Dan Sai is really nothing more than a small town set in the scenic hills of rural Loei province, in the far northeast of Thailand, near the Laotian border. It wouldn't be on the tourist map if it weren't for a distinctive annual festival called Phi Ta Khon, the "ghost mask" festival. The event attracts people from all over Thailand, as well as a number of foreign tourists, and as a result the city has some infrastructure, although not much.
The main chapel and pagoda of Wat Neramit
Other than the unique festival, Dan Sai is a rather pretty place, although there are only a couple of sights to the city itself, and it would make a good base to explore some of the many natural wonders of Loei province, if you're comfortable with the idea of a self-drive holiday.
Dan Sai might be a more popular destination if it were easier to get to. The closest airport is in the provincial capital Loei, more than an hour away. Unfortunately, as of mid-2011 there was only one flight a week to Loei. The next closest airport is Phisanulok, about a two hour drive from Dan Sai. Udon Thani is another airport option, and the one with the most choices, but it's about three hours away.
A standard room at the Phunacome Resort There aren't many places to stay in Dan Sai, if you want to be near the festival area. There are many places listed on the Dan Sai Municipality web site, but many of them are spread out around the countryside 30 minutes or more from Dan Sai. You can use the search box below to search for the best rates online, but be sure to check how far the place is from town.
Map of Dan Sai Mouse over any of the icons for the name of the sight, click for complete details. For the most part, Dan Sai is a one-street city. The main road runs up from the highway that connects Phitsanulok and the Loei City. The Phi Ta Khon parade route runs along this road, through the downtown area to the Phon Chai temple. The other two interesting sights are the two temples just outside of town.
Oogah boogah! The Phi Ta Khon festival is the biggest attraction to the otherwise sleepy farming village of Dan Sai, nestled in the mountains of Loei province of northeastern Thailand. The event is peculiar to Dan Sai, but does combine elements of other Isaan festivals, such as the rocket festivals to bring rain. Although pinning down the dates of Phi Ta Khon was once an issue, with the village elders only naming the dates a few weeks beforehand, the festival is now fixed at the first weekend after the sixth full moon.
July 2011
Not your average hotel welcome There are only a few places to stay in Dan Sai, and Phunacome Resort is far and away the best the small city has to offer. The resort would make a great 'get away from it all' destination at any time of year, but during the annual Phi Ta Khon festival, it's really the only choice in town. The resort is laid out in a small valley just about 10 minutes from town.
The main chapel and pagoda of Wat Neramit Wat Neramit is a rather new temple on a wooded hill just outside of Dan Sai. The main structures are built of a reddish laterite stone, which was a common 'core' stone used for ancient structures, but it was usually faced with plaster or finer-grained stone. The temple was the concept of Luang Pho Phra Maha Phan Sila Wisuttho, whose wax figure sits in the pagoda, in front of his casket.
The pagoda and chapel of Wat Phon Chai Wat Phon Chai is the center of activity for the Phi Ta Khon festival in Dan Sai. It's hard to say how old the temple is, but it was probably founded several hundred years ago at least. The main buildings are just a small chapel and a square pagoda (prathat) next to it. During the festival, there are usually several activities going on around the temple grounds, as well as it being the final destination for those taking part in the processions.
The square pagoda (prathat) at the center of Wat Prathat Si Song Rak was built around the middle of the sixteenth century to, in effect, celebrate a defense pact between the kingdoms of Ayutthaya and Lane Xang (Laos) against their common enemy the Burmese. Dan Sai at the time was on the border between the two kingdoms. A chapel backing onto the pagoda houses a highly revered Buddha image, although you almost can't see it through the cloudy glass doors protecting it.
