To further develop the creative economy in the Northeast, the Creative Economy Agency (CEA), Khon Kaen province and Alliances teamed up to create the Isan Creative Festival under the theme "Isan Soul Proud". The festival is presented through three industries -- entertainment and content; handicrafts, arts and design; and food.
Throughout the nine days of the festival, running from June 28 until Sunday, more than 200 activities are provided in seven formats -- academic programmes, creative business platforms, showcases and exhibitions, talks and workshops, events and entertainment programmes, creative markets and creative district projects.
More than 900 people from the Northeast and other regions participated in creating the festival. In addition to local buyers in creative industries, over 250 international buyers from China, Italy, Sweden and Malaysia were invited. Isan Creative Festival is expected to attract more than 300,000 visitors and create economic value of no less than 500 million baht.
Besides Isan Creative Festival, this year, the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) -- a creative space by CEA -- will be established in 10 provinces. Among the 10 locations, four will be located in the Northeast, including Nakhon Ratchasima, Sisaket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani. The TCDC in these areas is expected to be a space that helps push creators, local businesses, students and people develop their abilities. Their creativity will hopefully elevate their province to become an attractive place to travel, live and invest.
The main venues hosting the Isan Creative Festival are TCDC Khon Kaen, Pullman Hotel Khon Kaen, Columbo Creative District and Sawathi Community (Wat Chai Si).
Here are some highlights of the Isan Creative Festival.
Pullman Hotel Khon Kaen will renovate the hotel for guests who stay for months at a time. (Photos courtesy of Creative Economy Agency)
Pullman Hotel Khon Kaen
The CEA selected the hotel sector as a pilot industry for developing the creative economy in Khon Kaen. The target group is people who come for long stays either for work or other activities. This group, composed of digital nomads, athletes and those who come for cosmetic surgery, has been increasing. The pilot project, titled LongStay, has been implemented in six hotels including Mekin Farm, The Charm Boutique Resort and Pullman Khon Kaen.
The Charm Boutique Resort is located opposite a cosmetic clinic. The CEA tried to connect the resort with the clinic since some patients want a place to recover from surgery.
Pullman also takes the LongStay project seriously because executives decided to renovate the hotel for guests who potentially stay for months. An executive at Pullman revealed that the main guests of the hotel are South Korean sports teams. During winter, South Korean teams escape freezing weather for Khon Kaen to train young athletes.
Other frequent guests are Lao people who come for medical treatment since Khon Kaen has excellent hospitals. These guests choose to stay at Pullman because the hotel is located conveniently and offers easy access to various places in the city. Pullman Hotel has already started renovating rooms, expected to be completed by the middle of next year. The renovation will enhance Wi-Fi capabilities and other amenities that help add to the convenience.
Mural art at Wat Chai Si.
Columbo Creative District
Located next to Khon Kaen University, Columbo Creative District is an area that has the potential to be a creative community. The area showcases music performances, movies, handicrafts and artwork.
CoolConut Radio Space organised Isan dance performances by the elderly. The founder of CoolConut Radio Space said the space is for promoting local instruments. In the evening, there are local and international musicians playing together.
Khontemporary is the location of Isan Cinema House which showcases local and international films. At the same location, there is a pizza parlour from Suwanakhet. The owner of this homemade pizza restaurant decided to open a branch in Khon Kaen because dairy farms in the province make it easy for them to produce their own mozzarella cheese. Next to the restaurant is the Khontemporary Coffee Bar and Photo Gallery. The coffee bar's signature drink is coffee with khai phum (swamp algae), a so-called superfood. They have a process to dry khai phum and grind it into powder to mix with coffee. Its taste is similar to matcha, but without caffeine.
Established in 2016, Columbo Craft Namdoo is a community of over 10 handicraft studios open every day except Tuesday. Namdoo in Isan means together. During the festival, every studio provides handicraft workshops for visitors.
Located at the entrance, Patata Studio provides a service for tattoos, beading, making key chains and painting glass. The studio is also a community for feminists and LGBTI. Founded by two artists, KleiWinkel studio creates handmade souvenirs that combine painting and ceramic skills. Two artists sit and work opposite each other and when one artist finishes making a bracelet and clay souvenir, she passes it to the other for painting. Little Miss Something is filled with colourful crocheted flowers that can attract many female visitors.
CoolConut Radio Space.
Sawathi Community
Since Wat Chai Si in the Sawathi community was built in 1865, many parts of the temple have been rebuilt and renovated. Although Isan-style murals in Wat Chai Si were repaired, they still retain their originality. At Wat Chai Si, visitors will meet a young guide who narrates a folktale regarding the journey of Sinsai using murals. On weekends, there is a performance of Sinsai's story by young actors. Their show is captivating, using intriguing handmade puppets accompanied by molam, traditional Isan music. Next to Wat Chai Si, there is a space for Sawathi Goods Souvenirs. The souvenirs were created by three artists, including Siri, an illustrator who created the well-known character Tomato Twins. She created new characters for the Sawathi community and other artists created souvenirs inspired by the story of Sinsai and Isan murals.
Larb-flavoured chocolate.
According to the exhibition, at the residence of Rabiab Wataslip (a famous molam troupe), the yearly 4.7 billion baht generated from audiences helped support the economy. Founded in 1964, Rabiab Wataslip's breakthrough came in 2006 when the troupe appeared in the famous TV drama Queen Of Mor Lam. The crew increased rapidly from 20 to over 200. In 2022, the troupe got into the spotlight when they performed with contestants at Miss Grand Thailand. Due to their fame, the troupe also performed at the Big Mountain Music Festival in 2024. People who visit Rabiab Wataslip will see an exhibition that explains the history of the troupe, information about molam and molam costumes.
Columbo Craft Namdoo. (Photo: Suwitcha Chaiyong)
TCDC Khon Kaen
Mok, Fab Cafe Bangkok and ISANCF organised a showcase titled Zaap Power to reveal a new style of Isan snack. Rila, an international award-winning craft chocolate brand, created larb-flavoured chocolate. Khao pong or Isan rice crackers, which are easy to crack due to their large size, were reimagined to be smaller than a person's palm. Additionally, instead of grilling over charcoal, the new khao pong can be cooked in a microwave for convenience.
The Isan Creative Festival runs until Sunday in Khon Kaen. For more information, visit facebook.com/isancreativefestival.
Isan snacks.
