Phi Ta Khon Festival - 12 June 2010 Day 1

Saturday, 12 June, was the first day of this year's Phi Ta Khon festival in the Dansai District of Loei Province located in the Isaan region of Thailand. The start of the festival was scheduled to start at 3:00 A.M. The invocation of Phra Up-pa-kud commenced at 3:00 A.M. Phra Up-pa-kud was a monk with supernatural powers. After achieving eternal life, he was given the power to assume any form, physical or spiritual, that he wanted to be. He decided to transform himself into white marble and to live in the Mun River which flows through Dansai. The villagers believe that because of his powers, only Phra Up-pa-kud can protect them and their town from evil spirits. The villagers walk from Wat Pon Chai to a ceremonial location on the bank of the Mun River. A ritual is conducted by spiritual leader of the people, Jao Por Guan, to consecrate white pebbles that had been collected from the river bottom. They then have a procession back to Wat Phon Chai where the villagers circle around the temple three times. A special ritual is then performed at the Wat.

I had considered attending these commencement rituals and mentioned it to my wife. Duang was less than enthusiastic about witnessing these ceremonies at 3:00 A.M. Despite her lack of enthusiasm, I managed to wake up at 2:00 A.M. without the use of an alarm clock. I considered leaving to watch the ceremony but decided not to - I did not want to go alone and rationalized not attending by convincing myself that the lack of lighting would make photography impractical if not impossible. However when I re awoke at 6:00 A.M. I departed for town alone to witness the merit making of villagers - making offerings of food to the Monks. I informed Duang that I would be back to the hotel by 7:00 A.M. When I returned, she was ready for the start of our day at the festival.

We drove into town and parked out truck about 8:00 A.M. across Jao Por Guan's house. Jao Por Guan is the shaman, spiritual leader of the villagers as well as a spirit medium. Large loudspeakers were erected in scaffold towers built in the street in front of his home. Mahlam Lao music blasted from the speakers. Many people congregated outside of his home with many of the people sitting on concrete benches placed around the stairway leading up into his home. The elderly villagers were dressed in white with white cloths draped over their shoulders. Around 8:30 A.M. the people walked up the stairs and entered into Jao Por Guan's home. According to the schedule of events there was going to be a "Ceremony to give blessings to Jao Por Guan and Jao Mae Nangtiam. Jao Mae Nangtiam is Dansai's female spiritual leader as well as a spirit medium. I do not know if she is Jao Por Guan's wife.


Duang and I climbed up the stairs and found ourselves in a large room very similar to the Bot of a Buddhist temple. In the center of the room on the floor we saw a very familiar sight - Pahn Sii Khwan, a banana leaf and floral centerpiece used as a sort of altar for the Baii Sii ritual. A Braham conducted the Baii Sii ritual in front of the Jao Por Guan and Jao Mae Nangtiam. At the conclusion of the ritual people went up to the Jao Por Guan on their knees to tie cotton string around his wrists. A man on each side of the Jao Por Guan supported his arms parallel to the floor for the lengthy time required for everyone to tie a string around his wrist. Duang and I each tied a string around his wrist to wish him good luck and good fortune. I believe that our act also earned us good luck as well as fortune.


Once the string tying was completed, women brought out elevated serving trays, typical of Lao culture, upon which plates of food were placed. People broke up into small groups to eat. Since silence is not required during these rituals, and the friendly nature of the people in Isaan, by this time Duang and I had made acquaintances with several of the villagers. We were invited to join them in dining as well as drinking. A man went around and passed out what appeared to be plastic bottles of drinking water. The bottles did not contain water but were filled with "Lao Kao", rice whiskey. This was not the moonshine that I have written about which is called "Lao Kao" after the brand that is most widely sold and consumed in Isaan. This alcohol beverage was more akin to "Lao Hai" or rice wine that we have enjoyed in Laos as well as in a refugee camp on the Thailand/Burma border. However this brew was far superior - there were no pieces of rice or chaff to strain through your teeth as you drank. Several glasses were passed to us by various villagers to wish us luck and good fortune. One of the men that I had been communicating with had made the brew. I complimented him on his skill and craftsmanship. One of the women gave Duang a full bottle for our enjoyment. After dining and drinking was completed the villagers went outside to form up for the procession down the town's main road to the Wat.

Outside the home, the musical director of the local schools was organizing the ban of his students to provide the Mahlam Lao music for the procession. We had met him the previous afternoon at the Wat during our visit. The band was composed of students playing traditional Lao instruments and drums. Their music was amplified using a portable generator and amp mounted on a pushcart. The music which is very animated and infectious added to the festive atmosphere along with the Lao Kao. There was a very high degree of energy and merriment in the congregated people.

Only now that I have been back home and performed some additional research on the festival do I realize the significance and privilege of this start of the festival. I had noticed that the vast majority of the people were elderly. It turns out that they were. We had participated in the ritual along with the Jao Por Guan, male spiritual leader and medium, Jao Mae Nangtiam, female spiritual leader and medium, the Saen, a group of male mediums, and the Nang Taeng a group of four female servants.

Next door to the Jao Por Guan's home young men were getting dressed into their Phi Ta Khon lek costumes. Policemen were in position to stop traffic. The hypnotic beating of drums and clanging of cymbals permeated the air. After awhile the procession was organized and set forth to the Wat.


Once at the Wat the procession mounted the main stairway to the grounds where the temple is located. The procession circumambulated the Wat three times with the Jao Por Guan leading the way followed by the Saen, villagers, and Phi.

