THAI STYLE

In this section we take a look at Thai style and the traditional arts and crafts that you will find here. By increasing your awareness of Thai culture and handicrafts we hope to bring another dimension to your perception and understanding of the distinctive quality of Thai style. You may also get some ideas for your shopping and feel inspired to give your home a tropical touch!

Although the majority of the population of 60 million today are Thai in the ethnic sense, there are many people here of other origins: Laotian, Chinese, Burmese, Malay, Indian, Cambodian and nowadays more and more Westerners, who have contributed their skills and style and influenced the development of arts and crafts here.

Elegant craftsmanship reached a peak in the Ayutthaya period (1350 ‑ 1767) and most of Thailand's traditional crafts continue to be produced today in various parts of the country. Her Majesty the Queen has set up Support Centers where training is provided, and these promote Thai handicrafts and enable farming families to develop marketable skills to earn supplementary income. If you visit one of these centers (like the one at Bangsai near Bang Pa In, north of Bangkok) you can see the people working. The chain of Chitralada shops which sell these handicrafts is also under Royal Patronage.

DISTINCTIVE ARCHITECTURE

Jim Thompson, the American who is better known for developing the Thai silk industry in the 1950's, can also take credit for a revival of interest in the traditional wooden domestic house. His house, beside a klong (canal) in Bangkok, is on most tourist itineraries and is a beautiful example, actually composed of six old houses which, following the old‑age custom, could be dismantled and transported. They were reassembled by him in Soi Kasemsan, Rama I Road Bangkok. The whole dwelling is open and airy, well suited to Jim Thompson's contemporary style furnishings while preserving the basic Thai flavour with carved doors, panelled walls and gables with gingerbread fretwork decoration. There's an outstanding and little known example of an ancient traditional wooden house, just an hour's drive to the south east of Pattaya a few yards off Highway 3, at the turn for Ban Phe. Known simply as 'Thai House' and set in a botanical garden, it also used to be several buildings which were transported from Ayutthaya by the Sawet Sobha Foundation. Do go and see it, see Chapter 8 ‑ Leisure, it's quite delightful. When you go for a drive away from modem developments you'll notice many traditional plain wooden houses on stilts, typical dwellings of the Thai people for centuries.

In contrast to the simple wooden houses, Buddhist temples (wats) here reveal Thai architectural style at its most ornate, with dazzling mirrored glass mosaic decoration, brightly painted stucco encrusted with baroque fantasies and gleaming lacquer patterned with gold. Symbols abound in Buddhist temple architecture; ornamental motifs represent flames and sinuous 'naga' snakes while the hooked finials on the roof portray the 'hamsa' goose mount of Brahma. You'll see many temples in the Pattaya area, some with new additions and ordination halls under construction being funded by local people 'making merit'.

Spirit Houses ‑ erected for 'Phra Phrom' the 'Lord of the Land' are yet another typical Thai form of architecture. They are miniature replicas of either the traditional wooden domestic house or gilded mini‑temple pavilions elevated on a pole. They are kept supplied with regular offerings of incense, flowers and food as well as statues representing the spiritual guardians of the family.

FURNITURE

Furniture as we know it is a relatively new feature in Thai homes. Chairs have only been around for about a hundred years. A low table that also served as a seat or a bed used to be the main item and a cabinet with tapering sides for storing clothes or valuables. Thai wooden furniture which you will see for sale today is very varied in style. It ranges from elaborately carved varnished teak, with a profusion of floral motifs, elephants and birds, and cabinets in polished or lacquered wood with mother‑of‑pearl inlay ‑ to the simple lines of contemporary rosewood furniture ‑ graceful dining suites and ingenious fold‑away cocktail cabinets. Traditionally, teak was favored for construction and furniture but nowadays environmental awareness and logging bans have pushed up prices and often rubber tree wood, which looks similar to beech, is an economical alternative for utilitarian products. You can visit a factory at Bang Phra (about 37 km north of Pattaya) where you can see all the processes, after calling in at the showroom nearby. Don't miss the elephant seats (howdahs). A wide range of attractive rattan furniture made in Thailand is very popular with expats and there are several shops in Naklua district Pattaya.

