Shoshi Bromley-Dulfano was taking a stroll one breezy evening at Sanam Luang when she came across a string of purple kites. To her, they looked like jellyfish suspended in the sky.
"I have never seen anything like this before," said Bromley-Dulfana, from Utah, US. "Where I come from, people don't just come out to fly kites on a normal day like this."
Such a scene — a sunset dotted with kites, backdropped by the grandeur of the Grand Palace — offers an exotic snapshot for tourists. At this time of year, with the scorching heat of April, comes the wind, ushering in high season for kite-flying.
In Thailand, kite season begins in winter but doesn't peak until summer, and lasts until the rainy season sets in, around July. During this time of year, a seasonal wind known as tapao goes from the south to the north of Thailand, making it perfect for flying kites. Though kite-flying may seem rather old-fashioned, it remains fairly popular among families and those searching for a simple and inexpensive outdoor activity.
In addition to being a popular place for kite-flying, the 78 rai of Sanam Luang, which sit in front of the most famous temple in the country, is also popular with those who come to jog or picnic. Following an extensive renovation in 2011, Sanam Luang has never looked better, and now draws more daily and weekend visitors than ever before. There also appear to be fewer homeless people in the area.
"Sanam Luang is a legendary place for kite-flying," said Prinya Sukchid, a kite expert who has been coming out to Sanam Luang since he was eight years old.
"Many kings also have left their footsteps here watching kites."
The history of kite-flying in Thailand may date back to as far as the Sukhothai era, in the 13th century, when kites were flown to bring good luck and summon the wind. Flying kites as a recreational activity, however, dates back to the reign of King Rama IV, in the mid-19th century. At this time, commoners were allowed to fly kites in the field once preserved for royal ceremonies, such as cremation of members of the royal family.
People have been flying kites for fun at Sanam Luang ever since it opened to the public. Many of the more skilled kite-flyers also participate in aerial battles between the two most recognisable of Thai kites, the star-shaped chula kite, flown by males, and the snake-like pakpao kite, typically flown by females.
"People still come here because there are no better or more suitable places in Bangkok that can offer this much open space," Prinya said. "The kite scene in Sanam Luang this year also feels more active than the past few years, because the area is no longer affected by political protests."
Despite this, the number of kites above Sanam Luang still pales in comparison to the scenes that could be witnessed 30 years ago. The 70s and 80s, according to Prinya, were "the heyday of kite flying in Thailand".
As a young boy, he remembers seeing thousands of kites floating in the sky on windy days.
To Tong-orn is a 59-year-old kite seller who has been handcrafting and selling kites at Sanam Luang for nearly 40 years. He remembers days when the sky above Sanam Luang was pocked with flashes of colour.
"The sky was crawling with kites, and an awful lot were also waiting to take off on the ground," To said. "Too bad there is no such thing anymore."
Part of the reason fewer people fly kites, To believes, is due to the increasing popularity of computers, tablets and mobile phones. "Only when parents realise that their kids need a day to run in the sunshine or need a break from looking at their computers will they come here," he said.
While many fly their kites for fun, Sanam Luang is also a training ground for a more serious type of kite enthusiast. Electrical engineer Ekapak Kachathong, for example, flies "sport kites" at a competitive level.
A fan ever since he was young, Ekapak began to deviate from regular kiting to sport kiting 17 years ago, and has participated in a number of domestic and international competitions.
Some of the kites he owns are worth more than 100,000 baht. He also has his own kite workshop.
"It's a relaxing sport. You don't have to compete with anybody," he says. "It's the combination of engineering and art that allows you to feel the wind in your hands. That is a one-of-a-kind feeling."
Ekapak goes to Sanam Luang almost every week to indulge in his "serious hobby".
Despite the fact that the kite's glory days in Thailand may very well be over, Ekapak is positive that the classic pursuit of kiting won't entirely die out, especially during summertime.
"The only thing I'm afraid of is a decrease in the number of handmade kite-makers," Ekapak said.
"The kites will become harder to find because kite craftsmen don't often make profits from making them anymore."
Kites hover in the sky, backdropped by the Grand Palace.
People buy kites from a vendor at Sanam Luang.
Still soaring high
The sky over Cha-am beach welcomed hundreds of kites for the annual Cha-am International Kite Festival, on March 28-29. It was the second time the event took place there, moving away from its former home at the Rama VI Camp, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, where the festival had been held since 2006.
The free beachside fair, organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, included a variety of kite spectacles, from “fancy kite" to "stunt" and "revolution" kite shows. Attendees were also able to partake in a kite-building workshop and a kite tour.
The “fancy kite" shows featured gigantic and multicoloured kites flown by Thai and foreign kite enthusiasts, from noon until sunset. Kites bearing the image of tigers, cats, stingrays — even Patrick Star from SpongeBob SquarePants — could be seen being flown throughout the day.
One of the highlights included a 30m-long inflatable blue whale kite, brought in by a team from Peter Lynn Kites, a famous kite-making company from New Zealand that holds the Guinness World Record for the construction of the world’s largest kite, in 2005. Leading the Peter Lynn Kites dream team was kite-maker Simon Chisnall, who has been touring international kite festivals for years.
Apart from the whale, Chisnall was also proud of the Pegasus, the newest kite from the company, which was in Thailand for the first time this year.
Cha-am features in Peter Lynn Kites' top five most beautiful and kite-friendly spots in the world.
“Every time I have been here, the wind is perfect,” Chisnall said. “We have perfect wind off the sea, the wind lasts all day and the beaches are nice.”
The most exciting thing about participating in any kite event, Chisnall said, is “just seeing everybody so happy".
As well as magnificent parades, the “stunt" kite shows saw different teams choreographing their kites to music, while the “revolution" kite shows took things to another level, with awesome kite performances. One team, for example, manoeuvred its kites to appear as different letters, while L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole played.
As the sun began to set, kite enthusiasts began to take their kites down. Some kites were so large, however, that they required more than 10 team members to bring down.
Kites, including a 30m blue whale kite, hover in the sky at Cha-am beach.
