Locals in Dan Sai Loei Province took to the streets for the annual Phi Ta Khon festival a three-day celebration blending Buddhist and animist traditions. Rooted in the legend of Prince Vessantara, the event features ghost masks, dancing and merit-making rituals to evoke rain, fertility and spiritual protection. Once a quiet town, Dan Sai transforms into a crowded hub of tourism and festivity where elders pass down ancestral crafts with more women now joining the parade. This challenges norms in a space once dominated by men.