Thailand Handicrafts Shopping

Thailand is a great destination for food lovers, it is also blessed with some awesome islands and beaches. Hundreds of visitors to this amazing country come to do their shopping. Clothes, electronic gadgets and even high quality wooden furniture are well known items that interest shoppers. For those of you with an artistic mind, Thailand has a whole lot of handicrafts to offer.

The nation is home to some of the finest artisans, talent and expertise have come down from generations. Handmade pottery should be on your shopping list, the range in terms of design, style and materials for Thai pottery is enormous. Benjarong is a form of Thai pottery that is specific to Thailand, it consists of hand painted cups and saucers, plates, bowls and vases. Benjarong ceramics are extremely artistic, skilled artisans work on each piece and paint traditional designs in classic colors. Gold highlights add a valuable touch to benjarong wear, the art originated in the royal palaces and is today available for everyone to treasure. If you happen to shop for Thai benjarong, we would suggest that you treat the items as showpieces. Wear and tear can affect the beauty of these gorgeous ceramic pieces, so use them for display.

Handmade fabrics from Thailand are known across the world, Handwoven Thai silk is just one example. Some of the finest fashion houses source their silk fabric from Thailand, provinces in the North and Northeast par of Thailand are world renowned for their superior silk fabric. Cotton fabrics are also women on hand looms, earth tones in red, brown and blue dominate Thai handmade fabrics. The easiest way to enjoy Thai handmade fabrics is to buy yourself a scarf or a shawl, these accessories are ready to wear and do not need any further work or adjustments to be done. If you have sufficient time on your trip to Thailand, you could visit one of the custom made tailor shops and cut yourself a dress or suit in Thai silk. The textile and garment industry in the country has made rapid strides. A number of traditional and modern dress styles are today skillfully tailored using handmade Thai fabrics.

The degree of expertise that Thai wood carvers showcase in their work is unmatched. South Thailand is famous for its intricate carved boxes and other decorative pieces. Wood artisans in the Northern part of Thailand are traditionally skilled in carving animals and birds in wood, elephants are an all time favorite. If you are worried about space in your suitcase, pick smaller pieces and there is tremendous variety to choose from. You might have come across the absolutely stunning, wood inlay items in Thailand. Fine brass and mother of pearl inlay work is done in wood, items can be as small as a jewelry box or as large as an entire sofa set or dining table. Wood is also crafted into bangles and beads, rings are not uncommon. The Thais love to work with wood as it gives them a medium to express their artistic talents.

If you ever see a bunch of flowers in Thailand, it could require a very close look to reveal whether the flowers are natural or handmade. The initial interest in making artificial flowers in Thailand was limited to paper flowers, but a lot has developed since then. Handmade flowers range from the simplest folded color paper and move on to the amazing, resin shaped intricately hand painted flowers. Prices are modest and can begin from a dollar or even less.

We will recommend jewelry and carved gems but, make sure that you do this with a bit of caution. Handmade jewelry in Chiangmai and other provinces is generally available in gold and sterling silver. Never buy expensive gold jewelry and gemstones from a small shack, you might hope to find a bargain but authenticity is not assured. We will leave recommendations for serious gem and jewelry shopping in Thailand for another report, let’s just talk of simple moderately priced items. Gemstone carved statues in various sizes can be attractive, just don’t pay premium prices until you are sure that you are getting something of value. Paying 25 U.S$ for a 2 inch chalcedony elephant might be fine but, think twice before spending 2,500 U.S$ for a so called ‘jade’ religious statue.

Since 4u2peek does not aim to be a shopping website, we will not make specific recommendations for places to shop but, here is something to think about. As you travel and go sightseeing around Thailand, you would come across artisan stalls selling handmade items. Without spending too much, consider making a few purchases directly from these talented men and women. You should end up paying a lot less and they would get all that you spend.