“The Thai Health Promotion Foundation wants to encourage people to take better care of their health, and Kodindy is here to give new bands a chance to show their abilities onstage,” says Dr Bundit Sornpaisarn, director of the foundation’s Health Risk Control Section.

“Kodindy is a role model that for 13 years has supported public-health campaigns to stop people drinking, smoking and taking drugs.”

Jaruwat Nutdechanan of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives notes that there was also a push on June 1 – World Milk Day – to get Thais drinking more milk for their health.

Such efforts also honour His Majesty King Bhumibol, who introduced measures to develop the country’s dairy industry in a sustainable manner, Jaruwat says, “so there’ll be milk booths at the festival too”.

The festival concept is “Department Store Never Dies” and there’ll be eight stages designated Merry Kings, Nightingale, Thai Daimaru, Sogo and the like.

On these, over the course of 12 hours, 120 bands will be jockeying for attention, including Yellowwarm, Super Radio, Bonehead, the Toilet Warriors and the Passion of Anna.

Both Dose and Overdose will be there, as will Mai Siblor, B-King, the Proper Clan, Third Person, Miraculous, Noom T-Bone and at least one outfit with a name best left unpublished.

Tickets cost Bt350 on the Kodindy Facebook page, and Bt50 from every sale goes to the Kao Kon La Kao Project.