Thailand prides itself as the only South East Asian country not to be colonized, reinforcing their independence and flexibility in a world of globalization. Thai's maintain a healthy balance between preserving their rich cultural heritage while embracing progress, where traditions are seamlessly woven into the modern fabric of contemporary Thai society.

Art is a way of life for Thais, whether it's traditional mural art, or post-modern installations, art isn't defined with stereotypes; it's constantly redefining itself to suit the needs of contemporary Thais. Art is a reflection of a culture. And with Thai art it's a fine balance of traditional art forged with new contemporary ideas, making the local art scene fertile for fecund movements to spring.

Strong IT infrastructure, coupled with an Internet culture and a dynamic society to embrace it -- most Thai students use email and spend considerable hours surfing the Web at internet cafes -- has put Chiang Mai in the front seat of this IT revolution.

Chiang Mai has just been declared Thailand's "IT CITY" by the Ministry of Information Communication Technology. A Design Center and a Software Park are being developed at Chiang Mai University and a related campus. Both The Design Center and the Software Park will help the development of the local software industry and provide qualified professionals to support local business. This will not only make Northern Thailand famed for it's festivals, but also for it's technological initiative.

Thailand is openly embracing new media art, a linear extension of contemporary art that combines new technology and lateral thinking, facilitating new meaning from preconceived traditions. The IT revolution is bridging cultural difference and enabling an exchange of traditional ideas that collectively celebrate diversity while pushing the boundaries of art in a modern context. 

For the past 18 months, the Initiative for Cultural Exchange and Computer Arts (ICECA) has brought over 20 international media artists to Thailand. These artists have exposed the public and Thai students to latest developments in this new art medium. ICECA's most recent project has been to produce Thailand's First New Media Art Festival at Chiangmai University.

Thailand's First New Media Art Festival in Chiang Mai was well received, over 4000 people visited the exhibitions. Often entire families came -- young people participated in the interactive exhibits, and the adults mainly watched the videos, films and printed works. Many stayed for hours exploring different exhibits on a single computer. Workshops were extremely popular with the students, who clearly wanted to learn more about new media art.

New media art in Thailand is now at a critical point in its realization. The IT infrastructure is rapidly maturing and facilitating new art expressions, therefore, making new media art an exciting new field for Thais and providing a platform for new ideas for the IT industry.