Thailand Tourism Festival A Spectacular Event!

 By Jason Rupp and Carla Marie Rupp

We packed our car in Pattaya and set off for two nights in Bangkok. We breezed along on the tollway and arrived at our hotel to settle in happily for what we knew awaited. We figured if the Thailand Authority of Tourism (TAT) sponsors were to organize it, the “Festival” would be spectacular and well worth our time. Looking back, we were right. It really even surpassed our expectations.

Our taxi took us straight to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center where the main floor hall was decorated beautifully, a kaleidoscope of color. It was a vibrant celebration of culture, tradition, flavors and sustainability. You could smell the good food as the festival was full of food and drink, artisans, travel deals and talent of all kinds. It felt non-commercial, just a “feel good,” friendly atmosphere. Featuring the five Thailand regions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Northeastern – with local specialties and highlighted hidden gems. We tried delicious Southern curry; and Khao Soi from the North .

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had invited the public to this diverse free festival event, aimed at boosting tourism and celebrating Thailand. The theme was “Carbon Neutral Tourism” and included travel inspiration from every region, and the event was open from 10 am to 9 pm. We witnessed visitors savoring local foods from the various regions across the nation and buying local handicrafts. We joined in dancing where some famous pop performers entertained and invited interaction. People really smiled and greeted each other. We had such a good time! There were multiple stages through the big hall, with each region having its own stage.

There were parades of performers in Thai costumes to enjoy. Creativity was everywhere! All attendees had an opportunity to make art and we admired lots of unique clothing designs at many of the stalls, trying some on. It felt like we were kids in a candy store!. This festival satisfied so many things for us. We love art, and we found the hall an art lover’s paradise. It satisfied our coffee desire as we tried two or three craft coffee stalls.We tried Thai snacks, especially those with coconut and chocolate plus samples of delicious cacao drinks. When we passed a massage area, we had to stop and have the free “five finger” massage with masseuses from a shop in Chiang Mai.

A jewelry vendor caught Carla’s eye each time we passed it; so Jason satisfied his mom’s craving for the hand-made beaded bracelets at that stall, with the seller being so happy and appreciative that we bought six bracelets in all different colors. We even exchanged contact with her to keep in touch and took pictures with her. She said she also had a shop in IconSiam. We liked all the sustainability touches, such as the key chains with found items from beaches and fishing nets, repurposed bags and a lot more. The sustainability aspect of the festival aligns with the country’s “Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism & Sport Year 2025” in emphasizing sustainable practices..

While the festival seemed huge, it was broken into sections of Thailand. We wandered through each of the areas which were well-designed, and had places to sit and relax. Walking was never so much fun! We particularly liked going into the immersive Bangkok Chinatown walk-in, glitzy room and taking photos of each other. There was also a replica train to enter with photo-ops. Talented dancers weaved through the fair and Thai musicians performed at the various stages. One of our favorite things just before closing time at 9 pm was tasting the most delicious homemade durian and coconut ice cream, each from the tubs from a friendly seller. She told us she would have plenty more the next day, which we were anticipating.

We loved the festival so much we planned to go again the next day (which unknown yet to us turned out to be the earthquake day.) We woke up, checked out of our hotel, and packed our car. As we drove out into a small street, hordes of people ran towards us. Jason had felt the car shaking, not knowing what it was. He said later he thought it felt like he was in New York City and a subway train was going under the street. However, when we saw the people coming towards us, he yelled, “Get out.” We did, and we asked what was going on. People said, “Earthquake!!” The people were running from the big street full of office buildings. We were confused. We got back into the car and ended up in the big street with the traffic where people lined the sidewalks.

But we still wanted to take a chance if the festival was going on, so we finally arrived at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, where we saw hordes of people standing outside. We asked if the festival would resume and were told “around 4 pm.” We weren’t sure what to do, whether to wait around or go back to Pattaya. So we phoned our jewelry friend (who sold us the bracelets the day before) and found out that the tourism festival was canceled for the rest of the day.

We parked the car by a Black Canyon coffee shop to wait for traffic to subside and we stayed there until they closed at 6 pm. With the traffic still horrible, we took a walk in the area and found a place to get foot massages for an hour followed by another hour of Thai body massages. After leaving, we were hungry and found a great place with delicious Myanmar food. We took our time at their restaurant, and finally walked back to our car. By that time the traffic wasn’t as bad, and in time we made it to a gas station and finally back to Pattaya in the dark with very little traffic.

Our hearts go out to the families in Myanmar and in Thailand who lost their loved ones due to the earthquake and to the injured. It wasn’t until the next day that we learned more about the devastation of the earthquake in the two countries and we are saddened by the news.

Carla Marie Rupp and Jason Rupp are freelance travel journalists. They enjoy festivals and reporting about their travel discoveries. You can give them feedback at [email protected] and [email protected].