In search of Thai Textiles

By Carolee Heileman

 When I told friends I was

There are many not-to-be-missed places you could visit when you arrive in Bangkok:  the Grand Palace, the National Museum, the floating markets.  On my first day I headed for the Jim Thompson House.  

Jim Thompson (1906-67) was the American entrepreneur who put Thai silk on its way to becoming the thriving industry it is today.  He created his enduring silk empire in only twnty-some years. Thompson served with the US military in World War II, including a brief stint in Bangkok with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).  His connection with the OSS, precursor to the CIA, lent drama to his mysterious disappearance in the jungles of Malaysia when he was only 61.  His body was never found despite an extensive search.       

The next day, we went to the Chatuchak market for our first look at the handmade textiles woven by women of the Hill Tribes.  Because it is made by hand, Thai silk has a rough nubby texture and slight irregularities in the colors that add interest and variety.  The women who weave these scarves start from the very beginning, growing cotton or cultivating silkworms, to spin thread.  The threads are then dyed various colors.  Organic dyes are very much back in vogue, but chemical dyes are also used for their durability.  Designs and colors identify particular villages where they were created.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           Yao woman                                     Akha woman

 

Chiang Rai, Nan and Phrae 

 

We soon departed Chiang Mai in our van to explore remoter cities in the North:  Chiang Rai, Nan and Phrae.  Many of the tourists who travel this area are more interested in trekking than in shopping.  We visited some beautiful wats, or temples, being careful to remove our shoes before entering.  I was surprised by how many monks, some of whom were children, maintained the wats.  Their distinctive orange robes are another expression of Thai textiles art as well as religious devotion. 

 

Centuries ago many people immigrated to what is now northern Thailand from the Yunnan province of China, possibly motivated by famine or unrest.  These immigrants brought their skills in the use of indigo dyes and weaving with them.  We visited an off-the-beaten-path shop that specialized in these deep blue materials and bought some lovely shawls. 

 

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             Indigo Pots                                  Woman at loom

 

 

We also saw a Tai Lue house built in the traditional manner, with space for the animals and storage under the raised floor of the home.   The family lived on the first floor.   The Tai Lue usually weave black and red geometric patterns on a white field, as this model shows. 

 

 

 

 

The murals of Wat Phumin teem with portrayals of daily life rather than religious parables.  There was, to my delight, a drawing of a woman weaving at her loom.

         

        

 

And at nearby Wat nong Bua, supposedly by the same artist, a   portrayal of a woman at a spinning wheel.

 

        

           

 

In Phrae we visited some houses built in the 19th-century style, all Victorian gingerbread and pastels, by Thai admirers of things Western.  Thailand was never occupied by a colonial power, nor did it suffer through a cruel dictatorship like neighboring countries.   It does have a Muslim insurgency movement in the South these days, but by and large, the Thai are very peaceful.  It is called the country of smiles. 

 

As we entered the historic residence of the former provincial governor, a powerful man in the days before this region was united with the Kingdom of Siam, I heard the last notes of a music rehearsal.  I poked my head into the music hall and declared in Thai what I hoped was, "Very pretty!"  The room erupted.  "Tourist!" someone yelled.  I was beset by a throng of students anxious to practice their English.  When I told them I was from "Obamaland," I got the thumbs up, a suitable denouement to my wonderful trip to the North.