Past in the Present

Her Majesty directed Her staff to develop SUPPORT's infrastructure after visiting Na Wa with H.M. The King in 1972, after a devastating flood there.

During the visit, pictured here, Her Majesty was struck by the beauty of the villagers' handwoven wrapped skirts (phaa sin) made of traditionnal silk ikat (mat mii) and concluded that guiding and supporting the development of an outside market for the fabric would help the area's long-term economic recovery and stability. The first SUPPORT centre opened in Na Wa in 1974 and is still active today.

Na Pho: Mat Mii
Weavers in Na pho joined SUPPORT in 1976 and led by Mrs.Prachuab Channual and her family, it became an important site of silk ikat (mat mii) production.

Along among SUPPORT centres, Na Pho grows its own mulberry trees and its own silkworms as well as processing the cocoons, spinning, bleaching, and dyeing the thread, and weaving the fabric.

In the 1970s, H.M. the King, long a promoter of agricultural developement, tried to wean tribal groups in the north of Thailand from their economic reliance on opium cultivation by substituting other crops.

At the same time, Her Majesty encourageed their traditional cotton-weaving and embroidery by providing outside markets for their textiles through the SUPPORT Foundation.

The modern photographes show Karen, Yao, and Lisu weavers and embroiderers at work

The modern photographes show Karen, Yao, and Lisu weavers and embroiderers at work.

H.M. Queen Sirikit was enchanted with with the phrae waa-distinctive silk brocade shoulder cloths- Phu Tai villagers wore when Their Majesties visited this ethnic group in Ban Phon in 1977.

Learning that phrae waa was disappering and wishing to preserve it. , She established a SUPPORT Foundation weaving group, shown meeting with Her Majesty in the historic photograph.

The success of this effort is evident in the 2010 photographs, which show modern "phrae waa" on the loom and Phu Tai villagers of all ages still proudly wearing it.

Chok, a densely patterned cotton or silk brocade often used as a skirt ( phaa sin) border, is associated with Tai Yuan people of northern Thailand; it migrated south to Ratchaburi in the 19th century.

Mrs.Thong Yoo, daughter of master chok weaver Mrs.Son Gumlangharn, was pictured here at her loom in 2010.

(Chok came to SUPPORT's attention in the late 1970s.)

Khit, a narrow cotton brocade from Nong Or traditionally used as a pillow cover was, with Her Majesty's guidance, transformed by SUPPORT weavers into a luxurious silk fress fabric.

New colors, patterns, and wider cloth were amoung the changes Her Majesty masterminded. She became so fond of one of the new versions- pictured here on the loom-that the villagers named it The Queen's Pattern (Somdej khit).

Neun Thammang, on the Gulf of Thailand, often suffers from floods and the economic distress they bring.

To help, Her Majesty established a SUPPORT centre here in 19th century. which revived the gold brocade (phaa yok) weaving the province was famous for in the 19th century.

Historic textiles were used as prototypes for the modern versions. They are among the most labor-intensive of SUPPORT textiles, often requiring four or five weavers to operate each loom.