Alongside of the temple buildings, children were playing traditional games. One game involved boys spinning heavy wooden tops. About three tops were violently set spinning with a very forceful thrusting motion. The other boys than threw tops at the spinning tops to stop their spinning. It was amazing how accurate the boys were with their throws at the spinning tops.

Other children were walking around on stilts made out of bamboo. The announcer talked about me trying out my skill, or rather luck, on the thin bamboo stilts. I pantomimed that my weight would break the stilts and then showed him the much sturdier columns supporting the roof of the first aid station and indicated that I need stilts made out of them. We all had a good laugh and in the relaxed atmosphere I was able to get some good photographs of people enjoying themselves.

Well most people were enjoying themselves. One little boy around 14 months old, was very scared of the ghosts and spirits. He stood and cried when they came around. I also saw another boy who was shot in the groin by one of his friends shooting hard seeds out of pop guns made from bamboo. He looked like he had had better times before. It was very hot, 95-100 F, so the vendors selling ice cool drinks were doing a great business. Due to the oppressive heat and unrelenting sun, Duang and I returned to the comfort of our hotel room around 2:00 P.M. After a nice dinner, we returned to town for the evening show scheduled for 7:00 P.M.

We had learned of the evening show from the Musical Director. Five schools were putting on a show of music, singing, and dancing. The show was held on the stage at the lower level of the temple grounds. Without exaggerating in the least I believe that Duang and I were the only non-relatives or school staff watching the show. In total there were about 50 people watching the show. This was such a shame because the children put on a fantastic two hour show. Duang and I spent two hours continuously smiling over the children's efforts. My favorite moment of many memorable moments, was a group of school children dressed up as Phi (ghosts). Their costumes were made out of strips of thin plastic milk carton advertising. I believe that the children were about 5 or 6 years old. They danced to THE party song or perhaps it could be considered the Isaan anthem "Tee Hoy". "Tee Hoy" has a driving beat and double entendre lyrics that captures the spirit of the Lao Loum people - think in terms of "Dixie" for the South or "Joli Blond" for the Cajuns of Louisiana. It is a song that when it starts up you just want to start dancing. Of course you have to dance to it in the Isaan style - a sort of country stomp which the little tykes captured perfectly.

The show was over at 9:00 P.M. and we made sure that our appreciation as well as compliments for such an entertaining evening were conveyed to the Musical Director and school officials. The children had done a wonderful job and it was gratifying to us to see that they are learning about their culture. At all the events that we have attended in Isaan, be it shows, weddings, funerals, and festivals we witnessed the children developing an awareness as well as an appreciation for their heritage and culture.

Phi Ta Khon Festival - Friday 11 June 2010

While back in the USA, I had used the Internet and determined that the 2010 Phi Ta Khon Festival was going to be held June 11 to June 14 this year - despite some websites indicating that it is going to be held at the end of this month. When I found the actual schedule of events for the Festival along with the Mayor's message indicating that the celebration was 11 June to 14 June, I was confident as to when the event would start. I wanted to witness this unique Lao Loum cultural event. Upon my return to Thailand, I did additional research and completed arrangements for our visit to Dansai for this year's celebration.

Although the event started on Saturday morning - early Saturday morning as in 3:00 A.M., I wanted to arrive on Friday to reconnoiter the area for event locations, best photography locations, and become familiar with the area for parking, as well as dining opportunities before the start of the festival.

The Phi Ta Khon festival is a unique celebration of the Dansai district in Loei Province of northeast Thailand. The celebration is actually the combination of two different festivals. The first festival is the merit making holiday, "Bun Pha Ves", "Boon Phra Wate" and "Bun Phra Wet" - in Thailand Anglicized spelling is more or an art than a science. There are many English spellings as well as pronunciations for many Thai words - this can make travel with a road map extremely interesting if not confusing. This festival involves merit making by listening to 13 Buddhist sermons - the story, The Mahachet, of Buddha's last reincarnation prior to becoming Enlightened.

Associated with this merit making opportunity, there is a Buddhist folk legend that Prince Vessandara, Buddha's last reincarnation before becoming Enlightened, had been banished from his village. After many years in exile and a very long journey he returned to his village. The villagers were very happy that he had returned. They had a joyous celebration to welcome him home. The celebration was so great and loud that it awoke the spirits who joined in the welcome home party - a party that was akin to being so loud and wild that it woke the dead.

In Dansai they have a tradition of celebrating this legend, by preparing masks and clothing to become spirits during their festival which is held with the sixth or seventh lunar month. The exact timing of the festival in Dansai can only be determined by the consultation of the local male spiritual medium leader, Jao - Por Guan, a female medium, Jao - Mae Nang Tiam, and a group of male mediums, Saen, with the spirit that protects Dan Sai, Jao Saen - Muang. In a ceremony the actual date for the Phi Ta Khon is determined.

The second component of the Phi Ta Khon Festival is the Bun Bang Fei, Rocket Festival, which is also celebrated throughout Isaan at the end of the dry season and start of the rainy season. Homemade gunpowder rockets are fired up into the sky over northeast Thailand as offerings to the spirits for the return of the rains as well as fertility of the land.

Only in Dansai, the two festivals are combined into a ghost and fertility festival with merit Buddhist merit making ritual - a unique cultural event.

After a pleasant three hour drive on good roads with very little traffic, we arrived at our hotel just outside of Dansai around 10:30 A.M. After checking in and unpacking, we had a small lunch before driving down into the valley where Dansai. One logistic concern was resolved - Dansai is 15 minutes from the hotel. We found the local Wat, Wat Phon Chai, and parked inside. The Wat grounds were being prepared for the next day's start of the festival. To the right of the Wat there was a nice stage erected for entertainment. To to right of the stage was a set of bleachers with a cover to protect spectators from sun and rain.

