Blossoming Chiang Mai

A highlight of 'Chiang Mai Blooms 2018' is the '42nd Chiang Mai Flower Festival'. It takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February in and around Nong Buak Hat Park in downtown Chiang Mai. The area is adorned with a range of colourful flowers and orchids as well as an open-air exhibition in the park. The event also features agricultural exhibitions, floral displays and contests, and the sale of plants, flowers and farm produce. On the opening day of this annual festival, parades of flower floats with beautifully dressed people from all over the province take to the streets of the city centre. Pichaya Svasti

Chiang Mai, aka the "Rose of the North", has been popular among Thai and foreign tourists for decades due to the beauty of its nature, art, culture and temperate flowers. Throughout this month, the province is hosting the "Chiang Mai Blooms 2018", a series of floral festivals and activities to enhance local tourism related to flower planting and decoration. Chiang Mai's "The Annual Calendar of Flowers" falls every February.

Chiang Mai Blooms is a newly-created brand and collaborative project, aiming to make the province "a meeting point of Asia". The project is jointly run by Chiang Mai province, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), and the Thai Hotel Association -- Northern Chapter.

Deputy Chiang Mai governor Putipong Sirimatya said: "Chiang Mai Flower Festival, one of the country's most famous events, has already established itself as the ideal image of the cool season in Chiang Mai.

"The vision of colourful flower parades with charming Chiang Mai ladies and hand-painted umbrellas are also recognised as a symbol of Lanna. Meanwhile, flower routes in Chiang Mai have been gaining popularity and welcoming more than 10,000 visitors per year. With these strengths, the organisers see opportunities in developing this annual flower event to be the flagship festival to attract quality tourists from around the world to Chiang Mai."

A highlight of 'Chiang Mai Blooms 2018' is the '42nd Chiang Mai Flower Festival'. It takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February in and around Nong Buak Hat Park in downtown Chiang Mai. The area is adorned with a range of colourful flowers and orchids as well as an open-air exhibition in the park. The event also features agricultural exhibitions, floral displays and contests, and the sale of plants, flowers and farm produce. On the opening day of this annual festival, parades of flower floats with beautifully dressed people from all over the province take to the streets of the city centre. Pichaya Svasti

The 'Flower on the Table' special dinner event with the extraordinary floral menu on the longest dinner table can accommodate up to 720 people. It will be held at the One Nimman Community Mall in Muang district on Feb 28 by the Thai Hotel Association – Northern Chapter. On the menu are Cocktail Canapé (torch ginger, crispy Sesbania and minced pork in crispy flour cups) by Na Nirand Romantic Boutique Resort; appetiser salad (spicy Roselle with ham and cheddar cheese salad) by Nasi Jumpru Restaurant; tiger prawns in butterfly pea flower soup − tom yum style by Duangtawan Hotel Chiang Mai; main course (sous vide royal project rainbow trout with tom kha safflower sauce, green winter vegetables, rice berry rice and organic edible flowers) by DusitD2 Chiang Mai; and dessert (longan with pea flower pudding) by Ratilanna Riverside Spa Resort. The ticket costs 2,500 baht per seat. Part of the proceeds will be donated to charitable activities. Call 053-999-333 or email thanorth@gmail.com for reservations.

According to the deputy governor, the province, TCEB, Thai Hotel Association -- Northern Chapter, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thailand Creative & Design Centre (TCDC) Chiang Mai have worked closely with local communities and stakeholders on this project. All flower-related activities are gathered and listed in Chiang Mai's February tourism calendar. They include business activities, services, accommodation, food, leisure activities and travelling routes. The project aims to enhance the existing Chiang Mai Flower Festival by studying successful formats of similar events overseas. It also provides local floral artists and parade creators with opportunities to work with design experts to improve the format of the festival and to create new selling points.

Highlights of the newly promoted Chiang Mai Blooms festival include the "Chiang Mai Flower Festival", the province's most important annual flower event; "Flower Routing" for visitors to observe beautiful flowers and plants on three different routes; "Bike With Flower" for tourists to ride bicycles to visit flower plantations in local communities; the "Flower On The Table" special dinner on Feb 28 at One Nimman Community Mall on Nimmanhaeminda Road; and the "Flower In The Air" air balloon fair which is held at Tweechol Botanic Garden in Doi Saket district every morning until Feb 28.

