Loei2018: Ghost Hunting in Dan Sai

"Hey, are you going to the Phi Ta Khon festival at my house this year?" A message from a colleague at the office popped up on my LINE. "I'm going!" I quickly arranged for tickets and found additional members to join me. It was time to embark on this trip. We chose to travel by plane, with Airasia for the outbound flight and Nokair for the return flight. The round-trip ticket price was around 2xxx baht. The person who invited me had already driven there two days earlier.

The flight arrived at 11:45 AM. The owner of the house, who is also my colleague at the office, was already waiting to pick us up. We immediately set off for Dan Sai district, stopping for lunch at Cafe Dee Mina, which is located in Phu Ruea district and is on the way to Dan Sai district.

The atmosphere here is excellent, with restaurants and cafes. You can walk and take pictures on the wooden bridge. The food is served in a traditional Thai lunchbox. Today, the wait was a bit long, but the food was delicious. We then continued our journey to Heuan Nakham, our accommodation, owned by the person who invited me on this trip. Of course, the stay was free… :)

The road to Dan Sai district is incredibly scenic. As you enjoy the breathtaking views of the mountains on either side, you'll find yourself arriving in Dan Sai district in no time.

The view from the accommodation is stunning. Although the weather in Loei is not yet cold, there is still some light fog in the morning. If anyone is interested, you can contact them at https://www.facebook.com/heuannakhum. The owner is very beautiful and kind, I must say. Okay, after washing our faces and eyes, it's time to go ghost hunting.

The parade from each district was lively, with the music from the sound system being incredibly catchy. The expressions of the participants reflected their joy. This is the essence of Thai tradition, where people from all walks of life come together to share in the happiness.

The event featured a diverse range of ghosts, from adorable and cheerful to terrifying and menacing.

These four female ghosts are incredibly vibrant.

The black panther is also here. The little black panther is cute.

It is unclear whether this is a ghost or a person who killed the black panther.

A group of mud-covered ghosts appeared. I don't know their history, so you'll have to research that yourselves. (Haha!) However, this gang of ghosts seemed to be having the most fun. After a tiring and hot walk, they jumped into a mud pit, enjoying a mud spa. They were truly relaxed.

After an evening stroll, we enjoyed a meal and relaxed.

This morning, after breakfast and our morning studies, we will embark on a journey to Na Haeo district, a culturally rich border town.

First Stop: Wat Pho Chai Na Phueng

The first stop on our journey was Wat Pho Chai Na Phueng, a temple brimming with artistic and cultural charm. While I could delve into its history, I believe a quick internet search would be more informative. 😉

One highlight of the temple is its stunning murals, which unfortunately I forgot to capture. My apologies!

We continued our journey to the Thai-Lao border at Ban Muang Phrae, where we encountered an elderly Lao woman dragging a raft. She expressed her desire to cross to the other side. Upon inquiring her name, we learned it was Yai Hai. She offered to take us to her home, which doubled as a convenience store. There, she presented us with a variety of goods, including homemade liquor, champagne (which she claimed to have obtained from China), and various brands of Lao beer.

After getting drunk, I mean, after finishing shopping at your store, you took me to visit a temple nearby, but I can't remember the name of the temple anymore. While we were walking around, I asked you if we had crossed over to visit without notifying any officials or anyone. You said that we actually had to notify the officials before we could visit this temple. Oh my, grandma, why didn't you tell me? I almost got caught for illegal entry! 55+ So I asked you to return to the country.

This is a police station, where Grandma Hi said to report to the officers first. But in reality, people here cross back and forth, so no one would mind. You can come and visit comfortably.

Before leaving, Grandma Hai volunteered to be our photographer. Talk about full service!

After safely returning to the country, we continued our journey to Macadamia Nutley, a coffee shop that also sells macadamia products.

The sentence is already in English and does not require translation.

We tried the macadamia coffee, which was surprisingly good. It was aromatic, sweet, and creamy, and only cost 100 baht.

This is a translation of a sentence from Thai to English. The sentence is about a temple in Thailand that is known for its macadamia nuts. The sentence also mentions that the temple is a popular tourist destination.

Here is the translation:

"In addition to having macadamia nuts that you can crack and eat yourself, after you have seen the light, we will continue to the Sri Pho Chai Temple, which is the highlight of this place. The temple that is used as the cover image, how is it?"

I hope this is helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions.

This temple's style resembles that of Luang Prabang temples, suggesting that its art and culture may have migrated with people from other regions.

It is noteworthy that all the temples we have visited share striking similarities.

The true highlight of Wat Si Pho Chai is the temple's backdrop of lush rice fields and surrounding communities. This image evokes a sense of warmth, security, and a vibrant community. As the rain began to fall after admiring the temple, we returned to the city to witness the procession of Chao Pho Kuan and Chao Mae Nang Thiam.

It's great to be back in time for the procession. The procession will start from the house of the Kuan father and go to Wat Phonchai.

The ghosts followed the procession but were unable to enter the temple. The next morning, we set off on our return journey, first stopping at Wat Phra That Sri Song Rak, a symbol of Thai-Lao friendship.

The temple is very shady. The elderly women, dressed in traditional costumes, came to the temple beautifully.

The temple houses a beeswax tree, crafted from carved wax flowers, surrounding the stupa.

Bidding farewell to Dan Sai, we set our sights on Huai Krathing for lunch before catching our 2:30 PM flight.

Before stopping for lunch, we stopped at Kram Kiri Cafe to get some caffeine into our system. The shop lived up to its name, "Kram," which means "indigo," with its refreshing blue and white decor. We were then ready to continue our journey.

We enjoyed a meal on a floating raft, ordering food from the shore. The long-tailed boat towed our raft to the middle of the stream, where we waited for the boat to deliver our food. After finishing our meal, we raised the flag on the raft or called the boat driver to pick us up. It was a very relaxing experience, perfect for eating and then taking a nap. :)

It was time to return to Bangkok. This was the last flight of the day, and the staff and officials came out to see the passengers off. It was a heartwarming experience. I love it. :)