The festival will be held to promote and conserve the district's unique products - the handmade umbrella and "sa" paper.  A walking street will be arranged in Lanna style, offering visitors a chance to browse and shop for local products. 

An assortment of activities has also been planned including a procession of beautifully decorated floats, the Miss Borsang Umbrella beauty pageant, art and cultural performances and a contest between shops decorated with umbrellas.

One of the highlights will be the creation of the world's largest umbrella by the communities.           

Tambol Tonpao Administration Organisation deputy president Tawee Theppanya expects the three-day festival to draw at least 10,000 visitors and generate around Bt2 million in revenue for the communities.     

Junnapong Saranak, TAT, Northern Region 1's director, confirmed that the recent bombings would not effect the festival and Chiang Mai's tourism as a whole.

"Most tourists to the province are Thai, while foreign tourists count for 10 per cent of the whole. So, internal affairs will not affect the tourism industry," he said. 

The New Year weekend celebrations brought in Bt375 million in revenue and around 25,000 tourists to the city. 

Citylife

Chiang Mai