Phetchabun Festivals and Events

Festivals and Events

Um Pra Dam Nam festival

The villagers in the province relate to the river very much. Such closeness is clearly reflected in the widely known festival ceremonies that call " Um Pha Dam Nam" or Dive the Buddha Image into the Water Festival . Phra Buddha Maha Thammaracha is highly revered ancient Buddha image of Phetchabun Province. This event is annually held on the fifteenth day of the waning moon in the 10 th lunar month of during Sat Thai Period at Trai Pum Temple. The ceremony starts at 1 P.M. The image is carried around the town, so Buddhists can pay respect to it and stick gold left on its body. The next morning, people make merit as it is Sat Thai Day. Food, including Krayasat, and other necessities are given to monks. The Buddha image is then taken to be immersed in the Pah Sak River by governor of Phetchabun. After the ceremony, the water in the river is regarded as sacred. As a result, people swim in it or take the water to drink before the boat racing begins.

Seng Klong – Long Com Fai

Seng Klong – Long Com Fai is the ancient tradition of Phetchabun villagers for a long time. They believe this tradition is the way to request the god and the angle come to make merit with them. It is held annually during the end of Buddhist Lent around Por Kun Pah Maung Monument to promote the honor of Por Kun Pah Maung and conserve this tradition remain stay with villagers eternally. In this celebration, there are many activities to enjoy for instance the drum contest, the beautiful girl contest, an array of color fills its streets and float lanterns that can only be seen in Phetchabun.

Sweet Tamarind Fair

Sweet tamarind is grown mostly in Phetchabun due to the cool weather and suitable environment. Farmers gain a lot of income from tamarind, also it is the symbol of Phetchabun without arguing. Sweet Tamarind Fair is thus organized in Phetchabun to celebrate the harvest of this fruit during January 17 - 25. This day is also called "Phetchabun’s Agriculture Day." During the festival, farmers bring their sweet tamarinds to sell at reasonable price at Phetchabun’s provincial athletic field where contests of sweet tamarinds and other crops are held. Besides this, there are other agricultural exhibitions and entertainments organized during the event.

Nature bike rides in Thung Salaeng Luang has been dsigned to promote a better understanding of nature and conservation. Guides are well trained and accompany participants on bicycle trips offering information of interests and safety tips. Contact Camping Bike Co, tel: 0 2873 0087.

Phitsanulok and Phetchabun

Both provinces are popular camping and trekking destinations because they contain several national parks between them, each featuring different landscape and flora and fauna. The rocky hills along the border between the two provinces were Communist hideaways in the 1970s. Nowadays an efficient raod network links the area with the rest of the country, and nature lovers flock there for the waterfalls, the fields of wildflowers and butterflies, and the spectacular landscape, which changes with the seasons. Best time to go is October - December for the wildflowers, although anytime of the year is suitable for hiking and camping.

Each of the national parks in the area has its own distinct character. Thung Salaeng Luang National Park, 80 kilometres from Phitsanulok on the route to Lomsak, is marked by its open savanna, which blazes with colour during the wildflower season (July - October). Wild animals are often spotted feeding around these fields.

Phu Hin Rong Kla, 125 kilometres from Phisanulok, got its name from the strange-looking rock fields eroded by wind and rains. The park features many hiking trails, most of them leading to beautiful waterfalls.

Nam Nao National Park on the Lomsak-ChumPae route is one of the top camping destinations in the cool season (November - February) with its pine forest, caves of stalactites and stalagmites and dry, cool weather. It is a watershed area and the source of several rivers in the North and Northeast.