SILKEN TIES TO THAI HISTORY

The name Jim Thompson is synonymous with Thai silk, a meticulous craft that recalls distinctive Siamese customs and cultural heritage.

Despite his catchy reputation as the King of Thai Silk, however, most people have no clue about what lay behind Thompson's world-class success and the strong legacy he left for the country's renowned textile industry.

For example, it's not commonly known that his celebrated collection was largely produced at Ban Krua community, a small Muslim enclave nestled on the bank of Khlong Saen Saep in Ratchathewi district.

The earliest historical record of the settlement can be traced back to ethnic Cham who formed the core of ancient Muslim communities in Cambodia and Vietnam. They first migrated to Ban Krua from Cambodia during the early Rattanakosin era, bringing with them their aesthetic skill and expertise in traditional silk weaving. Back then the original manufacturing purpose was for everyday use and the products were mainly limited to the ubiquitous sarong and loincloth.

This simple operation changed dramatically when Thompson, a foreign visitor with a penchant for Thai silk, stepped into the community and gave support to the Ban Krua residents' weaving heritage by helping them improve their designs and patterns. He also introduced them to chemical dyes whose vivid and bright shades added value and variety to their work.

From that time on the daily lives of most residents began to revolve around their wooden looms and dyed silk yarn. Their mode of production no longer focused only on domestic use, but also covered the growing demand of the local and international silk markets they were helping to fuel.

For decades the community functioned as the major silk production site for Thompson's company, which supplied raw materials such as silk thread and pigment to the local weavers.

When Thomson unfortunately and mysteriously disappeared in Malaysia in 1964 it also seriously curtailed the Ban Krua weaving industry as the orders of silk products from the company stopped. Without this outlet, more and more silk-weaving families left the once thriving business.

Only a few families in the community now weave silk products; one of these is the family of Manasanan Bencharongjinda, locally known as Uncle Ud, a senior manufacturer who has been in the industry for more than 50 years.

The silk-making at his house still follows traditional patterns and procedures which rely almost entirely on human labour.

Filled with a multitude of weaving tools, different corners of the Manasanan house detail each time-consuming technique. Starting with the bleaching process, boiled water gradually removes the glue from natural silk yarn before it enters the dyeing stage, which takes at least an hour. Once washed and dyed, coloured silk thread is rinsed in water, placed in a drying apparatus, and stretched into shape with iron bars before it is hung out to dry.

After the silk yarn is wound onto a spindle and transferred onto a shuttle, the weaving method with a hand-operated loom is undertaken by skilful artisans. Their nimble hands yield the same exquisite results as in the past.

It's hard to believe that in the midst of the Bangkok bustle there still exists such a unique community of residents making their living in this age-old way while honouring their ancestral heritage. But nobody can say how much longer this bit of history is going to last - why not hurry to catch a glimpse of it while you still can?

Relate Search: Jim Thompson, Thai silk, Ban Krua