Thai Handicrafts in Bangkok
Thailand has long enjoyed a fabulous reputation for its handicrafts. With hard work, intricate skill and generations of knowledge, the people of Thailand are able to produce intricate and stunning objects that now find their homes throughout the world.
There are various different categories of crafts within the country. Thai silk and cotton is known throughout the world for its price and quality. Originating in Northern Thailand, where cloth weaving is a traditional art, the silk and cotton is transformed for a range of different uses.
Wicker-work is another well-known and popular form of handicraft. The wide availability of bamboo and the skills passed down over the generations have led to beautifully designed furniture, souvenirs and woven handicrafts. Pottery and ceramics in Thailand have a long and varied history. Influenced by the Chinese, Thai pottery gradually established its own style and is produced in a wide variety of sizes and styles.
Lacquerware is an ancient oriental craft that is alive and well in Thailand too. It entails a repeated process of coating structural bamboo or wood with lacquer before hand-painting it with intricate designs. Generally, objects are produced either in gold and black, or yellow and green on a red-brown background. Lacquerware products include boxes, trays and dolls.
Although Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand is perhaps the country’s hot-spot for handicrafts, one should definitely not overlook Bangkok. As with any capital, much regional produce eventually finds its way to the bustling streets of a nation’s largest city. There is a huge range of handicrafts of all types on offer here; from small belts to huge and intricate cloths and furniture.
The Banglamphu area of the city is a good place to start if you are looking for good quality handicrafts. Although slightly more expensive than some other regions of the city, there is a wide range of good on sale here and many of the vendors have a good knowledge of English and are used to dealing with foreign tourists. You can find stunning wood-carved statues, table-cloths, clothing and baskets here. Alternatively the vendors along Sukhumvit road near Nana BTS station offer all sorts of choices for last minute souvenir and gift shopping.
Chinatown, with its bustling streets, unique sights and smells, is a highly interesting part of Bangkok. Here you will find some great examples of lacquerware, pottery and Buddha statues. Some of these statues are simply enourmous so getting them home may be a slight problem, but there are more than enough wares in Chinatown to keep any shopper happy.
Chatuchat Weekend Market is perhaps the most popular place in Bangkok to purchase arts and crafts. This huge, bustling market place is home to hundreds of small stalls, many of them selling wonderful crafts from all over Thailand. Bargain hard here and you are sure to come away with some great items.
You can also pick up Thai handicrafts in more luxurious surroundings; just visit some of the plush, new malls scattered around Bangkok. For the more expensive items, the exclusive Paragon Mall is the place to go. For a larger selection at slightly lower prices, Central Pinklao is a better option.
A great way to give back to the community is to visit one of the shops that actively support the Thai people who manufacture the crafts. Sai Jai Thai, backed by the Queen of Thailand supports its own training centre. Tha Thai Crafts Association is a volunteer operated non-profit organization that incorporates over 30 small groups of tradesmen.
