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Gorgeous Oriental Fabrics
Thai Silk
Handwoven Thai silk is a fabric of worldwide renown,
and ranks as perhaps the most popular of all Thailand's
shopping treasures. Produced in countless colours
and eye-catching designs, Thai silk has traditionally
been used for clothing, and is sold both by the
length and as ready-to-wear fashions. With enhanced
production in recent years, Thai silk is also
now produced in heavier weights ideal for draperies,
upholstery and other household furnishing. Additionally,
the rich fabric is futher used for place mats
and napkins, neckties, scarves and other accessories,
as well as exquisite coverings for a whole range
of souvenirs from jewellery boxes to notebooks.
 Mat
Mee Silk
A unique style of Thai silk, known as Mat Mee,
is a handicraft traditional to the northeast region
of the country. Produced from tie-dyed silk threads,
the fabric is handwoven in a variety of beautiful
designs, typically distinguished by intricate
patterns and subtle colours. Once a neglected
craft, Mat Mee silk has been revitalized in recent
years through rural development projects intiated
by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. Today, Mat Mee enjoys
an unprecedented vogue as a fashion material favoured
by Her Majesty and other members of the Royal
Family as well as by the Thai social elite.
Cotton and Batik
Thai cotton has gained an enormous reputation
over recent years and is today as famous and as
popular as silk. A fabric of fine texture and
durable quality, Thai cotton is produced in a
broad range of colours, prints and embroidered
designs, and is found in a wide variety of goods
from clothing to bedspreads, table linen, cushion
covers, rugs, bags and more. Notable among speciality
cottons are hilltribe handicrafts and batik designs.
Woven in traditional patterns by the tribal people
of the North and typically displaying bold designs
and often lavish embroidery, hilltribe cottons
make an especially attractive buy. Different in
style but equally distinctive are original batiks
crafted at several studios in Bangkok.
Nielloware
Centuries-old crafts offer today's shopper a dazzing
choice of exquisite decorative and home objects
produced in a rich variety of media. Practised
in southern Thailand for hundreds of years, nielloware
is the craft of decorating gold and silver objects
with delicate etched designs filled with a metal
alloy. Workmanship of high quality today finds
expression in a number of beautiful nielloware
trays, boxes, vases and other items widely available
in Bangkok and, of course in the South, notable
in the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Brass and Bronzeware
Shoppers have long recognized the excellent value
of made-in-Thailand brass and bronzeware. Techniques
combine traditional methods with modern innoavtions,
such as silicon coating to prevent tarnishing
, while designs similarly reflect both the old
and the new. Especially popular are fine cutlery
sets, bowls and other tableware, as well as brass
sculptures of figures and animals in classical
and contemporary styles. Functional and aesthetically
pleasing, Thai brass and bronzeware are ideal
for home decoration.
Lacquerware
Very oriental and very attractive are lacquerware
bowls, boxes, trays and numerous other items for
interior decoration or for souvenirs. Special
to Chiang Mai and the North, the craft involves
coating split bamboo or wood with lacquer, than
adding intricate handpainted designs. Typically
objects are produced in either gold-on-black lacquer
or yellow and green on a red-brown background.
Silverware
Silver-beating is another craft traditional to
Chiang Mai. Bowls and boxes with skilfully worked
relief patterns are popular buys, while vases
and other ornaments in both old and modern designs
are available particularly in Chiang Mai but also
in Bangkok and elsewhere.
Pewterware
Like silver, pewter is fashioned with great skill
by Thai craftsmen, and the smooth, silky finish
of this attractive alloy is often enhanced by
delicate relief decoration. Among pewterware items
are plates, boxes, vases and pocket flasks.
Ceramics
Pottery of consistently high artistic accomplishment
has been produced throughout the more than 700
years of Thai history. Various styles, both indigenous
and Chinese-influenced have predominated at various
periods to leave a rich legacy. So today's shopper
is presented with a full choice of both faithful
reproductions of traditional styles and modern
wares. Among the former are the distinctive sea-green
celadons, Chinese blue-and-while and the colourful
enamelled Benjarong wares which are unique to
Thailand. Modern ceramics are produced in an exciting
range of contemporary designs which exemplify
the continued vitality of the craft. Whether old
or new in style, Thai ceramics are available in
many forms - - from dinner services and bowls
to vases and lamp bases, from small figurines
to huge glazed water jars perfect for garden decoration.
