Thailand's Tourism Authority opened a light and sound festival in Roi Et province on Friday, using projection mapping, lasers, fog effects and LED imagery to turn local beliefs, folklore and Isan culture into a walkable nighttime experience, according to 东方财富.
The Roi Et Light and Art Festival runs from October 9 to 18 and is open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight, the outlet reported. It is staged along the shore of Bueng Phalan Chai lake, where lights come on after dark and are combined with music.
东方财富, citing reporting from China News Service's Bangkok correspondent Li Yingmin, said the event features ten light art installations and experience points. Visitors walk a route around the lake and move through the installations in sequence.
Why it matters
The festival is an attempt to convert a region's cultural assets into a product tourists can take part in, rather than view from a distance. According to 东方财富, the project uses modern lighting technology to retell local stories, shifting traditional culture from a static display into something visitors can participate in and experience.
The outlet also framed the event as a way to spread tourism revenue beyond central hubs and into local communities, and as a model for developing night tourism in Thailand's northeast.
What visitors encounter along the lake
Three of the installations were singled out in the reporting.
"Follow the Naga" centers on a large moving Naga figure. "Whisper of Himmapan" uses lasers and fog to create the impression of a mythical forest. "Isan Playground" draws on white squirrels, the traditional Isan musical form known as Wot, and lighting effects meant to resemble fireflies.
The installations are spread along the lake's edge, and 东方财富 described visitors walking the shoreline to reach each one in turn.
A province with deep cultural roots
Roi Et is described by 东方财富 as one of the representative cities of Isan, the northeastern region of Thailand. The province has a long history and what the outlet called deep cultural foundations, along with a distinctive way of life, folk knowledge and artistic traditions.
Its traditional textiles, folk beliefs, music and community life form a set of cultural resources that the festival draws on. 东方财富 reported that the event combines projection mapping and light art with traditional cultural performances, with the aim of turning significant local landmarks into new tourism draws.
The reporting did not specify attendance figures, budget details or expected revenue from the festival.
The festival is scheduled to run through October 18, with nightly opening hours from 5 p.m. to midnight.