The Wat is situated on a mound in the center of the Wat grounds. Staircases lead from the low level where we parked, and where the many various booths were being set up up to the higher ground where the religious buildings were located. On the high ground, the Dansai Folk Museum is also located. We entered the museum and were very pleasantly surprised. We were the only visitors. The museum had several straw mannequins on display wearing masks and clothing of the Phi Ta Khoen, spirits. I was able to spend about an hour photographing the displays unencumbered. I sat on the floor, lay on the floor and crouched to get different angles as well as perspectives of the colorful masks and costumes. During my shooting, Duang spoke with the museum employees to determine the locations for the various events over the next three days. This being Isaan, she was soon involved in animated conversation with them as if they were relatives reunited after a long absence. Once again the Lao Loum sense of community was very evident and apparent.

The Phi Ta Khon masks are created out of the base of coconut trees, huad, and wood. The huad along with the reed wind instrument, the khene, the pakama, and the long skirt for women are the ubiquitous symbols of Lao Loum, lowland Lao culture. The huad is a quasi conical shaped woven bamboo basket that is used to steam kao kniouw (sticky rice) that is the staple of the Lao Loum diet. After soaking in water overnight the sticky rice is placed in the huad which in turn is placed over an urn of boiling water over an open flame and steamed until cooked. The Phi Ta Khon of Dansai have hats made out of huad.


The Phi Ta Khon masks are beautiful folk art. They remind me a great deal of the artwork on goalie masks in the National Hockey League. The spirits or ghosts have very ornate designs as well as bright and bold colors. They typically have very large and sharp teeth to go along with a large hooked nose. The masks come in many different colors.

The Phi Ta Khon wear clothing, imitating burial shrouds, made from strips of cloth from sheets and blankets. The result is a very colorful and intricate costume. The costumes reflect a great deal of pride and skill of the villagers. It is impressive to see such local craftsmanship and artistry. Fortunately the impact of the global economy has not penetrated or poisoned the culture in Dansai. Massed produced cheap costumes and masks from China are not a reality yet and hopefully never will be.

After completing our visit to the museum, we returned to our hotel for dinner and an early bedtime. I went to sleep still considering the possibility of witnessing the start of the festival at 3:00 A.M.

This is the first of three blogs about this interesting and entertaining traditional cultural event in Isaan.

Isaan Death Merit Making Celebration

Friday, as I was commencing my long journey back to my home in Isaan, a relative of my brother-in-law's girl friend died. As is customary for Lao Loum Buddhists, his remains were kept in his home and watched over by his family. On the third day after his death, Monday, his remains were cremated at the local Wat in a ritual that I have witnessed three times since I moved here to Northeast Thailand.

Typically a year or two after a person's death, a merit making ritual is conducted to assist the departed spirit on its journey and subsequent return to our world. For lack of knowledge for a name for this ritual I will call it a "Death Merit Making Celebration". I am tempted to call it a "Party" for that is what it superficially appears to be however to refer to this important ritual as a party would be irreverent and demean the significance of the event to the Lao Loum culture.

The celebration is typically conducted about a year or two after the person's death do to financial considerations. This man's family currently had enough money to pay for the ritual so rather than waiting any length of time, they decided to have the celebration the day after the man was cremated. The merit making event is a big commitment of a family's resources. Food and drink are provided to the people who attend the celebration. just as at celebrations of weddings, Monk ordinations, house warming, and funerals the food is not typical everyday Lao Loum fare. Raw chopped up beef is mixed with chilies to be eaten along with sticky rice. Various other parts of cattle, such as stomach, liver, veins, and skin are used in various soups and dips for the sticky rice that is the staple of the Lao Loum diet. Pig meat and organs are also utilized in similar pork based dishes.

Upon our arrival at the deceased man's home somewhere out in the middle of the rice paddies outside of Udonthani, we were invited to sit down at one of the tables placed underneath a large rented canopy and promptly served many of the dishes especially prepared for the night's celebration. Two bottles of Leo beer, and a 1.5 liter bottle of Coke along with glasses filled with ice were placed in front of us to quench our thirst. The rainy season has returned in full swing to Isaan during my one month absence. Although it rains just about everyday the temperature has not moderated very much. rather than a high temperature of 95 to 105F, the temperature gets up to only 90 to 95F each day. The humidity has increased greatly from what it was during the dry season. The Lao Loum custom of drinking beer on the rocks is very much appreciated during this season. As well as adjusting to the 11 hour time differential between Isaan and Connecticut I was struggling to adjust the Isaan heat and humidity of 90F and 80% as opposed to 70F and 60% back in the USA.

Duang's brother's girlfriend picked us up at our home and drove out to the site of the celebration. This was very fortunate for us because the place for the celebration was very rural as well as remote. The roads were very narrow and many were covered with mud from an earlier four days of rain. An added benefit of her driving was that it allowed me to have some beer during the celebration. We arrived at the deceased's home at 6:30 P.M. and socialized with the local people until around 8:00 P.M. when nine Monks arrived.

The Monks went straight into the home and sat down in a row facing many of the deceased man's relatives. As is the case here in Isaan, the man's sons, and grandsons had shaved their heads and eyebrows for the three days that his body lay in state. They wore Monk's clothing and behaved as Monks from his death until his cremation. This act earned merit for the deceased as well as for them. A Brahman, using a loud public address system, led the family in chanting ancient verses which were replied to by one of the Monks using another microphone over the same PA system with the other Monks joining in without amplification. The chanting continued for about 45 minutes. Outside of the home, many of the people including young children put their hands into the typical Christian position for praying. In reality, the Buddhist ritual predates Christian ritual by hundreds of years. The chanting was not in the Thai or even Lao languages but in Pali, the language originally used by the Monks who brought Buddhism to Thailand. There was no outward signs of grieving.