Other activities are "NARIT Star Party", a workshop for stargazers at the Chiang Mai Astro Park on Sunday; the "Flora Festival 2017" being held at the Royal Park Rajapruek until Feb 28, the "Bloom Everyday" at TCDC Chiang Mai in which the TCDC library is turned into an indoor flower garden; flower ecoprint workshops at Ban Khang Wat Project; and many other flower art and cooking workshops at various places citywide.

In addition, a number of restaurants and cafés all over Chiang Mai come up with floral art installations while hotels and resorts citywide present flowers as part of their services, such as a welcome drink, welcome cards and special floral recipes at restaurants. Five spas in the city also join the campaign by offering floral treatments.

"At the end of the activities, TCEB will conduct an assessment to evaluate the success of the festival together with a plan for next year and a long-term plan. We will also develop a handbook which can be used as a model for organising festivals in other cities," Supawan Teerarat, senior vice-president, strategic business development and innovation of TCEB, said.

Blooming x Tea by Ong The x DFD Flower Studio was one of the several Chiang Mai Blooms 2018 workshops. It was co-organised by a local tea blender and a local florist for participants to learn how to make a flower bouquet after sipping rose tea and other kinds of tea and munching on cake and scones with cream and rose jam at Huay Phak Phai Royal Rose Garden in Hang Dong district.A flower cooking class was held recently at Nasi Jumpru, a Thai fusion food restaurant. Participants learned how to cook flower mataba. At Ristr8to Lab, a famous coffee hub on Nimmanhaeminda Road, tourists can sip coffee decorated with floral latte art and flower-decorated desserts throughout this month.

A highlight of 'Chiang Mai Blooms 2018' is the '42nd Chiang Mai Flower Festival'. It takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February in and around Nong Buak Hat Park in downtown Chiang Mai. The area is adorned with a range of colourful flowers and orchids as well as an open-air exhibition in the park. The event also features agricultural exhibitions, floral displays and contests, and the sale of plants, flowers and farm produce. On the opening day of this annual festival, parades of flower floats with beautifully dressed people from all over the province take to the streets of the city centre. Pichaya Svasti

Hot air balloon rides are popular among tourists, especially couples. Hot air balloons take to the sky from Horizon Village & Resort in the same compound as Tweechol Botanic Garden on Chiang Mai-Doi Saket Highway. Passengers fly over the beautiful botanic garden, tree tops and the countryside at a height of up to 600m. Each flight takes 1.15 hours in the morning. The regular price is 8,800 baht net per person per flight plus free breakfast. However, during the 'Flower In The Air' balloon fair throughout this month, the special price of 8,000 baht net per person is for a flight, free breakfast and one-night accommodation at the resort. Tweechol Botanic Garden consists of the Than Fha Museum, Labyrinth, Lanna Way of Life, Rock Garden, Mahogany Park, Playground, Herb Garden, Orchid Garden, Palm Garden, Crawling Tree Garden, Petting Zoo, Garden Plant and Leaf Tree Garden, Rose Garden, Fragrant and Auspicious Tree Garden, Thai Deer Zone, Nursery, Cycad Garden, Cacti and Succulent Garden, Phra Mahajanaka Circle, and the Jurassic Park and the Topiary of Dolphins where bushes have been trimmed in the shapes of dinosaurs and dolphins. The new Than Fha Museum combines the art of Luang Prabang, Kengtung and Lanna. This garden is open daily, 8.30am-5pm. The fee per head is 86 baht for adults and 43 baht for children. Visit tweecholbotanicgarden.com.

Hot air balloon rides are popular among tourists, especially couples. Hot air balloons take to the sky from Horizon Village & Resort in the same compound as Tweechol Botanic Garden on Chiang Mai-Doi Saket Highway. Passengers fly over the beautiful botanic garden, tree tops and the countryside at a height of up to 600m. Each flight takes 1.15 hours in the morning. The regular price is 8,800 baht net per person per flight plus free breakfast. However, during the 'Flower In The Air' balloon fair throughout this month, the special price of 8,000 baht net per person is for a flight, free breakfast and one-night accommodation at the resort. Tweechol Botanic Garden consists of the Than Fha Museum, Labyrinth, Lanna Way of Life, Rock Garden, Mahogany Park, Playground, Herb Garden, Orchid Garden, Palm Garden, Crawling Tree Garden, Petting Zoo, Garden Plant and Leaf Tree Garden, Rose Garden, Fragrant and Auspicious Tree Garden, Thai Deer Zone, Nursery, Cycad Garden, Cacti and Succulent Garden, Phra Mahajanaka Circle, and the Jurassic Park and the Topiary of Dolphins where bushes have been trimmed in the shapes of dinosaurs and dolphins. The new Than Fha Museum combines the art of Luang Prabang, Kengtung and Lanna. This garden is open daily, 8.30am-5pm. The fee per head is 86 baht for adults and 43 baht for children. Visit tweecholbotanicgarden.com.

