BANGKOK, 21 March 2019: Chiang Rai’s iconic Wat Rong Khun will light up the sky later this year with a THB100 million multi-media show
One of Thailand’s public listed companies, Index Creative Village PLC, will underwrite an ambitious light show with over 100 lasers and 3D mapping technology to create an illumination of the famous temple, 22 November to 22 December, the peak tourist season for the far north town bordering Laos and Myanmar.
Created by Thailand’s national artist, Chalermchai Kositpipat, the iconic Wat Rong Khun will take on a new spectacular dimension with a multi-media show unfolding against the temple’s silhouette.
Tickets for each of the two evening shows will cost THB400 to THB 1,150. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the government’s Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital.
Index Creative Village’s group chief executive, Kriengkrai Kanjanapokin, described the “Wat Rong Khun Light Fest has a mega project that would boost the quality of tourism and create a positive image of Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai is attracting more tourists mainly a younger generation of travellers living in Southeast Asia and China
Travel to the city has also improved since AirAsia launched direct services from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Macau earlier this year.
Kriengkrai estimated the month-long attraction would boost tourism income in Chiang Rai, by over THB1,500 million from the estimated 300,000 Asian visitors.
As for European travellers, tourist arrivals should grow 40% during the last quarter of this year, he claimed.
Wat Rong Khun is considered one of the most popular destinations in Thailand and listed as one of the top 10 most beautiful temples in the World.
It is also credited for being an outstanding example of Buddhist architecture renowned for its grandeur, beauty and recognised as a masterpiece crafted by a gifted national artist.
“From this inspiration grew the desire to add more colour and another new dimension at the Wat Rong Khun Light Fest that visitors have never witnessed before,” said Kriengkrai
Chalermchai added: “Index Creative Village share my same vision to boost tourism in Chiang Rai Province and support the local community.
“There are now so many tourists visiting North Thailand, so we wanted to create a colourful and new activity for visitors to Chiang Rai.”
Wat Rong Khun receives around 10,000 visitors daily, or an average of 2 million visitors a year.
For the first time, Wat Rong Khun will be open in the evening for the month-long festival and the national artist, who has made the ornate temple a lifetime commission, believes it will help to put the city on the world tourism map.
“I want travellers to say that if they come to Thailand, they must come to Chiang Rai to experience the “Wat Rong Khun Light Fest,” said Chalermchai.
The show will run from 22 November to 22 December, with two performances daily at 1830 and 2030. Each performance will last one hour.
Tickets are priced from THB400 to THB1,150 and limited to 1,000 per performance. Tickets are available to purchase at Thai Ticketmaster, or through www.thaiticketmajor.com. For more information, please visit www.watrongkhunlightfest.com.