At the entrance to the home there was a small doll house sized structure made out banana stalks that was a shrine to be offered in the man's name at the local Wat. In front of the shrine was an 11x14 framed picture of the deceased man. The picture was from his Thai National ID card since most Lao Loum farmers can not afford to have professional portraits done. Offerings for the man's spirit were placed in and around the home made bana stalk shrine (spirit house). The offerings ranged from small handkerchiefs, flags, food, whiskey, beer, and money. The money was offerings from people like us who were attending the celebration. The cash would later be offered to the Monks in the man's name as well as donors. The shrine and portrait were draped in strands of small blinking blue and yellow lights - very similar to current Christmas tree lights. Cotton strings also ran from the family home and detached raised platform on the property to the shrine. The cotton strings have more to do with Animist beliefs and rituals than Buddhist theology. The strings were the same type that are used in Baii Sii rituals to bind the 32 spirits inside a persons body to ensure health as well as fortune. The Monks also hold on to similar string when participating in merit making rituals. In my opinion the string serves as a type of bond between our world and the spirit world as well as facilitates effective communication to the world beyond ours.

Duang and I wandered across the narrow village street to the rice paddy where the stage had been erected for the show. We went backstage to visit with her brother and for me to photograph the entertainers prepare for their show. My brother-in-law had a knew Go-Go dancer in his show. She seemed rather shy and was rather difficult to photograph. It was oppressively hot and humid. Soon we were drenching wet. Even the dancers were showing signs of moisture through their outfits when all they had been doing was putting on their make-up. It seemed that my eyeglasses were constantly fogged up and my eyes were soon irritated from the salt of my perspiration running into them. Despite these discomforts we enjoyed ourselves. Soon some of the women in the deceased man's family came by carrying pots and dishes of food for the entertainers. The men ate and drank first without seemingly any regard for the female singer and dancers. Later when the women were going to eat, fresh pots as well as dishes of food were brought out for them. There is never a shortage of either food or drink at these celebrations.


The show got started at 9:00 P.M. and would run until 3:00 A.M. There never seems to be a problem with having these shows with the neighbors complaining about the noise. Perhaps it is because the neighbors seem to always participate in the celebrations. Perhaps it is because they know that at some time they will be responsible for a similar show. Perhaps it is because these events are integral part of being a member of an extended family or part of the village. I also suspect that a great deal can be attributed to the Lao Loum culture of enjoying one self and having a good time especially if it is free.

Prior to the start of the music, a spokesperson for the family welcomed the people and gave a short speech. He was followed by the Village Headman who gave a little longer speech. He was followed by two Police officials who each gave the longest speeches. After the speeches, three good sized fireworks were launched into the sky. The blasts were full sized fireworks that exploded high into the sky with loud bursts of colors. This three blasts of fireworks or firecrackers is typical of Lao Loum celebrations and are apparently to notify the spirits of the upcoming event as well as to scare off any bad ghosts in the area. In last night's celebration, the fireworks also were to assist the deceased man's spirit to ascend into the spirit world. After the three large mortar fireworks, with the number three significant in that they represented Buddha, the teachings of Buddha, and the Buddhist religious community, several other fireworks were released one at a time into the heavy night air. These fireworks were sort of like rocket propelled Frisbees. A man lit them and carefully sent them into the air like throwing a Frisbee. The rockets ignited and rapidly propelled the device spinning wildly in a shower of sparks high into the sky with a loud whirling sound. They are very impressive and are used more often conventional mortar type fireworks for the various Lao Loum celebrations. I was a little apprehensive about these whirling dervishes after recently witnessing one malfunction and strike a spectator. Fortunately last night the launching of the spinners was without incident.

After the fireworks, the show got started. As always the music and dancing was great. The new dancer who was shy backstage, was quite the performer on stage. Once again here in Thailand, things are not always what they appear to be. She hit every driving beat of the music with a great pelvic thrust. It was amazing how she could always accentuate every decisive beat of any song with an energetic suggestive body movement. On stage she was not shy at all. She also appeared to be thoroughly enjoying herself smiling throughout her routines no matter how long the set was. Quickly she became a crowd favorite.

The villagers were all very good dancers. There were a couple of young boys about 8 and 10 years old who were especially proficient at the Lao country current style dancing - a very animated stomp. When the band played the Lao Loum party song "Tee Hoy" my brother-in-law called me out to do my rendition of the Lao Loum country dance. I gave it my best effort and returned to my seat dripping in sweat, heart racing, and exhausted. There was even an old woman who could and was dancing up a storm. Later in the night the Kathoeys showed up as they always do at these shows. One of the lady boys put on a tremendous display of dancing - with just as many pelvic thrusts as the new dancer on stage but with the addition of wild and high jumps into the air while thrusting. True to her wish, the Kathoey attracted a great deal of attention including the recognition as well as acknowledgement of her dancing prowess by the lead female performer on stage. It was all good natured and everyone enjoyed themselves.

I don't know if it was the heat and humidity. I don't know if it was jet lag. I don't know if it was big dance. It might have even been the beer that I had been drinking. I ended up laying down with my head in my wife's lap and actually went to sleep no more than 30 feet from one of the bank of speakers for the show. My brother-in-law even made a joke about me sleeping.

