CHIANG MAI – The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has officially opened the 2026 Highland Ethnic Festival, a three-day event created to highlight the unique identity, traditions, and local wisdom of 10 ethnic communities living in Thailand’s highland areas. The event also helps connect community products with wider markets and supports long-term social and economic growth.
The festival is taking place from March 21 to 23, 2026, at the Highland People Discovery Museum in Suan Lanna Rama IX, Mueang district, Chiang Mai. Kuntapong Rangsisawang, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, presided over the opening ceremony.
He was joined by Siwa Thamikanon, Vice Governor of Chiang Mai, who delivered the welcome remarks, and Sarawut Moonpho, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Social Development and Welfare, who presented the event report. Government officials, local partners, residents, and tourists also attended in large numbers.
Kuntapong said the ministry places strong importance on social development that respects cultural diversity. At the same time, it wants ethnic communities to maintain their way of life while also gaining fair access to rights, welfare, and social opportunities. He also praised the joint effort from public agencies, private groups, civil society, and ethnic networks that continue to preserve and share these traditions with Thai society.
This year’s festival reflects close cooperation between the Department of Social Development and Welfare and many partner organizations. The shared goal is to improve the quality of life of people in highland communities while protecting their rights and encouraging public participation.
Just as important, the event helps preserve, restore, and build on the identity, traditions, and wisdom of ethnic groups, which remain an important part of Thailand’s cultural heritage.
Throughout the event, visitors can learn about the lifestyles and customs of 10 ethnic groups: Karen, Khamu, Thin or Malpri, Hmong, Iu Mien or Yao, Lua or Lawa, Lahu or Musoe, Lisu or Lisaw, Akha or Ikor, and Mlabri. The program includes a wide range of activities spread across all three days.
Highlights include exhibitions on royal initiatives related to improving life in highland communities, cultural displays that recreate traditional ethnic ways of living, and booths selling community-made products.
Visitors can also enjoy panel discussions, folk performances, and local cultural shows. In addition, the event includes a Business Matching activity, which gives highland entrepreneurs a chance to connect with buyers, build trade networks, and expand their products into stronger and more sustainable markets.
Another key attraction is the exhibition titled “Father’s Coffee, Mother’s Woven Cloth.” This section presents career development on highland land through stories of farming, weaving, and local production.
Nearby, community vendors are selling handwoven fabrics, traditional clothing, handicrafts, silverware, coffee, food, and local drinks. There are also hands-on workshops, so visitors and tourists can learn directly from the communities and try the activities for themselves.
According to Kuntapong, the 2026 Highland Ethnic Festival reflects the strength of cooperation across many sectors. It also shows how ethnic traditions can be passed from one generation to the next through shared effort and community pride. In the long run, this kind of support helps protect cultural identity, adds social value, and keeps this wisdom alive as an important national heritage.
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