Chiang Mai - Craft Villages

Being the center of the Thai arts and crafts industry, handwork can not only be bought in Chiang Mai but also seen in the making. The visitor intending to buy a more valuable article is advised to visit the showrooms in the late afternoon when the coaches belonging to the main tour operators have been and gone and it is possible to look around for the desired purchase in relative peace.

Silversmiths for example are found concentrated in and to the east of Chom Thong Road (in the southern part of the city), producing silver and silver alloy bowls, dishes and jewelry. In the Ban Khoen district, a little further east, lacquer ware is made (boxes, dishes and trays). Black lacquer, applied in several layers, is polished with ash or lime. Decorative patterns are then etched into the surface and picked out in paint, either colored or gold. Teak carvers ply their trade from workshops mainly located in Wulai Road and Ratchangsaen Road, the fruits of their labors being exported all over the world. With the felling of tropical hardwoods banned in Thailand, teak now has to be imported from Myanmar (Burma).

It is not often that tourists have the opportunity to watch bronze being cast. The place to go to in Chiang Mai is Chang Loh Road. Finished products include bells (without clappers, their clear tones being produced by small tin discs suspended on a thread) and the solid bronze cutlery sold in virtually every shop in the country.

The "Potters' Village" is on the north side of the city near the White Elephant Gate. Many families work in this particular trade, the pots being put out in front of the houses to dry (as well as to sell).

There are more craft villages at Bo Sang and San Kaemphaeng.