Phi Ta Khon is the ghost festival of Dan Sai, a small town in the mountains of Loei Province. For three days each year, the streets there fill with ghosts in painted masks with long, carved noses, patchwork costumes, and cowbells. Many of them wear wooden phalluses to tease the crowd. It's the boisterous prelude to Bun Luang, a Buddhist merit festival based on the story of Prince Vessantara. His homecoming was so joyous that it awakened the dead, and the ghosts joined in the celebration.
The dates are not listed in any calendar. The local spirit mediums determine them each year, usually for a weekend between mid-June and early July. In 2026, the festival took place from June 20th to 22nd. Below you will find information about the dates, the three days, the masks, the location on a map, how to get there, and accommodations.
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Key facts
Mid-June to early July
Three days, set annually by the Dan Sai media, June 20–22, 2026. The dates for 2027 have not yet been announced.
The parade takes place on the second day.
The grand masked parade, the costume and dance competitions, and the rockets all take place on the second day.
Wat Phon Chai, Dan Sai
The festival is centered around the temple and the district office in a town located approximately 83 km from Loei.
Free
Admission is free. The mask museum in the temple is also free, but donations are welcome.
Book months in advance
The few guesthouses in Dan Sai are booked three to six months in advance. The town of Loei serves as an alternative.
Rainy season
At the end of June it is hot and wet, there are thunderstorms in the afternoon and no shelter on the parade route.
When will Phi Ta Khon be in 2027?
Unlike Songkran or Loy Krathong, Phi Ta Khon does not have a fixed date. The spirit mediums of Dan Sai choose the three days anew each year, and the festival usually takes place on a weekend between mid-June and early July, although it has been celebrated in March in the past. In 2026, it lasted from Saturday, June 20, to Monday, June 22. The dates for 2027 had not yet been announced in October 2026, and the city typically only confirms them one to two months in advance.
This makes it the most difficult Thai festival to plan for. It's best to keep an eye on announcements from Loei Province and the Tourism Authority of Thailand early in the year, book a room for the expected weekends that you can cancel, and take care of the rest once the dates are confirmed.
The three days
The first day begins at dawn by the river, where the city invites Phra Upakhut, a guardian spirit, to watch over the ceremony and escorts him in a procession to Wat Phon Chai. Throughout the morning, the spirits appear, dance in the streets, and tease everyone they encounter.
The second day is the highlight and the main reason for most visitors' trip. Prince Vessantara symbolically returns to the city, and the ghost procession winds its way through the streets to Wat Phon Chai. There is music, dancing, competitions for the best costumes and dances, and rockets are launched to summon rain, similar to the rocket festivals in Isan. It is loud, exuberant, and very crowded.
The third day passes quietly. Monks recount the story of Vessantara in sermons at the temple, and families collect merit. Most visitors depart after the procession, but those who can stay the extra night experience the spiritual side of the festival, accessible to only a few outsiders.
The Masks and the Two Great Ghosts
A Phi Ta Khon mask is crafted from kitchen utensils and a piece of wood. The headdress consists of a huat, the woven bamboo basket used in Isan for steaming sticky rice. This is sewn onto a face carved from the leaf sheath at the base of a palm frond. The nose and horns, also made of wood, are long and intricately carved, and everything is painted with vibrant patterns. The costumes are made from patchwork rugs and feature chains of bells on the belt, so that the spirits are heard before they are seen. The men wear palad khik, red-painted wooden phalluses—a fertility symbol associated with rain and harvest, and not meant as an insult. The teasing should be taken with a grain of salt.
Two figures stand out in particular. The Phi Ta Khon Yai, the great spirits—a man and a woman—are about twice the size of a human and are recreated every year. To be allowed to wear one of them, one needs spiritual permission and a commitment of at least three years. At the end of the festival, the costumes are thrown into the Man River. All the others, including children, are little spirits, Phi Ta Khon Lek.
Dan Sai on a map
Everything in the center of Dan Sai is easily accessible on foot.
Dan Sai reach
Dan Sai is located far from any civilization, about 83 km from Loei, which is a journey of approximately 90 minutes. Buses from Bangkok run from Mo Chit to Loei, taking about 8–10 hours and costing around 350–600 baht. Some buses on the Loei–Phitsanulok route stop directly in Dan Sai. Alternatively, you can fly from Don Mueang to Loei. The flight time with Thai AirAsia is approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. This is the only scheduled flight, but seats are often fully booked during the festival week. From Loei, a minivan ride to Dan Sai costs approximately 70–200 baht. The distance from Bangkok is approximately 520 km.
Accommodation
In Dan Sai, there are only a few guesthouses and small resorts, costing around 500–1,500 baht per night. These are booked up three to six months in advance for the festival week, often even before the dates are finalized. Therefore, it's best to book something you can cancel. The town of Loei, 83 km away, offers significantly more options and is the usual alternative, although you'll need to leave early on parade day.
How to be a good guest
Phi Ta Khon is an active religious festival in someone else's hometown, not a show. Feel free to photograph the procession, but ask permission before taking close-up shots, especially of children and the large ghost costumes, whose wearers take their roles very seriously. Do not enter or block the procession. Drone flights over the temple are prohibited. At Wat Phon Chai, please remove your shoes and cover your shoulders and knees. As very little is signage in English, a Thai-speaking friend or a local guide will be helpful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions about Phi Ta Khon, the ghost festival in Thailand.
The dates have not yet been announced. The spirit mediums of Dan Sai set them each year, usually for a weekend between mid-June and early July, and confirm them one to two months in advance. In 2026, the gathering took place from June 20th to 22nd.
In Dan Sai, a small town in the province of Loei in northeastern Thailand, whose center is the Wat Phon Chai temple and the district office.
The second day features the grand masked parade, costume and dance competitions, and rocket launches. Stay until the third day if you wish to see the sermons and the merit ceremony.
Phi means spirit. The festival is part of Bun Luang, a merit festival that tells the story of Prince Vessantara, whose return was so joyous that it awakened the dead, who then came out to join the procession.
A sticky rice basket woven from bamboo serves as a headdress and is sewn onto a face cut from a palm leaf sheath, with a carved wooden nose and horns, all hand-painted.
Fly from Don Mueang to Loei (approx. 1 hour 10 minutes) or take a bus from Mo Chit to Loei (8-10 hours) and then a minivan for the 83 km to Dan Sai (approx. 90 minutes).
Thai families bring their children, but the wooden phalluses are everywhere and the spirits tease visitors, so you should know what to expect before you go.
Yes. The Phi Ta Khon Dan Sai Museum at Wat Phon Chai displays masks and costumes for free all year round from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Where to stay overnight on Dan Sai
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I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled throughout the country from there. The guidebooks reflect my personal opinion and are written as I would explain things to a friend planning a trip.
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