Haad Bai - Wat Had Bai Saithong

[DavidFL]

Haad Bai - Wat Had Bai Saithong 2026

Wat Had Bai Saithong has a merit making event that I don't quite understand or have witnessed before on at the end of the month
29-31 January at night
1 February the main event.

Worth investigating for something a bit different.
Many villagers will come Ban Sidonegneng across the Mekong river in Laos.

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[DavidFL]

Slowly getting better & back on the road gently.
At 4.30pm ths arvo, I suddenly remembered the start of the festival at Wat Had Bai.

It was a click ride down Paradise Road & onto R4007 to follow the Mekong River road around to Wat Had Bai & Takhong for sunset.
True to form I missed the earlier main parade but popped into the wat for a few pics and a couple of bevvies with some locals at the general store across the street from the Wat.

It's all about the black balls and anointing them with gold leaf.

Villagers make a donation to the wat, 100 baht seemed to be the norm, for which you get some gold leaf & paste it onto the black balls located around the temple.

I made a donation of 200 baht to which they called out the donors name Mr Farang.

There will be another "main parade" with dancing at a claimed 1pm on Sunday 1st.
C u there.

Of note too is that there was a small local fair going on across the street in a field, with Thai boxing, stalls and some traditional dancing.
The last day for this far is on Saturday the 31st I was told.

450 kms from Wat Had Bai is he stunning sunset restaurant resort of Takhong.
I just caught it as the sun was going down.

MY fave gal at Takhong is Yai, grandma of the Takhong family.

The same age, currently 72, we always share a beer and a hug.

Lotsa love to everyone on GTR.

 

[DavidFL]

Another night & day at Takhong- Had Bai for the festival.
I hadn't planned on the night in HB, but my new Lao trader friend from the Chula Kathin festival sent a message to say she was coming over for the night with her Mum & Aunty again & bringing me 2cans of Beer Lao. How could I resist!

The happy international visitors from across the river.

In the late afternoon I picked Ms One up from her grandfather's house in Had Bai and we adjourned to Takhong restaurant for a few hours.

During the course of the afternoon Mum and Aunty joined us for food & drink.
Her 80+ year old grandfather also joined us for a few bevvies and a fascinating chat for the duration.

1. Aunty was also 80 and hailed from Xayaboury province, somewhere near Muang Ngeun - Hongsa, but I could not quite pin down the village.
She had lived in Sidonegneng for 20 odd years, and now has family in Houei Xai & Sidonegneng, as well as Had Bai.

2. Grandfather & the bulk of Ms One's family are all originally from Pak Thai in Laos. Grandpa and most family elders left Pak Tha because of the war.
Grandpa first lived in Ban Po in Wiang Kaen district, only stayed a few years, then moved to Sidonegneng. However he did not stay there long either & moved to Had Bai, where he has been for decades. Exactly how long I couldn't work out, but he has full Thai citizenship & and ownership. Such is the strength of his Thai citizenship, that Ms One's daughter is also registered in Had Bai as a Thai national. She now lives in Mok Chom Pae MHS and works at coffeeshop in Rak Thai when she is not studying computers at college in MHS.
Isn't it incredible how these people live and move around the across the borders? I find all these chats fascinating.
The oldies all have intriguing stories to tell if you can get them to open up.

Back to the festival....

Good ol ChatGPT got me an explanation of the festival.

What is the Thai temple festival inaugurating big balls and anointing them with goldleaf, plus presenting knives

That’s the one with the big stone balls, gold leaf, and ceremonial offerings.

Luk Nimit consecration festival

The “big balls”
Those are ลูกนิมิต (Luk Nimit)
Sacred spherical boundary stones
Usually 8 or 9 balls, buried around and under the ubosot (ordination hall)
They mark the official sacred boundary where monks can be ordained

During the festival, people:
Anoint or cover the Luk Nimit with gold leaf
Make merit by helping “close” the ubosot spiritually and physically
This ceremony effectively inaugurates or re-consecrates the ordination hall.

Gold leaf
Applying gold leaf is high-merit (บุญแรง) in Thai belief
Symbolises purity, permanence, and respect for the Buddha’s teachings

The knives / blades
This part varies by temple and region, but usually means ceremonial offerings, not weapons use.

Common meanings:
ถวายมีด (offering knives/tools) for temple or community use

Symbol of:
Cutting away bad karma
Protection
Readiness to serve the Sangha
In some areas, blades or tools are offered by craftsmen, farmers, or donors as part of merit-making
They are symbolic, not aggressive.

When you usually see the festival.
Often lasts 7–10 days
Common in rural and provincial temples

Especially frequent when:
A new ubosot is completed
A temple is being formally recognised
You’ll see stalls, music, food, and sometimes a real fair atmosphere alongside very serious rituals.

Short answer
Name: Luk Nimit Festival
Thai: งานปิดทองฝังลูกนิมิต
Purpose: Consecrating a temple’s ordination boundary
Key features:
✔ Big stone balls
✔ Gold leaf
✔ Ceremonial offerings (sometimes knives/tools)