I awoke in time to witness the special ceremony as part of the show. For the death merit making celebration show, the family goes up on stage and sits in front of the band. One family member holds the large framed photograph of the deceased. Another family member holds a large tray of offerings for the deceased. The try contains some food, a shot or two of whiskey, some plant leaves, some small flowers, some burning incense sticks, as well as some candles. Behind the family, a member of the band plays the khene, a long reed instrument that creates a sound similar to an accordion. The khene is the symbol of Lao culture and its music defines what it is to be Lao. It is akin to the importance and significance of the bagpipes to Scots. As the musician plays the khene, the female lead performer sings a traditional lament in Lao using the traditional Lao style of singing. It makes for a very moving and memorable experience of the Lao Loum culture.

After the lament, we returned home - a trip made shorter for me by falling asleep once again.

It is great to be home again.

New Photos Added - Isaan Go-Go Girls

Ten new photographs from last night's Mahlam Lao stage show have been added to the gallery - "Isaan Go-Go Girls"

http://hale-worldphotography.smugmug.com/People/Isaan-Go-Go-Girls/8185157_q4YxR#826378674_f82CZ

New Photos Added to Gallery - "Runny Noses and Dirty Faces - Children"

Twenty-one new photographs have been added to the gallery - "Runny Noses and Dirty Faces"

http://hale-worldphotography.smugmug.com/Children/Runny-Noses-and-Dirty-Faces/7422101_oLip3#837606096_VVjb9

A Tale of Two Cities - Visa Quest

This blog is about a tale of two cities - not the London and Paris of Dicken's novel but rather a tale involving Bangkok, Thailand and Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic. Although I have been mad as the dickens, this tale does not involve a revolution or even violence. The subtitle, "Visa Quest" , has nothing to do with the similarly named 1985 film "Vision Quest" starring Matthew Modine as a coming of age high school wrestler although my tale of two cities does involve wrestling - wrestling with the United States bureaucracy.

Almost a year ago to today's date this tale begins. My wife, Duang, and I took a 8.5 hour bus trip to Bangkok and spent the night in a hotel the day before Duang's scheduled morning appointment at the American Consulate. The purpose of her appointment was to be interview in regards to her application for a B-2 Tourist visa to visit the United States.

I had reviewed the US Consulate's website, the US State Department's website, and the application form along with associated instructions. Based upon the information from all three sources, I prepared her application and associated documentation. We paid the required $131 fee here at the Thai Post Office and brought the receipt with us to Bangkok. We also had to pay a $10 fee in order to make an appointment over the Internet - the only method allowed for making an appointment at the Consulate in Bangkok. Prior to leaving our hotel for the short walk to the Consulate, I double checked the document package to ensure that it was complete.

To obtain a Tourist visa to the United States an applicant must provide documentation and convince an interviewer that they have close ties to their home country and that they would return to the homeland at the conclusion of their visit to the USA. Typical documents that are anticipated to be submitted during the interview include bank records, employment records, home ownership, and motor vehicle registrations. Duang does not work but she does own two homes here in Thailand. Her document package included our marriage certificate, a Thai passport with her last name as "Hale", a Thai National ID card with the last name as "Hale", photographs of our home, photographs of our wedding, some photographs of her grandchildren as well as extended family here in Thailand, a copy of our 2008 joint US Federal Income Tax Return.

We arrived at the appropriate time for her interview. I knew that I could not accompany her to the interview - that is made very clear on the Internet websites. I was familiar with the layout inside of the Consulate and had concerns about Duang finding the correct location to submit the documents and purchase an envelope for her passport to be returned to her by mail if she was granted a visa. From previous personal visits to the Consulate, I knew that I could enter into the Consulate without appointment for "American Citizen Services" which was a short walk from where Thai citizens go to be processed for visas. I had what I thought was a bright idea to accompany Duang inside on my way to "American Citizen Services", point out where she needed to go, and finish my business before waiting for her outside of the Consulate. I was stopped at the Security Counter by the hired Thai staff. They asked me why was I there. "I replied that I was going to "American Citizen Services" to have additional pages inserted in my passport. The Thai woman thumbed through my passport and told me that I had enough pages in my passport and instructed me to leave the Consulate. I was not angry and figured that I had given it a good shot. However, I must admit that I was a little miffed at a foreigner telling me, an American citizen as well as taxpayer, that I had enough empty pages in my American passport and denying me access to American Citizen Service. However with the Thai Security Officers around the area and with my wife needing to get to her interview, I dutifully obeyed and left the Consulate. I waited outside on the public sidewalk until I and the other people waiting with me were ordered by Thai Security people to wait across the 6 lane divided road that runs in front of the Consulate.

After two hours, Duang and I were reunited. I asked her if she had been approved. She said that she had not been approved because her documents were incomplete. The interviewer had asked her about my passport, my banking records, and documents related to my previous employment in Thailand - all documents not listed on the websites or application form. I knew that the decision could and would not be reversed but I was confused as to the specific details for her application being rejected. I took her hand and reentered the Consulate entry foyer. I introduced myself to the Thai Receptionist. I explained that my wife was asked for my passport and since it was not listed and I was not allowed to accompany her, she did not have it. I showed my passport to her and stated that I was available to answer any and all questions related to me. I requested to speak to an American official regarding the matter. She proceeded to tell me that their procedures would not allow for that to happen. I reasserted to her that I was an American citizen and I wanted to speak with an American official about the specific documents that were lacking or would be required. After some discussion back and forth, she brought another representative over to speak with me. This representative, another Thai national, with the official name tag of "American Consulate Greeter" instantly reminded me of the Walmart Greeters that you find back in the USA. This person, although very pleasant, was also just as useless as the Walmart Greeters. This did nothing to satisfy my request now evolving into a quasi demand to speak with an AMERICAN OFFICIAL. She continued to quote the procedure to me and indicated that we could reapply ($131 + $10 + transportation and lodging at any time). I pointed out that we, or more specifically I, did not want to go through all the expense and time to only find out that at some future time to have the application rejected because we were lacking "a note from my Mother, a note from the Parrish Priest, a letter from a Rabbi or the Pope or perhaps a note from President Obama" (my words exactly). She reaffirmed that she was sorry to which I replied that I knew that she was not sorry about the rejection but was sorry that I was standing before her giving her a hard time. In the corner of my eye I could see that the Thai security personnel were looking uncomfortable. Looking further down the corridor in a separate room with glass windows, I saw some obvious American security people in civilian clothing looking interested in what was transpiring between me and the "Greeter". Not wishing to push my luck or try my patience any further, we left the Consulate. The "Greeters" parting gift was a piece of paper with an email address that I could write to about the situation.

