About thirty kilometers from Sakon Nakhon lies the village of Ban Tha Rae, with its predominantly Christian community, famous throughout Thailand for its Christmas parade featuring stars and illuminated floats. Along with the one in Chanthaburi, it is considered one of the two most beautiful Christmas celebrations in Thailand. There is a night market, and the houses are beautifully decorated for the Christmas season. Ban Tha Rae is definitely a place where you can experience the magic of Christmas in Thailand.

During the rest of the year, a visit here is less interesting, although you can see two colonial-style buildings, a large cathedral in a more modern style, and also an old building.

Songthaews depart from Sakon Nakhon bus station to Ban Tha Rae. The journey takes just under an hour and costs 50 THB per person. However, on the evening of the Christmas parade, no songthaews are available for the return trip to the city.

How to get there

How do you get to Ban Tha Rae? Songthaews run from Sakon Nakhon bus station to Ban Tha Rae. The journey takes just under an hour and costs 50 THB per person. However, on the evening of the Christmas parade, there are no more songthaews running back to the city.