Shortly after transplanting is completed, the annual monsoons arrive to inundate farmland. Daily rainfall replenishes the fields and much of the family's time becomes occupied with Rains Retreat observances.
During the annual three-month Rains Retreat (Phasa in Thai), Buddhist monks are committed to remaining in their monasteries overnight. The tradition predates Buddhism. In ancient India, all holy months of the annual rainy season in permanent dwellings. They avoieded unnecessary travel during the period when crops were still new for fear they might accidentally tread on young plants.