After our 8.5 hour bus trip back to our home, I wrote an email to the email address explaining the situation as well as requesting specific reasons for the rejection and a list of other documents required to prevent a recurrence. In my mind I knew what slippery slope that I was embarking upon but I forged ahead. My email was quickly responded to from the Consulate stating that they get so many emails that they can not respond to them without additional information. I was instructed to resend the email with certain specific words in the subject line. There were three different options for words to add to the subject line depending upon the actual situation (Think in terms of automated answering machines when you call a large company with a choice of numbers to select - all of which do not define your situation or need). I selected the word choice that most closely matched our situation. Again I received another prompt reply which did not address my specific requests but in a form letter type response reiterated the policy roughly "The burden is on the applicant to show evidence and convince the interviewer that they will leave the United States" I was very irate. After talking or rather raging to an old friend back in America, taking his advice, and realizing that my wife really wanted to meet my family back in the USA, I decided to reapply once again and provide all the documents that had been asked for but not listed. I paid another $10 to be able to make another appointment. I went on line to schedule another appointment only to discover that earliest available appointment was three months later in September! That was the last straw. Our visa quest for 2009 was over. The tale of one city, Bangkok, was to continue in 2010.

Last week it became evident that I needed to return to the United States to tend to family business on an emergency basis. I wanted my wife to accompany me since the trip would be a month or longer in duration. I researched the Bangkok Consulate website as well as the State Dept website about obtaining a visa for Duang on an emergency or compassionate basis. The best that I could determine was that we would have to apply per the procedure, arrange for an interview, and once we had an interview scheduled request an expedited early appointment to supersede the scheduled appointment. If we did not hear from the Consulate in 5 days regarding our request for an expedited appointment it would mean that our request was denied. This did not exactly meet our needs, so I found the direct line phone number for the Visa section of the Bangkok Consulate. I called the number but could not get a connection. Undeterred, and I should have realized by then - foolishly, I found the phone number of the Consulate and called them. My call was answered by a Thai employee. I explained our situation. She replied that I needed to contact the Visa section. I explained that I had called the listed number and she said that they do not answer the phone and that I had to contact the Visa Section by email. Continuing my unjustified confidence in the Bangkok Consulate, once again I foolishly followed the Consulate's instructions and sent an email. My email response was quickly replied to by the same notification to resend with the multiple choice of words to add to the subject line that I had received before. Once again none of the choices actually defined my situation or needs. Only the gentle touch of my 15 month old grandson on my leg as he came over to stand by me, prevented me from doing damage to my computer or to myself. However because he doesn't speak Thai or Lao yet let alone English, his presence did nothing to stop me from loudly and colorfully expressing my opinion of the US government.
It then occurred to me to look into how the US Consulate in Laos might be able to help us.

Now begins the tale of the second city - Vientiane, Laos. I called the US Consulate in Vientiane. The phone was answered by a Lao national. I asked if we could apply for a B-2 Visa for a Thai citizen in Laos. They enthusiastically replied that we could. I asked a couple of specific questions and the person indicated that I needed to speak with her supervisor who she put on the line. She answered my questions but when I asked a question that was perhaps too technical indicated that she was not in the Visa section but if I liked she would transfer me to the Visa Section. I was transferred to the Visa section and had my question answered. I then filled out the new electronic form for requesting a visa. After submitting the form electronically, I needed to make an appointment for Duang to have an interview. I clicked on a link to make an appointment. There was no need to pay $10 to make an appointment however the website indicated that interviews were only conducted on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Since it was Monday, my best hope would be to have an appointment on Thursday. I continued the process and to my shock and amazement, there were appointments available for Tuesday - the next day. Any need or process to get an "Expedited Appointment" evaporated.

Today Duang and I went into Laos early in the morning to be at the US Consulate for her 10:00 A.M. appointment. Around 11:00 A. M. Duang came out of the Consulate and informed me that she had been denied a visa once again. In response to my questions, she indicated that the man did not look at any of the documents in her briefcase. He told her that she did not need a visa to go to America and that the man told her that we needed to send papers about our marriage to America to be reviewed as well as approved. This was very confusing and did not make sense to me. Duang and I spoke and agreed to go into the Consulate to find out what was going on. It seemed to me that the Interviewer had mistakenly interpreted Duang's request for a B-2 Tourist Non-Immigrant visa to be a request for an Immigrant Visa. We entered the Security Foyer and explained to the Lao security officer our issue. She indicated that we could come back at 1:00 P.M. after lunch to pursue the matter. We went to our own lunch, returned, and waited to reenter the Consulate. At 1:00 P.M. we were allowed in, explained our situation, cleared through security, and allowed into the American Citizens Services area. Duang and I explained our issue with the Lao national behind the window. Duang did not know the Interviewer's name but remembered which line number he handled. We were told to wait, and that upon his return from lunch, he would speak to us. After awhile we were instructed to go to the applicable line number. We were greeted by an AMERICAN official. I explained the situation and indicated that I thought that there had been a misunderstanding. He very politely and professionally explained what had happened.

