By 8 a.m. on Mondays, the banks of the Mekong River in the Thai town of Nakhon Phanom are thrumming with shoppers stocking up on vegetables, river fish and bottles of crickets to add to their evening meals. Some arrive by motorcycle from further afield in the northeastern Thai province. But others make the journey by boat, crossing a short stretch of murky brown river from Laos.
Tea Leaves
Mekong cross-border festivals bridge cultural and physical divides
Thai and Lao riverside towns give lessons in celebrating diversity and similarity
The streets of Nakhon Phanom, in northeastern Thailand, fill with tourists during the annual Lai Reua Fai (Floating a Fire Boat Festival). Across the Mekong River in Laos, the festival is known as Boun Lai Heua Fai. (All photos by Rebecca L. Root)
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