Is kite flying a professional sport in Thailand?

In Thailand, kite flying is not just a casual attempt to see how high it can be made to soar into the sky. It is an ancient sport dignified by rules and regulations and a heritage involving everyone from kings to commoners. Before the inauguration of competitions as we know them today, the Thais were flying cargo-laden kites over their golden cities ... Kite flying as a sport has been popular since the reign of King Ramkamhaeng of the Sukhothai period, some seven hundred years ago.