao soi will melt your tongue unless you ask for it to be de-spiced a lot!
18.72033
99.15288
From there out to the Bang Fai venue at
18.69266
99.20643
(I give the co-ordinates because the Festival is held in this same location at this time each year)
I hadn’t seen this Festival before so the whole experience was new and alien to me.
The rockets are launched from this platform.
The spectators were cordoned into well defined areas and the event seemed to be very well organised. Safety was a priority.
Monks were everywhere. I believe there was even a Monk team ('Team Saffron' as we named it). Monks were keeping books and dealing with money.
There was plenty to eat and drink at the site.
We did not discover what the actual fuel was inside these bamboo cylinders but it sure was lethal!
Each competitor is allocated a number and when your number is up the team scales this 45 degree platform, sets the rocket in place, evacuates hurriedly and the rocket blasts off.
Team Saffron.
Obviously lots of side betting (“casino”) happening all around the venue.
Team number on left, bet and score on right.
We saw the top score as 186 points. Presumably 200 is perfect.
This cool guy explained that the total prize money was 100,000 baht and the winning team gets 10,000 baht and a handsome trophy.
And lots of credibility and satisfaction no doubt.
They even has a place of worship near the launch pad.
Lots of bikes present; this being the best I saw.
Safety a priority.
This chap was the main man, announcing the teams and their respective scores.
Scoring seemed a tad random to us. We had thought that elevation, however measured, would be the main factor. It wasn’t.
It was explained to me that the whole purpose is about ‘suwai gnam’.
It was all about aesthetics. If the launch looked beautiful then it scored well.
The lowest score we saw was 20. That attempt must have fizzled on the launch pad.
Know the feeling?
This Monk was receiving quite large cash payments for whatever reason.
The event had many complexities that really require the services of a cultural interpreter for a layman such as I to fully comprehend.
However, it was great fun. The people were well behaved and friendly and enjoying themselves.
Noted in my diary for next year.
Thanks Ally for the suggestion.
We saw enough after a couple of hours and retreated to the nearby lakeside ‘Need Coffee’.
18.71874
99.17931
You can eat healthy .....
... or clog your arteries with one of these.
A pleasant place to relax which has many sites within walking distance.
However, it closes at 6pm.
Then we went to the nearby Wat Prathat Doi Hang Bat, which is quite a conglomerate of assorted objects and styles and which offers an attractive view over the plains to the mountains.
Quite a steep road to the Temple, especially on a small bike.
(‘Hang Bat’ meaning to prepare an alms bowl)
(photo supplied by Ally)
So that was Bang Fai at San Kamphaeng.
Recommend.
We were to chat a bit then continue out to a delightful parkland area where the San Kamphaeng Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) was being held over the weekend.
‘Rock and Loft’ is an attractive venue.
Diners alert: the kao soi will melt your tongue unless you ask for it to be de-spiced a lot!
18.72033
99.15288
From there out to the Bang Fai venue at
18.69266
99.20643
(I give the co-ordinates because the Festival is held in this same location at this time each year)
I hadn’t seen this Festival before so the whole experience was new and alien to me.
The rockets are launched from this platform.
The spectators were cordoned into well defined areas and the event seemed to be very well organised. Safety was a priority.
Monks were everywhere. I believe there was even a Monk team ('Team Saffron' as we named it). Monks were keeping books and dealing with money.
There was plenty to eat and drink at the site.
We did not discover what the actual fuel was inside these bamboo cylinders but it sure was lethal!
Each competitor is allocated a number and when your number is up the team scales this 45 degree platform, sets the rocket in place, evacuates hurriedly and the rocket blasts off.
Team Saffron.
Obviously lots of side betting (“casino”) happening all around the venue.
Team number on left, bet and score on right.
We saw the top score as 186 points. Presumably 200 is perfect.
This cool guy explained that the total prize money was 100,000 baht and the winning team gets 10,000 baht and a handsome trophy.
And lots of credibility and satisfaction no doubt.
They even has a place of worship near the launch pad.
Lots of bikes present; this being the best I saw.
Safety a priority.
This chap was the main man, announcing the teams and their respective scores.
Scoring seemed a tad random to us. We had thought that elevation, however measured, would be the main factor. It wasn’t.
It was explained to me that the whole purpose is about ‘suwai gnam’.
It was all about aesthetics. If the launch looked beautiful then it scored well.
The lowest score we saw was 20. That attempt must have fizzled on the launch pad.
Know the feeling?
This Monk was receiving quite large cash payments for whatever reason.
The event had many complexities that really require the services of a cultural interpreter for a layman such as I to fully comprehend.
However, it was great fun. The people were well behaved and friendly and enjoying themselves.
Noted in my diary for next year.
Thanks Ally for the suggestion.
We saw enough after a couple of hours and retreated to the nearby lakeside ‘Need Coffee’.
18.71874
99.17931
You can eat healthy .....
... or clog your arteries with one of these.
A pleasant place to relax which has many sites within walking distance.
However, it closes at 6pm.
Then we went to the nearby Wat Prathat Doi Hang Bat, which is quite a conglomerate of assorted objects and styles and which offers an attractive view over the plains to the mountains.
Quite a steep road to the Temple, especially on a small bike.
(‘Hang Bat’ meaning to prepare an alms bowl)
(photo supplied by Ally)
So that was Bang Fai at San Kamphaeng.
Recommend.
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