Pattani _ The traditional "bulan" kites of the three southernmost provinces are once again brightening the sky over Pattani, reviving an art which is teetering on the verge of extinction.

The first kite festival in many years took flight yesterday in Pattani. More than 100 kites have been entered, in an explosive mix of colours and forms which make the most of this being the windiest time of the year.

Apart from the recreational benefits, the festival adds a spark to the region's tourism appeal while preserving the dying kite-making tradition.

Bulan or colourful, patterned 'moon kites' are an instant crowd-puller, easily rivalling Malaysian kites.

Wae Hama Bailae, 63, a seasoned kite-maker, has made 30 large moon kites with his own hands, to be sold or put on display.

"I'm glad the kite festival is back. People in the three southernmost provinces had nearly forgotten how to make them and they are having a great time," he said.

Rusanee Su Saraw, 21, an education student at Prince of Songkla University who wrote a thesis on moon kites, said she was worried that the kite-making industry would vanish because younger people did not seem interested in it.

The moon kite originated in Malaysia's Kelantan state and kite-flying was once a popular recreational activity among southerners. Over time, the kites in the deep South took on unique patterns of their own, inspired by Thai art.