First of all, US policy is that they assume all tourist visa applicants will not leave the USA. It is then up to the applicant to prove and convince the Interviewer that they will leave the United States. This is sort of like saying you are guilty until you can prove that you are innocent. OK, it is their game and we have to play by their rules. Not exactly supporting the pretty words of welcoming foreign visitors and how their visits culturally enrich America and develop bonds between nations and peoples. At least now, the rules are being clearly defined.

Secondly, being married to an American citizen does not really help get an applicant approved. Each applicant must be evaluated on their own merits - i.e. income, savings, home ownership, employment. The fact that the American spouse will be paying the bills, has the economic resources and has strong ties to a country outside of the USA is not a consideration. From the official I got the very distinct impression that a spouse with no job and no savings stands very little chance of being approved. In fact Duang had told me that of the 55 people (55 x $131) interviewed that morning -2, two, deux, dois, song ... people had been granted visas,

Lastly the Officer recommended that since we were married we should apply for Immigrant Visa even if we did not plan on living in the USA. We could maintain the Immigrant Visa by visiting the USA once a year. Duang had reported back correctly but just not completely. The paperwork for Immigrant Visa is submitted to the USA for review and approval. Once the Immigrant Status visa is granted, tourist visas are not required for travel to the USA.

At last, we had and explanation. At last we had spoken to an AMERICAN official.

I recounted to him our experiences in Bangkok and expressed gratitude to him for explaining the reality of the process as well as his recommendation. I pointed out that although I did not like the decision, I understood, and I could accept the situation. As I used to tell people who worked for me in the past "I may not like the truth, but I can handle the truth." So it was today. I suggested to the Official not as a criticism but as an improvement, that the websites be rewritten to more clearly indicate that if the applicant does not have a job, does not have money in the bank - they are going to waste their money applying for a Tourist Visa even if their spouse is an US citizen.

We know of some people who applied 5 times (5 x $131) to get a B-2 Tourist Visa. At her last interview in Bangkok, Duang witnessed a Thai woman yelling at the US Consulate employees where they could go and what they could do to themselves after being rejected for a third time. This is undoubtedly good for the image of the United States. This creates a great deal of anger. Duang and I are not alone in this situation and predicament. It had cost us $413 plus travel expenses to determine that applying for a Tourist Visa is a waste of time and money for our particular set of circumstances and conditions.

According to US State Dept statistics in each of the past 3 years 72% of Lao applications for Tourist Visas have been rejected. In terms of sheer numbers for 2009 1,173,505 applications for tourist visa were rejected, in 2008 1,248,865 were rejected and in 2007 1,204,294 were rejected worldwide. Approximately 26 to 28% of all Tourist visa applications are rejected each year. Some rich countries have rejection rates around 4 to 6% whereas poor countries like Laos are around 72%.

It appears that the US government is more concerned about perceptions than they are in communicating reality ergo the truth. In my opinion the image of the United States as well as its esteem would be better served in dissuading certain peoples from applying for Tourist Visas than encouraging people to spend their money initially and more importantly additional times fostering the illusion that they have a good probability of obtaining a Tourist Visa.

As I have written many times before regarding life here in Southeast Asia - "Things are not always what they appear to be" This statement is not limited to just Southeast Asia.

The same is true of the statement "Things are not always what you expect them to be"

So ends the Tale of Two Cities. So ends Visa Quest.

Baan That Rocket Launches

Sunday, 01 May, was a holiday here in Thailand just as in many other countries in the world. It was also the day that the rocket builders of Baan That had told us that they would be launching their rockets. We left our home in Udonthani around 8:00 A.M. with a special guest to accompany us. Peelawat, our 15 month old grandson, had spent the night along with his mother at our home. I suggested that it might be nice for them to join us along with #4, Duang's youngest brother, on our day trip out to Baan That. We headed out under an overcast sky, hot, and rather humid conditions. May is the start of rainy season and true to form we had had another big thunderstorm the previous evening. During the rainy season our precipitation typically is in the form of afternoon or night thunderstorms.

On the road north towards the Lao border we encountered some sprinkles. The very slight shower did not deter us. Weather around here is always interesting as well as unpredictable. There are many micro climates which vary greatly resulting in torrential downpour in one area and dry as a bone weather no more than 1/2 mile away. Once in Pattaya south of here and on the coast, I saw a downpour on one side of a road and not a drop of rain on the other side. True to our hopes, the slight shower, several kilometers from Baan That was just localized.

We retraced our way from the previous trip. The village school, where the International Rocket Festival was staged , had all traces of the festival removed except for the trash. The school grounds were littered with plastic - plastic bags, plastic straws, plastic bottles, plastic cups, and plastic ground clothes. It was a real mess. Hopefully it will be cleaned up after the holiday.



