Maneeya Dhammataree
Ayutthaya province's Baan Prak district is renowned in Thailand for its production of traditional bamboo fans.
Sixty-seven-year-old Thawin Mekha, one of the community's leaders, can recall when every child in the district helped their parents to weave the intricate fans after school. The tradition goes back so far that nobody can really put an exact date on its emergence.
The fans were originally used to help heat up charcoal-fueled fires long before electricity or gas had become commonly used sources of fuel. Folks would also use the fans to try and remain cool amid the country's hot and humid climate.
One of the places you were almost sure to spot one was at likay (traditional Thai drama) performances. The district has produced numerous likay performers and has staged numerous performances down the centuries. It's thought that the fans were probably produced in line with demand among audiences for such shows.
Local materials
The land around Baan Prak is extremely fertile, and lots of bamboo grows wild in the district, offering a useful source of a major raw material for the fan weavers.
After being dyed or treated with a form of veneer, the bamboo has a nice glossy appearance. The weavers who stitch the components together can produce up to 100,000 fans per month to fulfill orders from across the kingdom.
“When I was young, I could make about 200 fans a day. About 50 years ago, a fan cost about 50 satang [US$0.01] wholesale. If I were younger and had better eyesight, I'd now be able to generate sales of about 5,000 baht, of which 2,000 baht [$58] would be profit,” Thawin said.
The skills of these local artisans hasn't gone unnoticed, though. Now many people order other bamboo products from the community, such as table mats, which are popular among restaurateurs. Several leading designers have produced interesting bag patterns, which the local weavers have been able to follow through to fruition. However, unfortunately several projects have had to be canceled due to a shortfall in the number of younger skilled craftspersons living within the community at the present time.
Even though local high schools have developed courses to teach students how to preserve this unique handicraft, most of the students would prefer to go on to earn a salary in an office-based environment.
“I don't think we'll be able to preserve our local wisdom forever,” Thawin says. “Some people from our generations have died, while those of us who are still alive are not so healthy, or have deteriorating eyesight.”
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Broadening horizons
So
Thawin and her group of weavers decided to apply for membership of a
group called the Agricultural Housewife Group in 1994.
“We wanted to promote our products on a national stage for the sake of
preserving the knowledge,” Thawin said. “While it is a local
profession, we've had the opportunity to introduce fan-making to people
from outside of the community in a bid to generate interest and help us
to preserve this craft. At the same time, the program allows people in
the Baan Prak community to learn more about other crafts typically
practiced elsewhere, such as dyeing techniques.”
While certain weavers prefer not to work in tandem with government
support, relationships between various different groups based in the
district remain solid. For example, if a group struggles to fulfill an
order on time, it won't hesitate to share the load with another group.
A standard price has also been set in order to discourage price-cutting
and maintain a reasonable income for the community's weavers.
Among the community's recent initiatives include the development of new
designs and patterns. The Baan Prak fan is typically crafted into a
heart-shape and circle. Natural 'ivory'-colored pieces of bamboo are
used as a base for the vertical, featuring colored interwoven
horizontal pieces. The most popular colors when it comes to dye are
bright green, pink, purple, red and yellow. The finer the pieces of
bamboo being worked with are, the more difficult the weaving work
becomes and so the prices reflect such intricacies.
Fortunately, demand for Baan Prak's fans continues to exceed supply, so
the future looks rosy from a business perspective. However, whether or
not production remains local, remains to be seen.
“We're ready to pass down this knowledge as a legacy, but sadly we're
lacking young people around here to keep it going,” Thawin said.
For further information, call Tel: (+66) (0) 3538 6201.
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Life in Thailand 
Life in Thailand
Thai ways of living - be it countryside or city - have their own distinct styles, rhythms and habits. The kingdom, and especially Bangkok, is also home to an interesting variety of locals and expatriates. Learn about the views and lives of local and expatriate communities, in addition to helpful tips for those exploring and living a Life in Thailand.
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