The 'Flower on the Table' special dinner event with the extraordinary floral menu on the longest dinner table can accommodate up to 720 people. It will be held at the One Nimman Community Mall in Muang district on Feb 28 by the Thai Hotel Association – Northern Chapter. On the menu are Cocktail Canapé (torch ginger, crispy Sesbania and minced pork in crispy flour cups) by Na Nirand Romantic Boutique Resort; appetiser salad (spicy Roselle with ham and cheddar cheese salad) by Nasi Jumpru Restaurant; tiger prawns in butterfly pea flower soup − tom yum style by Duangtawan Hotel Chiang Mai; main course (sous vide royal project rainbow trout with tom kha safflower sauce, green winter vegetables, rice berry rice and organic edible flowers) by DusitD2 Chiang Mai; and dessert (longan with pea flower pudding) by Ratilanna Riverside Spa Resort. The ticket costs 2,500 baht per seat. Part of the proceeds will be donated to charitable activities. Call 053-999-333 or email thanorth@gmail.com for reservations.

Hot air balloon rides are popular among tourists, especially couples. Hot air balloons take to the sky from Horizon Village & Resort in the same compound as Tweechol Botanic Garden on Chiang Mai-Doi Saket Highway. Passengers fly over the beautiful botanic garden, tree tops and the countryside at a height of up to 600m. Each flight takes 1.15 hours in the morning. The regular price is 8,800 baht net per person per flight plus free breakfast. However, during the 'Flower In The Air' balloon fair throughout this month, the special price of 8,000 baht net per person is for a flight, free breakfast and one-night accommodation at the resort. Tweechol Botanic Garden consists of the Than Fha Museum, Labyrinth, Lanna Way of Life, Rock Garden, Mahogany Park, Playground, Herb Garden, Orchid Garden, Palm Garden, Crawling Tree Garden, Petting Zoo, Garden Plant and Leaf Tree Garden, Rose Garden, Fragrant and Auspicious Tree Garden, Thai Deer Zone, Nursery, Cycad Garden, Cacti and Succulent Garden, Phra Mahajanaka Circle, and the Jurassic Park and the Topiary of Dolphins where bushes have been trimmed in the shapes of dinosaurs and dolphins. The new Than Fha Museum combines the art of Luang Prabang, Kengtung and Lanna. This garden is open daily, 8.30am-5pm. The fee per head is 86 baht for adults and 43 baht for children. Visit tweecholbotanicgarden.com.

Blooming x Tea by Ong The x DFD Flower Studio was one of the several Chiang Mai Blooms 2018 workshops. It was co-organised by a local tea blender and a local florist for participants to learn how to make a flower bouquet after sipping rose tea and other kinds of tea and munching on cake and scones with cream and rose jam at Huay Phak Phai Royal Rose Garden in Hang Dong district.A flower cooking class was held recently at Nasi Jumpru, a Thai fusion food restaurant. Participants learned how to cook flower mataba. At Ristr8to Lab, a famous coffee hub on Nimmanhaeminda Road, tourists can sip coffee decorated with floral latte art and flower-decorated desserts throughout this month.

Blooming x Tea by Ong The x DFD Flower Studio was one of the several Chiang Mai Blooms 2018 workshops. It was co-organised by a local tea blender and a local florist for participants to learn how to make a flower bouquet after sipping rose tea and other kinds of tea and munching on cake and scones with cream and rose jam at Huay Phak Phai Royal Rose Garden in Hang Dong district.A flower cooking class was held recently at Nasi Jumpru, a Thai fusion food restaurant. Participants learned how to cook flower mataba. At Ristr8to Lab, a famous coffee hub on Nimmanhaeminda Road, tourists can sip coffee decorated with floral latte art and flower-decorated desserts throughout this month.