ANTIQUES

The antique shops of Bangkok and Chiang Mai are treasure troves of ancient wooden carvings, porcelain and pottery, musical instruments, laquerware, stone and wooden statues, pictures and a wide range of objets d'art and items used in daily life long ago. You can also see *interesting collections in museums around the country. However, if you plan to buy special items or make investments be wary ‑ it can be very difficult to identify the genuine from skilful copies. Old materials are used and ageing techniques which would fool all but the real experts. If you know someone whose opinion you can ask before spending vast sums, all the better. Some shops will tell you, if you ask, which items are fakes and by collecting these to beautify your home you will pay less and will not be exporting any of Thailand's heritage. If you do come by a genuinely old item or if you buy a Buddha statue, when you leave Thailand you will need to apply for an export permit which takes time. Your shippers will help with this or for further information you can phone the Fine Arts Department: Tel. (02) 2214817.

CERAMICS

This is a fascinating and specialized subject. We only give you the briefest outline to help you know what to look for and where you can find ceramics that are specifically Thai in style. There is a wide variety available including reproductions of ancient pieces. Copies of items from the Ban Chiang period (3,600 B.C. ‑ 200 A.D.) with swirling red on buff designs are found at extremely good prices at Ban Chiang itself (near Udon Thani) and large stoneware pots can be bought at Dan Kwien village near Korat.

Celadon pottery which originated in China, was produced in Thailand in the Sukhothai era more than 700 years ago. It has a wood‑ash glaze, is fired at very high temperatures and the traditional colors are green and brownish. Today a dark blue color has been added to the range. It is produced in Chiang Mai, available at outlets there in Bangkok and Pattaya, where dinner sets, lamps, plates and ornaments are for sale.

Unglazed blue and white pottery used to be produced in the Ayutthaya period and today factories around Bangkok continue the art, making glazed items: vases, pots and table sets, which are inexpensive and on sale at department stores and gift shops everywhere.

In the late Ayutthaya period (18th Century) fine porcelain with multicolored enamel decoration was produced in China to Thai specifications, for the exclusive use of the Royal Family. It was called 'Bencharong', which means 'five colors' each of which was fired separately. Early pieces can be seen in museum collections and on sale in antique shops. There is also a variation with gold decoration called 'Lai Nam Thong'. New pieces of this fine porcelain are available for us all to buy today at quality gift shops.

TEXTILES

Thailand is also famous for silk and cotton textiles. You will find gorgeous hand‑woven silks in many shops in Pattaya in glorious colors. They are in various weights suited to furnishings to bring a touch of luxury to your home or for elegant dressmaking by the numerous tailor shops. One type of weaving which is distinctively Thai is 'mudmee' also known as ikat 'and you will find both silk and cotton examples of this, usually made up into skirts, jackets, etc. The traditional cotton indigo blue is a great favourite with mainly geometric designs produced dyeing the weft threads to a pre‑determined pattern. This craft originates in Esarn, the north‑cast region of Thailand.

Kalagas (Burmese Wall Hangings) are usually made of velvet with highly decorative appliques using beading and sequins. These portray heroes and their exploits. They are now very widely available and mass‑produced for the tourist market. You will find many Burmese crafts for sale in Thailand as there is a larger market here (also without the restrictions of the Burmese regime) so goods are brought across the border.

GEMS & PRECIOUS METALS

In the north east of Thailand (Nong Khai on the Laotian border is one centre) you'll find the best prices and a wide range of lovely old silver items: ladies' belts, little betel nut boxes with beaten designs of flowers and dragons and Cambodian silver ornaments shaped like stylized animals. Hill‑tribe jewellery usually has a much lower percentage of silver but is most attractive and looks great wom with their bright ethnic embroideries which are also widely available.

There are blue and green sapphire mines and ruby mines at Chantaburi, three hours to the south of Pattaya. It is interesting to go at the weekend to see the gem market in the town and watch dealers who sit at benches along the street working through piles of gleaming stones, peering at them one by one. It is true that you can get real value for money, both with unset stones and mounted pieces but be warned, steer clear of touts in any place who befriend foreigners and then get a huge rake‑off when you buy inferior stones or synthetics at a grossly inflated price. If you wish to purchase, it's much better to go to a tried and tested place recommended by a friend who's been here a while.

Gold is generally 24 carat here and Thais love to buy it as an investment. Gold shops are in many ways like banks, they buy gold from their clients at the market rate and give loans taking gold‑jewellery as surety, which can be redeemed on repayment plus a small monthly interest charge. In every town there are several gold shops doing lively trade.

Nielloware is also found in jewellery shops. This craft originated in Europe but has been practised 'in Thailand since Sukhothai times. The intricate designs are first engraved or drawn onto a silver object, the background beaten down and then filled with Niello, an amalgam of lead, copper, silver and sulphur. After heating to fuse the metals, the surface is sanded and polished.

