Creative Tourism: Making Silverware in Lamphun Province
Even though Lamphun is the smallest province in the northern region of the country, it is packed with a variety of local goods. One of these is the craftsmanship involved in the production of silverware by the Karen tribe at Pra Baht Huay Tom, Na Sai Subdistrict in Lee District, which has gained a lot of attention from tourists. You not only can choose the products made by local craftsmen but also get to see how they make it. One of those is the craftsmanship of the production of silverware at Pra Baht Huay Tom, Na Sai Subdistrict in Lee District
The unique trait of the silverware by this community is the local patterns, which link with the beliefs and culture of the Pga K'nyau Karen tribe. For example, the grains of sand pattern, which is a traditional pattern, reflects the unity of the villagers; the grains of rice pattern reflects the spiritual respect for what gives life to human; the weaving pattern reflects the adherence to words; finally, Pod Duang (an ancient Thai coin), the most famous pattern, represents wealth and a life full of happiness. Moreover, they use smoking as a technique in the work, which adds to the uniqueness of the silverware from Pra Baht Huay Tom Community.
The unique trait of the silverware in this community is the local patterns:
Nowadays, the silverware of the community is famous and becoming more well known among Thai and foreign tourists. Most of the products will usually be displayed for sale at the Ban Huay Tom Center of Handicraft Research, while some craftsmen are able to make the products on demand from individuals, as well.