The village of Tha Rae, in the Archdiocese of Tha Rae-Nong Saeng, is best known as having the largest proportion of Catholics in Thailand. Today’s villagers are descendants of Catholics who migrated to Thailand from Vietnam.
Each Christmas, the village celebrates with a “star parade” bringing their own versions of the Star of Bethlehem and the story of the birth of Jesus Christ to hundreds of locals and visitors.
The annual event is attended by Catholics and non-Catholics alike with many discovering the story of the birth of Jesus Christ and the true meaning of Christmas for the first time.
Brightly decorated vehicles with stars in different colors and shapes are paraded around the village, whose buildings stand out from other places in Thailand’s “Isan” region with their French colonial architecture.
Photos by: Paviss Phongphit
