Second Edition of North East India Festival to kick-start in Bangkok from July 30-31

In celebration of the 75th year of India’s diplomatic relations with Thailand, North East’s mega event – North East India Festival will be organized on 30th and 31st July, 2022 at Central World, Bangkok. The second edition of the event which is slated to be held at the Central Grand Hotel, hotel will be hosted by the Indian Embassy.

The event will see the presence of important dignitaries from the political fraternity to business conglomerates including Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya Mr. Conrad Sangma, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Nagaland Mr. Neiphiu Rio, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Mr. Chowna Mein, Tourism Minister of Mizoram Mr. Pu Robert Romawia Royte, Assam’s Minister of Handloom & Textiles Mr. Urkhao Gwra Brahma, Union Minister for State, External Affairs, Mr. R.K Ranjan, Maharaja of Tripura Mr. Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debarma, senior officials of various NER States, Commerce Minister and top bureaucrats of Royal Govt. of Thailand, top industrialists and influencers of Thailand.

As per Shyamkanu Mahanta, the Chief Organiser of the programme informs that there will be a large exhibit of products from the NE region by 30 MSME entrepreneurs. Apart from the exhibition, delectable cuisines from the region as well as art exhibitions will also be organised.

The focus for the second edition of North East India Festival will be entirely on Tai culture and the shared history of both the nations. Promoting people-to-people exchange, trade and business, a large team of Tai Khamti and Tai Ahom community will present the history, heritage and culture of the Tai communities. 

The session will be attended by prominent Thai scholars, historians, Tai experts from Ahom, Khamti, Phake community who will present the Tai migration and history of the community. The festival proposes to focus on Tai tourism circuits of upper Assam, Tai ahom historical monuments, Tai phake village, Tai khamti areas of Arunachal Pradesh. 

More than 400 delegates are travelling to Bangkok to participate in the festival, that is considered the biggest ever event outside, especially in South East Asia. Mr. Mahanta also informed that the North East Indian Diaspora of Thailand under the organization NEIA is also supporting the entire event.

Taking to Twitter, the Indian embassy in Thailand wrote “Come and join the celebration of North East India Festival. Dance, Music, Art, Food, Fashion and much more! #NorthEastIndiaFestival2022 On 30-31 July 2022 At Central World, Bangkok”

Some of the most popular dance forms of Thailand will also be displayed. The two-day festival will showcase spectacular fashion show presenting top designers of North East India such as Anuradha Kuli, Robert Naorem, Priyanka Lama, Mami, Bidyut & Rakesh, Iba Mallai, Kivitoli Chishi, Meghali Das, Daisy Momin, Prajapati Assamese Jewellery. Bollywood actress of the recent Anek movie, Andrea Kevichusa, popular actresses from the North East such as Nishita Goswami, Pritikongkana, and some very well-known Thai actors will walk the ramp for North Eastern fabrics. 

Well-known musical bands of NER such as Soulmate, David Angu & the Tribe, Zubeen Garg and band, Tetseo sisters, will be also performing at the event. There will be a very unique presentation by TaFMA of Nagaland including choir music, dance, and rock music. Assam’s popular singer Jina Rajkumari, Jutimala & Tai Folks, Rhythms of Manipur, and many others will be gracing the occasion with their popular folk numbers. Famous rock band from Thailand, STAMP will also perform on the first day of the festival. 

It is worthy to note that the first edition was held in February 2019. The second edition is being organized after a two-year hiatus following the Covid-19 pandemic.