Attractive bronze ornaments can be found in good quality gift shops and modem bronze cutlery is another popular purchase.

OTHER CRAFTS

Lacquerwork is a craft with Chinese origins. The glossy black finish comes from the sap of a tree which is applied to wooden or bamboo items in several layers with gold‑leaf decoration, mother‑of‑pearl inlay, and patterns using broken eggshell. You can see how it's done at workshops in Chiang Mai. New items are on sale in gift shops and street stalls and older ones, including panelled doors and chests, are on display in museums. Burmese lacquerwork is also found on vendors' stalls. The brick‑red colour comes from cochineal beetles.

Chiang Mai is a great handicraft centre famous for painted varnished paper umbrellas which can be seen in production there and bought at tourist centres everywhere. The pulp for the paper comes from the 'Sa' tree.

Papier Mache is used for a variety of useful and decorative items, such as trays, bowls, plates and ornaments. It is also the material used to make Khon Masks, the traditional helmet type of head‑dresses worn in Thai Classical Dance. The best loved story using these masks for the dancers is the Ramakien (Thai version of the ancient Indian poem the Ramayana). Hanuman the white monkey leader comes to the aid of hero Prince Rama to help him win back his bride who has been stolen away by a dreadful demon Tosakan. You will see scenes from this tale enacted with dance at some restaurants in Pattaya (eg Ruen Thai).

Shadow Puppets (Nang Yai) cut from buffalo hide provide another traditional form of entertainment in S.E. Asian countries, Performances in Thailand are now very rare but you can see puppets in museums (like 'Thai House' at Ban Phe) and find copies of their designs framed as pictures for sale.

One handicraft which is still very much in everyday use are baskets. Fisherman use many types of basket‑traps both to catch fish and to keep them for carrying home. Rice farmers use various storage baskets and winnowing trays and housewives have a wide range of baskets for steamers, sticky‑rice receptacles, containers of all sorts, lampshades and trays. These everyday objects make beautiful ornaments. They're made from all sorts of reeds, coconut palms, water hyacinth and other vegetation. You'll find them for sale in all villages and towns. Phanat Nikhom, a delightful little town about 50 Kin north of Pattaya, specializes in weaving baskets and there are two large shops in Nong Mong market on Highway 3 about 40 kin north of Pattaya. Yan Lipao baskets, often used as elegant handbags, are made from a vine of the rain forest with very intricate craftsmanship. These are not widely available but are for sale in southern provinces and here in up­market hotel shops.

TRADITIONAL PRACTICES

Ancient bronze casting techniques are still practised and about 40 km north of Pattaya at Ang Si1a you can witness and participate in the ritualistic ceremony of Buddha casting. The sonorous gong rings out while monks chant and the white hot metal is poured into the clay moulds which have been prepared using the lost wax technique.

You'll see signs of other monks' ceremonies in everyday life ‑ triangular marks above the door of your house or inside the car above the windscreen ‑ to bring blessings and keep bad luck away. Truck drivers decorate their vehicles with shiny aluminium cutouts of Suriya, the sun‑god with his chariot and horses, and Devas to protect them in the fearsome traffic.

Garlands with sweet smelling jasmine are hung in vehicles as offerings to the spirits and Thais are especially gifted in making floral decorations for religious occasions using little buds in symmetrical designs. Making artificial flowers, sometimes of silk, is yet another craft that Thais excel in. Dried flower arrangements are sold at Royal Project outlets.

Presentation is very important to Thai people who are naturally gracious people, and beautiful orchid arrangements enhance reception desks in offices and hotels. Fruit and vegetable carvings which resemble flowers add the finishing touch to a gastronomic creation and soap carvings, which of course are more durable, are given as token gifts. Carving demonstrations can often be seen at restaurants and hotels.

Besides the beautiful fruit carvings on your dinner plate you may well be entertained by traditional Thai music. There are many percussion instruments, some like xylophones made of local hardwood (ranat ayk and ranat thum), others of metal set up in a circular frame round the performer (khong wong yai), tall drums with taut skins, gongs of varying sizes, a high pitched little cymbal to mark the time and various pipes and stringed instruments.

As you can see from the brief outline given in this section, Thai style is found in a very wide variety of arts and crafts and has many origins. We hope you will enjoy adding your own observations to this list and will appreciate the special quality of 'Living in Thailand'.

(C) 2006 copyright by SPIRIT TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES / Rotary Club of Taksin-Pattaya