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| Thai textiles bear unique characteristics,
especially Thai silk which has proved its beauty on
several international beauty contest stages since the
first Miss Thailand got an opportunity to show its fine
quality to the whole world. Thai silk's elegant texture
never fails to capture the attention of the beholder.
However, silk is but a kind of Thai fabrics. Indeed,
cotton is another fabric playing an equally important
role in Thai society as silk in that they are both produced
by local wisdom, zeal and steady efforts.They are a
precious heritage passed down from generation to generation. |
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| HM Queen Sirikit
plays a leading role
in promoting mudmee silk. |
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Thai plain-colour silk known among
foreigners is traditionally woven by hand providing
its natural uneven looks distinguishing itself from
other countries' silk fabrics. According to their characteristics
and ways of weaving, Thai hand-woven textiles are grouped
into various types such as Mudmee (IKAT), Yok, Chok,
Khit, etc. All these except Yok can be woven from both
cotton and silk. Each kind is unique and its patterns
show the individual imagination of each weaver. The
amazing thing is that there are no blueprints to model
on.
Mudmee is regarded as the "Queen of Thai Silk"
because of its intricate patterns. Though it can be
woven from cotton yarn, the resulting mudmee does not
look as gorgeous as mudmee silk. |
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| In the old days, it was the cloth
for royal people and the nobility. Her Majesty Queen
Sirikit is very fond of this kind of silk. Mudmee is
woven in almost all provinces in the Northeastern region,
such as Khon Kaen, Roi Et, Surin, Buri Ram and Si Sa
Ket. |
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| Another
delicate pattern of mudmee. |
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| Pha Yok is another type of material
worn among royal people and noble men and women in the
past. It requires high-skilled weavers and complicated
techniques. Gold and silver thread woven into this kind
of cloth creates its lustrous texture. |
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| Pha Yok is produced in all parts
of the country, notably in Lamphun, Surin, Nakhon Si
Thammarat and Trang provinces. |
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| Pha
sin from Sukhothai province. |
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Pha Chok is mainly woven to decorate
the edge of pha sin, so it is sometimes called sin tin
chok. Its delicate designs are always admirable. Uttaradit,
Sukhothai, Uthai Thani, Suphan Buri, Surin and many
other provinces in the Northeastern region are sources
of Pha Chok.
Pha Khit is usually woven from cotton and dyed with
either chemical or natural substances. It is used as
pillowcases, bedclothes and shawls. Frequently, the
edge of pha sin is decorated by Khit too. It is made
in Phrae, Uttaradit,Saraburi,Nakhon Ratchasima and many
other provinces in the Northeastern region. |
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| Buddhist
monks wearing yellow robes. |
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| In former times, women wove cloth
for household consumption while men forged iron. This
clear-cut distinction in roles is reflected in a custom
of Northeastern villages, according to which weaving
skills are considered the most significant qualification
for a bride-to-be. |
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Textiles have been related to the
ways of Thai life from birth to death. When a woman
in the past knew that she was going to have a baby,
she would prepare clothes, diapers and blankets for
her expected baby. When a boy turned 20 and was ordained
as a Buddhist monk, his parents would be pleased because
they would share the benefit of their son's meritorious
deed. Thais still believe that the parents will go to
heaven after death by holding the yellow robe of their
monk-son.
In a traditional Thai marriage ceremony, the bride and
groom will each present a piece of cloth called pha
wai to the other's parents as a way to pay respects
to them. And when somebody dies, a white piece of cloth
is used to wrap the body while the dead is dressed in
clothes turned inside out, signifying death. |
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A model wearing Thai Dusit,
a kind of Thai traditional costumes.
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Inevitably, the consumption of Thai
textiles started to decline after Thailand was led onto
the road of modernization, particularly during the cultural
reform of the government of P.Phibulsonggram. Synthetic
fabrics gradually replaced hand-woven textiles because
they were more durable and possessed brighter colours.
And formerly, most Thai textiles faded easily because
they were dyed with natural substances. Not long after
the reform, most Thai people except the elderly, got
dressed exactly like Europeans. Moreover, people of
the younger generations regarded Thai textiles out of
date.
Her Majesty Queen Sirikit was worried about this social
phenomenon. She therefore came up with an idea of designing
Thai national costumes for Thai people to wear in formal
occasions. She always dressed herself in Thai textiles
so that her subjects would get familiar with them. This
attempt has effectively restored the popularity of Thai
textiles. On 21st September 2002, the Queen was awarded
the honourable Louis Pasteur's prize for bringing Thai
textiles back to life again. |
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| Furthermore, both Thai
and foreign designers have been inspired by the intrinsic
value of Thai textiles. Some of them produced extraordinary
costumes with the appropriate mixture of the unique
texture and the modern pattern. Leather, lace and strings
are added to the costumes to create new looks. Apparently,
this has aroused much interest among young consumers,
resulting in the rising demand for hand-woven fabrics.
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An elegant modern outfit
tailored
from Thai silk.
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| Not only their domestic
consumption has increased, but their foreign markets
have expanded also. Thai textile products that are in
great demand are plain colour silk, ready-made garments,
shawls, handkerchiefs, neck ties, bow ties and raw silk.
According to the statistics of the Department of Export
Promotion for Jan-Nov 2002, the United States was the
most important export market of Thai silk fabrics.The
second was the United Kingdom. Japan, Italy and France
were among the promising markets. Other Asian countries
such as Singapore, Hong Kong & South Korea were
importers of Thai silk products as well. So, it can
be said that Thai textiles have been expanded into large-scale
manufacturing. This progress generates high incomes
for the country. In 2002 (Jan-Nov), Thai silk fabric
export income reached 521.65 million baht. |
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| In addition to
Her Majesty the Queen's endeavours to awake the public
interest in Thai textiles, the government's schemes
to promote the values of local wisdom of Thai textiles
along with their vital role in commerce, have made a
big change as well. Free seminars, exhibitions and fashion
shows have been arranged continuously to enhance consumers'
awareness. The project of Supplementary Occupations
and Related Techniques (SUPPORT), under the patronage
of HM the Queen, is another important organization supporting
the use of Thai textiles. |
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A mannequin dressed in a
hilltribe's costume. Behind her is Pha Khit.
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There is a tendency
for Thai textiles to steadily grow because personnel
in both the private and governmental sectors are being
encouraged to get dressed in Thai textiles at least
once a week. In addition, the developed dyeing techniques
improving the brightness of colour will guarantee
a more satisfied quality of Thai textiles.
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