As we approached the center of the village, our destination became apparent. A spiralling plume of smoke streaked from the ground high into the sky. A rocket had been launched revealing to us where we needed to drive to. In no time we were at the launch site. This was another area covered with litter. There were 15 launch pads set up on the edge of a flood plain. Three of the launch pads were for very large rockets with the remaining twelve pads more suitable for launching 6" diameter by 5 foot long rockets that we watched being fabricated on our previous visit. The launch pads were made of prefabricated reinforced concrete columns and were heavily blackened - evidence of many previous launches undoubtedly associated with the rocket festival. The launch ramps were slightly angled from vertical to ensure that the rockets were fired over the empty flood plain rather than directly above the launch area. There was a large elevated stage at the far end of the rocket launch area. We pulled into the unpaved grounds and parked to the left of the stage. We found out that a Mahlam Lao stage show was going to be starting soon. Rockets, Rocket Launches, Mahlam Lao show, and Go-Go Girls - this had the makings of a very interesting day.


The dirt road that ran along the length of the launching area was lined on both sides with booths and motorcycle push cart vendors. The booths as well as the push carts sold soft drinks, ice cubes, beer, ice cream, whiskey, cooked foods, fruits, and snacks - everything that you would need for a good time. We walked down towards the launch pads but Peelawat was not thrilled with the rockets. When the rockets are launched there is a large plume of smoke along with a loud roar. Although Peelawat did not cry, his eyes and body language indicated that he was afraid. Duang, her daughter, Peelawat, and #4 returned to the area around the stage. This was good for Peelawat in that next to the location where they decided to sit there was a booth where people could throw darts at balloons to earn prizes. #4 quickly won a large stuffed toy almost as big as Peelawat. This kept Peelawat occupied for much of the day. He is babbling quite a bit now and for most of the trip to Baan That he had been "talking" to a pillow in the back seat of the truck. At least now he could talk to an object that had a face and ears.

I wandered about the actual launch area and was quickly reunited with the rocket building family. They recognized me and brought a metal cup of Lao Kao, moonshine whiskey, for me to drink. They were having a family outing - three generations out to enjoy launching their rockets. Like all the other rocketeers that day, they had a canopy to provide protection from the sun, rain, or possible falling objects. While the men put the finishing touches on each of the rockets, the women and children sat underneath the canopy on sahts.



The rockets arrive to the launch facility without their ignitors and fuses installed. The rockets have a temporary cover removed from their nozzle to allow the men to slightly ream out the rocket fuel. Water and cotton swaps are used to prepare the rocket for the fuse/ignitor assembly. The rockets are ignited with a truck battery near the base of the launch pad. Each team provides their own battery for launching their rockets. Thin wires run from the battery up the launch ramp and into the rocket. The fuse which has been installed inside of the rocket is a thin strip of fabric that has been soaked in the tailings of gunpowder and water tailings from reaming the rocket. The nozzle of the rocket is plugged with a bunched up rag that has also been saturated in the fuel tailings. The Battery heats up a wire which ignites the fuse which in turn ignites the rocket solid fuel. The process of preparing the rockets and strapping them to the launch pads is a very dirty business as the day wore on the rocketeer's arms, hands, as well as clothing became covered in heavy black soot. Whereas there was no smoking at the rocket production facility, just as previous launches in Tahsang Village, most of the men were smoking as they worked on their rockets.



When we first arrived there were not many people at the launch area. As the morning turned more into afternoon, more and more launch teams as well as spectators arrived. There were not many falangs, foreigners, at the event. I saw four other foreigners in attendance. They appeared to be local residents rather than tourists so the event was a local celebration as opposed to the previous festival. I prefer the local events rather than tourist focused festivals. I find it to be much more interesting as well as educational to observe and sometimes to even participate in the local focused events. The Lao Loum people are very friendly and curious. Yesterday the rocketeers were busy drinking, mainly their version of moonshine whiskey, so as the day wore on they became even more friendly. Many of the booths located around the launch area sold bottles of the whiskey.


Rockets were constantly being launched. Several times two rockets were launched at the same time. Once three rockets were launched simultaneously. So many rockets were being launched that from his position near the stage, Peelawat overcame most of his fear. When a rocket was launched he would look to see it, point at it, and issue a little sound that seemed to mean "Look".


One of the rockets blew up on the launch pad. The explosion covered the ground with burning fuel, bamboo splinters and shards of PVC while filling the area with large billows of heavy smoke. Men on the nearby launch pad continued preparing their rocket seeming oblivious to the excitement below them. I had squatted down for a better perspective of the launch. Through my lens I could see the shards and burning fragments flying through the air and rolling along the ground. It definitely got my attention. Back at the stage area, Duang had noticed the explosion and was soon at my side, telling me not to get so close to the launch pads. I didn't tell her that she didn't need to tell me. I had already learned my lesson but I appreciated her concern. My friends the rocket builders offered me some more whiskey but I declined and indicated that with more whiskey I would blow up just like the rocket.

Shortly after noon, the mother of all rockets was launched. This rocket was approximately 14 inches in diameter and 10 feet long. It was massive. Upon launch, the rocket sat on the ramp burning fuel, blowing heavy clouds of smoke and flame behind it. After a long while it sped up the ramp. The rocket cleared the launch pad with a load roar, rose vertically for a short period of time and fell into more of a horizontal flight out over the flooded plain. At the far end of the flood plain, the rocket exploded sending burning debris towards the ground amongst various smoke trails. Despite the delayed flight, low altitude achieved, and short duration of the rocket's flight, the spectators as well as rocket builders were ecstatic about the launch. Apparently unlike some things in life, size does matter for rockets. The smaller rockets flew faster, longer and higher but not as loudly or impressively as the mother of all rockets. Several minutes later, the debris was still sending smoke up into the sky. I pointed this out to one of its builders and he indicated that it was smoking because that is where the rocket exploded. No one seemed concerned. I thought about the consequences if it had been in America and smiled to myself as I remembered what Duang often tells me "Darling, Isaan not the same as America". It is on days like Sunday that I am aware of that truth and happy for that.