Blooming x Tea by Ong The x DFD Flower Studio was one of the several Chiang Mai Blooms 2018 workshops. It was co-organised by a local tea blender and a local florist for participants to learn how to make a flower bouquet after sipping rose tea and other kinds of tea and munching on cake and scones with cream and rose jam at Huay Phak Phai Royal Rose Garden in Hang Dong district.A flower cooking class was held recently at Nasi Jumpru, a Thai fusion food restaurant. Participants learned how to cook flower mataba. At Ristr8to Lab, a famous coffee hub on Nimmanhaeminda Road, tourists can sip coffee decorated with floral latte art and flower-decorated desserts throughout this month.

Huay Phak Phai Royal Rose Garden in Hang Dong has thousands of rose plants of over 200 varieties, including Lavender Dream, Pink Peach and Midnight Blue. It has two zones — the garden on the ground and the garden on a mound with dining areas. Its restaurant serves dishes and cakes prepared from royal project vegetables and fruits, herbal tea and fruit juice. Must-eats are lettuce cake, pumpkin cake, its signature herbal tea combining lemon, thyme, chamomile, sweet grass and Japanese and American mint, and lettuce and passion fruit juice. There is also a shopping corner for visitors to buy royal project goods, especially soap, shampoo and hair conditioner made from avocado grown in this area. The garden is part of the Thung Roeng Royal Project which was established in 1978 and covers an area of 13,277 rai with two villages and 189 families. The rose garden is open daily, 8am-5pm. Entry is free of charge.

Huay Phak Phai Royal Rose Garden in Hang Dong has thousands of rose plants of over 200 varieties, including Lavender Dream, Pink Peach and Midnight Blue. It has two zones — the garden on the ground and the garden on a mound with dining areas. Its restaurant serves dishes and cakes prepared from royal project vegetables and fruits, herbal tea and fruit juice. Must-eats are lettuce cake, pumpkin cake, its signature herbal tea combining lemon, thyme, chamomile, sweet grass and Japanese and American mint, and lettuce and passion fruit juice. There is also a shopping corner for visitors to buy royal project goods, especially soap, shampoo and hair conditioner made from avocado grown in this area. The garden is part of the Thung Roeng Royal Project which was established in 1978 and covers an area of 13,277 rai with two villages and 189 families. The rose garden is open daily, 8am-5pm. Entry is free of charge.

Huay Phak Phai Royal Rose Garden in Hang Dong has thousands of rose plants of over 200 varieties, including Lavender Dream, Pink Peach and Midnight Blue. It has two zones — the garden on the ground and the garden on a mound with dining areas. Its restaurant serves dishes and cakes prepared from royal project vegetables and fruits, herbal tea and fruit juice. Must-eats are lettuce cake, pumpkin cake, its signature herbal tea combining lemon, thyme, chamomile, sweet grass and Japanese and American mint, and lettuce and passion fruit juice. There is also a shopping corner for visitors to buy royal project goods, especially soap, shampoo and hair conditioner made from avocado grown in this area. The garden is part of the Thung Roeng Royal Project which was established in 1978 and covers an area of 13,277 rai with two villages and 189 families. The rose garden is open daily, 8am-5pm. Entry is free of charge.

Huay Phak Phai Royal Rose Garden in Hang Dong has thousands of rose plants of over 200 varieties, including Lavender Dream, Pink Peach and Midnight Blue. It has two zones — the garden on the ground and the garden on a mound with dining areas. Its restaurant serves dishes and cakes prepared from royal project vegetables and fruits, herbal tea and fruit juice. Must-eats are lettuce cake, pumpkin cake, its signature herbal tea combining lemon, thyme, chamomile, sweet grass and Japanese and American mint, and lettuce and passion fruit juice. There is also a shopping corner for visitors to buy royal project goods, especially soap, shampoo and hair conditioner made from avocado grown in this area. The garden is part of the Thung Roeng Royal Project which was established in 1978 and covers an area of 13,277 rai with two villages and 189 families. The rose garden is open daily, 8am-5pm. Entry is free of charge.

