Bangkok Kite Flyers
A cool breeze in Bangkok is like a friend who visits from time to time. Sometimes this friend brings back memories from the past, like the kite-flying culture, which makes me question its existence nowadays.
“Flying kites requires space. Now there are buildings everywhere, so we had to move to the suburbs to play,” Captain Butkhan Chansri, or Uncle Khan, a retired military personnel, recounts his childhood connection to kite-flying, his skills developed through observation and imitation, and his subsequent career of earning income with his wife, Wanthana Chansri, or Aunt Na, at their home in Charansanitwong.
He said that after popular kite-flying spots like Sanam Luang shut down, the kite-flying community declined. However, the popularity of kites has risen again recently, thanks to school activities aimed at preserving this cultural tradition.
Shot for BenarNews Thailand
With no place to fly them in the city, the suburbs became the answer. The next day, Uncle Khan wore a camouflage hat, a black shirt, slung a kite bag over his shoulder, and put on his trusted Nanyang shoes. He drove to an empty plot about ten kilometers from his house, which served as the gathering point for kite enthusiasts in the area.
Conversations about everyday life and kites filled the air, mingling with the rustling of trees, the chirping of cuckoos, and traffic sounds from the main road. Occasionally, the sound of planes flying overhead could be heard. It was clear that this area would eventually become a construction site as the city expanded, but the kite-flying competitions continued. The fact that people still see its value and continue to order kites shows that this cultural tradition is still alive.
