Mr. Apichai Chatcharoemkit, Deputy Governor for Domestic Marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said the Lamphun Light & Craft event builds on the annual winter festival into a highly creative activity. It aims to encourage tourist dispersal from major cities to the attractive destination of Lamphun province. The event will be held from 23 to 28 December 2025 at the old City Hall and Wang Sai Road in Lamphun. It is expected to attract at least 30,000 visitors and generate over 30 million baht in local economic circulation.
As the government designates tourism as a key driver of Thailand's economy, TAT promotes tourism by leveraging Thai charm, a core strength and selling point of the country, under the concept of 5 Must Do in Thailand.
The goal is to sustainably distribute tourism income to attractive cities by developing community products aligned with the growing craft market trend, which attracts consumers who value sustainability, storytelling, and participation.
Tourism has shifted from passive sightseeing to creative participation, emphasizing learning through direct experience, workshops, and exchanges with local communities.
For these reasons, TAT studied and selected Ban Thi community in Lamphun province as a model community, distinguished by its cultural capital and ethnic identity. It is recognized as the City of Three Tai groups, comprising Tai Lue, Tai Yong, and Tai Yuan peoples, who still preserve their language, attire, and important traditions.
These traditions include the Spirit of the Water Guardian ritual and the preservation of customs and festivals, reflecting deep faith and cultural roots. These are valuable social and cultural assets that can be leveraged for creative economic development and cultural tourism, making it an ideal area to develop as a sustainable creative tourism model.
For the Lamphun Light & Craft event, TAT showcases Ban Thi community products that have developed distinctive branding and imagery, telling stories through packaging design and digital media. They apply modern technology such as AR/VR and e-commerce platforms to expand markets. Strong tourism communities like Mae Tha and Phra Bat Huai Tom also participate in the event.
The event uses event marketing combined with community identity to reinforce Lamphun’s image as an ancient yet smart city. It integrates a night market and art and craft market to create economic opportunities for communities to present products and enhance the province’s soft power, reinforcing Lamphun’s image as a creative cultural city. This encourages repeat visits and establishes Lamphun as more than a transit point.
Lamphun becomes a destination where tourists seek shared happiness with local communities on an equal footing. Especially during the year-end high season, the focus is on showcasing Lamphun’s enchanting nightlife filled with light, color, and art to attract quality tourists to stay overnight and increase local spending, sustainably boosting tourism income for the province.
Mr. Piyapong Chuawong, Governor of Lamphun province, said Lamphun has a grand history dating back to the Hariphunchai era, reflecting the prosperity of Buddhism, which is a key asset driving the tourism industry. The province is enhancing infrastructure and services to become a regional destination.
Especially during the year-end high season, the province has expanded its annual festival with more grand and diverse activities. This year marks the first elevated version of the Lamphun Winter Tourism Festival in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
The Lamphun Light & Craft event aims to leave unforgettable impressions and inspire through creative tourism activities to attract repeat visitors. This will stimulate the economy, generate income for entrepreneurs and communities, and lay the foundation for sustainable development in the province.
Mr. Praphat Phu Charoen, Mayor of Lamphun municipality, said the Lamphun Light & Craft event signifies important cooperation between the municipality, TAT, and the public to ignite the glory of a city with over 1,300 years of history, shining toward a bright future.
They transform valuable spaces, including the old City Hall and Wang Sai Road—cultural streets and a millennium plaza—into spectacular displays of light, color, and art to promote tourism, stimulate the economy, and foster pride in Lamphun’s cultural heritage. The event tells stories of people’s lives, culture, and places from past to present using modern art installations, light-ups, projection mapping, and mixed media to create a wondrous nighttime tourism experience.
Visitors are invited to enjoy a walking tour at 10 points: 1. Lamphun Art, where Gobo projectors display vibrant flower patterns and Lanna lantern colors on the street surface; 2. The Rainbow of Art, a colorful light-up breathing life into old houses in the Chum Phae area, resembling a rainbow bridging past and present; 3. Lantern Light Threads, where lantern light is woven like cultural stories reflecting Lamphun’s identity;
4. Lanna Umbrella Light, blending lighting techniques to convey Lamphun’s enduring brilliance over time; 5. Lamphun Artistic House, reviving the Lamphun Community Museum through projection mapping; 6. Illuminated Lanterns, combining faith and the beauty of Lanna lanterns and colorful umbrellas;
7. Nong Link Link, Lamphun’s mascot inspired by Lanna lanterns symbolizing the connection between past and future; 8. Gate of Light, decorated with lights inviting visitors to enter a land of culture; 9. I LOVE LAMPHUN, a neon flex landmark blending Lanna patterns and local faith symbols;
10. Interactive Light Wall, featuring LED tubes that change color to music rhythm. Additional activities include balloon shows, cultural performances, community demonstrations from Ban Thi, Mae Tha, and Phra Bat Huai Tom communities, music performances by famous and local Lamphun artists, community product stalls, local food, and food trucks.
/ Muang Thai Life Assurance Public Company Limited, together with the Muang Thai Smile Foundation, the Department of Women's Affairs and Family Development, and Sisaket United Football Club, organized a social project called "Muang Thai Life Assurance Sends Warmth to the Hearts of Sisaket People." They donated winter blankets and Pink Box packages to show care and encouragement to residents of Kantharalak district, Sisaket province, an area affected by unrest along the Thai-Cambodian border.
/ One Bangkok project extends aid to Thai soldiers, officials, and affected civilians in the border areas. Ms. Tatyakorn Benjaphatset, Senior Director of Office Building Operations, and Ms. Kanokpan Sriwanapirom, Senior Director of Human Resources and Organizational Culture at One Bangkok, invited company employees and the public to donate essential consumer goods through the Thailand Post at One Bangkok branch with free shipping until 31 December 2025.