Gold
Good and inexpensive craftsmanship, combined with
standard gold prices, make Thai gold articles
excellent value. Hand-crafted chains, bracelets,
earrings, pendants and other articles are all
widely available at the many specialist gold shops
in Bangkok, as well as at jewellery stores.
Gems and Jewellery
Thailand is one of the world's major sources of
rubies and sapphires, and this has prompted the
rise of a huge gemcutting and jewellery-making
industry. Today , in addition to indigenous stones
are imported for cutting and polishing to make
Bangkok an unrivalled centre for coloured gems.
Skill in cutting is matched by creative flair
in jewellery design and setting. Thus the shopper
is presented with excellent opportunities for
buying individual polished gems and finished jewellery
items, including custom-made pieces. In addition
to jewellery, gemstone pictures and other decorative
items are to be found. There are many specialist
jewellery shops with large selections of goods
displaying the highest quality of materials and
craftsmanship. Bargains do not exist in any quality
gem and jewellery business, but Thailand's ready
supply of raw gemstones and extensive jewellery
making industry promise extremely competitive
prices. A symbol of Bangkok's status as a world-ranking
gem capital will be the 55-storey Jewellery Trade
Centre, scheduled to be completed by the mid 1990s.
This prestigious high-rise tower is designed to
facilitate gem and jewellery buying for both the
trade and the consumer. Facilities will include
an international gems and diamond bourse, a computerized
trading board and five floors of retail shops.
Flobal Beauty
Thai Orchids
Thailand is blessed with a huge variety of orchids.
Through meticulous cross breeding, plants previously
found only in their natural forest habitat have
been domesticated and now more than a thousand
species are available from specialist orchid farms.
For visitors interested in this extensive and
intriguing cultivation, study tours of orchid
farms are organized by leading local travel agents.
Magnificent colours and durable beauty make orchids
a very popular purchase. Specially packaged flowers,
complete with water supply, are easily transported
and long retain their freshness and beauty. Orchids
may be bought at many shops in Bangkok and, most
conveniently at Bangkok International Airport.
Artificial Plants and
Flowers
With nimble fingers and a sure eye for beauty,
Thais are adept at producing superb artificial
plants and flowers. In what is a rapidly growing
export industry, a wonderful variety of faithful
replicas are available. All are entirely hand-made
and relatively inexpensive, and make splendid
items for home decoration.
Thai Dolls and Toys
The art of doll-making in Thailand dates back
hundreds of years and remains very much alive
today. Doll collectors will delight in a broad
assortment of detailed and beautifully crafted
figures of classical dances in full costume, hilltribe
people in thier traditonal colourful dress and
rural folk. For children there is a variety of
soft cuddly dolls manufactured according to the
strictest international safety requirements.
Paintings
The Thai art scene is vibrant and there are numerous
shops offering original works by local artists.
Subjects range from renderings of classical temple
mural and manuscript paintings to landscapes,
typical Thai scenes and contemporary works of
high aesthetic value. Art lovers should also remember
that local framing is inexpensive and of high
quality.
Ready-To-Wear Garments
Thailand is one of the world's leading manufacturers
of resdy-to-wear clothing , producing garments
not only for local shops and department stores
but also for ever-expanding export markets. The
staple of this booming business was formerly T-shirts
and jeans, but while these still offer excellent
value, product lines now include a whole range
of fashions which meet international standards
of workmanship and design originality. Fashion
boutiques are found in every shopping mall, while
cheaper clothing is available from ubiquitous
street stalls.
Custom Tailoring
Tailor-made clothing in Thailand is as affordable
and as easy as buying off the peg. There are literally
thousands of establishments, small and lerge,
which can produce the perfect fit in virtually
whatever style you want in just a few days. Tailors
may suggest patterns or copy any you care to provide,
and you can choose from a wide selection of materials,
both locally-made and imported.
Leather Goods
Complementing Thailand's clothing industry is
an extensive production of quality leather goods.
Renowned for their durability and beautiful designs
are shoes, either ready made or made-to-order,
leather jackets, belts, handbags, briefcase, luggage,
wallets and a host of other accessories. Specialist
leather shops abound and, together with street
stalls, offer a staggering variety of products
at very attractive prices.
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Thailand
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