Huay Phak Phai Royal Rose Garden in Hang Dong has thousands of rose plants of over 200 varieties, including Lavender Dream, Pink Peach and Midnight Blue. It has two zones — the garden on the ground and the garden on a mound with dining areas. Its restaurant serves dishes and cakes prepared from royal project vegetables and fruits, herbal tea and fruit juice. Must-eats are lettuce cake, pumpkin cake, its signature herbal tea combining lemon, thyme, chamomile, sweet grass and Japanese and American mint, and lettuce and passion fruit juice. There is also a shopping corner for visitors to buy royal project goods, especially soap, shampoo and hair conditioner made from avocado grown in this area. The garden is part of the Thung Roeng Royal Project which was established in 1978 and covers an area of 13,277 rai with two villages and 189 families. The rose garden is open daily, 8am-5pm. Entry is free of charge.

Huay Phak Phai Royal Rose Garden in Hang Dong has thousands of rose plants of over 200 varieties, including Lavender Dream, Pink Peach and Midnight Blue. It has two zones — the garden on the ground and the garden on a mound with dining areas. Its restaurant serves dishes and cakes prepared from royal project vegetables and fruits, herbal tea and fruit juice. Must-eats are lettuce cake, pumpkin cake, its signature herbal tea combining lemon, thyme, chamomile, sweet grass and Japanese and American mint, and lettuce and passion fruit juice. There is also a shopping corner for visitors to buy royal project goods, especially soap, shampoo and hair conditioner made from avocado grown in this area. The garden is part of the Thung Roeng Royal Project which was established in 1978 and covers an area of 13,277 rai with two villages and 189 families. The rose garden is open daily, 8am-5pm. Entry is free of charge.

A highlight of 'Chiang Mai Blooms 2018' is the '42nd Chiang Mai Flower Festival'. It takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February in and around Nong Buak Hat Park in downtown Chiang Mai. The area is adorned with a range of colourful flowers and orchids as well as an open-air exhibition in the park. The event also features agricultural exhibitions, floral displays and contests, and the sale of plants, flowers and farm produce. On the opening day of this annual festival, parades of flower floats with beautifully dressed people from all over the province take to the streets of the city centre. Pichaya Svasti

A highlight of 'Chiang Mai Blooms 2018' is the '42nd Chiang Mai Flower Festival'. It takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February in and around Nong Buak Hat Park in downtown Chiang Mai. The area is adorned with a range of colourful flowers and orchids as well as an open-air exhibition in the park. The event also features agricultural exhibitions, floral displays and contests, and the sale of plants, flowers and farm produce. On the opening day of this annual festival, parades of flower floats with beautifully dressed people from all over the province take to the streets of the city centre. Pichaya Svasti

A highlight of 'Chiang Mai Blooms 2018' is the '42nd Chiang Mai Flower Festival'. It takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February in and around Nong Buak Hat Park in downtown Chiang Mai. The area is adorned with a range of colourful flowers and orchids as well as an open-air exhibition in the park. The event also features agricultural exhibitions, floral displays and contests, and the sale of plants, flowers and farm produce. On the opening day of this annual festival, parades of flower floats with beautifully dressed people from all over the province take to the streets of the city centre. Pichaya Svasti

A highlight of 'Chiang Mai Blooms 2018' is the '42nd Chiang Mai Flower Festival'. It takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February in and around Nong Buak Hat Park in downtown Chiang Mai. The area is adorned with a range of colourful flowers and orchids as well as an open-air exhibition in the park. The event also features agricultural exhibitions, floral displays and contests, and the sale of plants, flowers and farm produce. On the opening day of this annual festival, parades of flower floats with beautifully dressed people from all over the province take to the streets of the city centre. Pichaya Svasti

A highlight of 'Chiang Mai Blooms 2018' is the '42nd Chiang Mai Flower Festival'. It takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in February in and around Nong Buak Hat Park in downtown Chiang Mai. The area is adorned with a range of colourful flowers and orchids as well as an open-air exhibition in the park. The event also features agricultural exhibitions, floral displays and contests, and the sale of plants, flowers and farm produce. On the opening day of this annual festival, parades of flower floats with beautifully dressed people from all over the province take to the streets of the city centre. Pichaya Svasti

Visit ChiangMaiBlooms.com or facebook.com/Chiang Mai Blooms or call the TAT's Chiang Mai Office at 053-248-624 or 053-248-607.