When is the Yasothon Rocket Festival?

Bun Bang Fai is traditionally held over the second weekend of May, marking the start of the rainy season. Massive home-made rockets are paraded, then launched in competition outside the town.

Is Yasothon worth visiting outside the festival?

Yasothon is quiet outside May but rewarding for travellers interested in Isaan rural life, old Lao-style temples and organic rice country. Don't expect major tourist infrastructure — it's a slow, local experience.

What is Ban Si Than known for?

Ban Si Than is a village renowned for its handmade triangular kapok cushions ('mon khwan'), a traditional Isaan household item. Visitors can watch them being stitched and buy directly from the makers.

Yasothon Province Guide — Rocket Festival, Rural Isaan & Old Stupas

About Yasothon Province

Yasothon is a small, rural Isaan province best known as the spiritual home of Bun Bang Fai, the spectacular rocket festival that asks the heavens for rain at the start of the wet season. Beyond the rockets, the province offers historic Lao-Isaan temples, organic jasmine rice fields and a slow pace of life that hasn't been reshaped by mass tourism. It's a worthwhile stop for travellers interested in living Isaan traditions rather than headline sights.

Key facts

Population: 534,500 (2020)
Area: 4,162 km²
Density: 128 / km²
Districts: 9
Capital: Yasothon
ISO code: TH-35

National parks (1)

Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park

All 9 districts

Kham Khuean Kaeo · Kho Wang · Kut Chum · Loeng Nok Tha · Maha Chana Chai · Mueang Yasothon · Pa Tio · Sai Mun · Thai Charoen

Top Highlights

Bun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival) held each May in Mueang Yasothon
Phra That Kong Khao Noi, a small Ayutthaya-era stupa with a poignant local legend
Phra That Anon, an old chedi believed to enshrine relics of the disciple Ananda
Ban Si Than 'pillow village', famous for hand-stitched triangular cushions

Getting There

Yasothon has no airport or train station. Most visitors come by bus from Bangkok's Mo Chit in around 8–9 hours, or fly into Ubon Ratchathani or Roi Et and continue by road in 1.5–2 hours.

Inside Yasothon

National parks (1)

Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park231 km²

Districts (9)

Kham Khuean Kaeo ·Kho Wang ·Kut Chum ·Loeng Nok Tha ·Maha Chana Chai ·Mueang Yasothon ·Pa Tio ·Sai Mun ·Thai Charoen

Mapped in Yasothon

35 places of interest recorded in OpenStreetMap. Coverage is contributed by volunteers and varies by area, so treat these as a guide to what is mapped rather than a complete inventory.

28Temples
4Historic sites
1Viewpoints
1Markets
1Museums

Named examples

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources

Facts on this page last checked 1 August 2026.

1.Q506598 — population, area, districts, coordinates — Wikidata (Wikidata), retrieved 1 August 2026
2.Background reading — Wikipedia (Wikipedia), retrieved 1 August 2026Linked for context; no text is reproduced from it.
3.Official provincial website — Provincial administration (Official source), retrieved 1 August 2026

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