Cultural Overview Of Thailand

Culture is probably Thailand’s most saleable commodity- there’s oodles of it, enough to satisfy the most culture-crazy tourist. There are palaces, temples, pagodas and monuments- nearly all of them sumptuously decorated. Culture remains very much a part of daily life for the people, and one reason for this is that Thailand escaped colonisation by the West. The result is that many traditions have come down through the ages, more or less undiluted by Western influences. Traditional Thai handicrafts like silk-weaving, metalwork, ceramics and doll-making have been sustained through generations of craftsmen, just as native sports like kite flying, boat racing, Thai boxing and takro continue to be among the most popular sports in the country. Typical instances of Thai performing arts- such as dances, dance dramas and musical performances- can still be seen, especially at festivals like Songkran and the Rocket Festival. All in all, if it’s culture you’re looking for, Thailand’s the right place to go- you won’t be disappointed.

Thailand has a rich cultural heritage, best embodied in the beauty of the local arts and crafts. Among Thailand’s best-known products are the lovely Thai silks and cottons, which include Mat Mee silk (a tie-dyed silk from the north-east part of the country), batik work (fabric which is dyed using wax to create patterns) and hill tribe handloom material. Another area of expertise is in metalware- Thai metalworkers make excellent items- lamps, figurines, vases and more- from brass, bronze, silver (beaten silver is a traditional craft of Chiang Mai), and nielloware (a form of craftsmanship which involves inlays of alloys in gold and silver items).

There are many other traditional crafts- which produce items ranging from fantastically expensive to very affordable. Most popular among the high-range crafts are the gems and jewellery, especially sapphires and rubies; mid-range includes lacquer ware, ceramics, and metalwork; and budget stretches from native dolls & toys to rattan and wickerwork.