Filed December 3, 2025

Bun Kathin Festival – A Glimpse from the Village (Northeast Thailand)

The Bun Kathin festival is a major annual merit-making event celebrated by Theravada Buddhists across Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. It marks the end of the rainy season retreat (Vassa), bringing entire villages together in spiritual offering and community joy.

In this short film, we make the short ride from home to the village temple to witness just a few candid moments from the celebration. From a raw, on-the-ground perspective, we:

  • Visit neighbors and friends
  • Explore the temple grounds
  • Share laughs (Thai humor) with local youth
  • Watch coconut rice being cooked in bamboo ash beds
  • Observe a temple-building ceremony where the entire village is connected
    by a single string to the monks and the piece of the new structure being
    added.
  • Wrap the day with food, drinks, and laughter.

No script, no narration — just moments as they happened.

Thanks for tagging along.