Textiles, Jade, Teak, Silver, and Consumerism

Click here for a personal meditation on consumerism

Some say that the real religion of Thailand is consumerism. More and more, middle class Thais are moving away from traditional practice, including dress and religion, and adapting western fashions and, if there is such a thing, western values. The new city center is no longer the Wat, but the city shopping mall. In Chiangmai, the Central Mall is four stories high and is complete with fast food restaurants and superstores. One need not even close the eyes to imagine you are back at home in the U.S.

The textile industry, particularly the production of silk, is one of the largest industries in the country. The current Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, a native of Chiangmai, is heir to the family fortune made from silk. I had the opportunity to visit his factory store, during my first visit. At the entrance to the factory, there is a demonstration area when visitors can see how silk is refined from the silk worm, the boiling of the silk work to release the fibers, all the way to the weaving.

At the umbrella shops, mostly women worked creating various umbrellas, fans, and wall hangings. They made them out of mulberry paper, and the tourist can walk through every stage of the production and talk to some of the workers. Next to the shop, there is an artists row, where men and women sit and hand paint the products. Like most products in Thailand, the cost in American dollars is relatively little compared to what we would pay in the states. For instance, small umbrellas or fans that go for $6 dollars in the states can be purchased in Thailand from less than .75 cents. U.S. manufacturers who buy these furniture, particularly teak, are commonly found in US stores. Some of us even noted that the items in bulk pay even a tiny fraction of that cost.

Thailand's workers are increasingly providing a great amount of export materials to the west: clothing, pictures we brought with us of various places in the Blue Ridge mountains, we actually "finished" in Thai factories! Just ponder the life of that one photo: from the US to Thailand and back again as a gift! The global economy is getting more interconnected as we breathe.

Having toured around the north of Thailand and seen the ways that teak wood had been harvested almost to the point of extinction, it was interesting to see the factory, that now imports much of its teak from Burma. Women and men worked in the front shop, demonstrating the carving and inlay techniques that are used on the wood. Back in the showroom, 1000's of pieces of high quality teak, rosewood, and mahogany furniture were there, just waiting for us to purchase and have them shipped to the US.

Much of the home craft industry has been displaced from the home to the factory in Thailand. Beyond this, the local government in Chiangmai has made particular efforts to centralize the craft industry in one primary area. This makes it more convenient for tourists to shop. But it devastates the local industry where the craft used to be practiced. We visited one Wat in Chiangmai that is working to restore the silversmithing industry to the neighborhood, by offering space to the villagers to work and sell their goods on temple grounds.

Just at the base of Chiangmai's holiest temple, on the top of Doi Suthep mountain, there is the Royal Orchid Jade Factory. Inside of the Wat, there is a large Jade (called Emerald) Buddha that was given by the current king to the people of Thailand, since the original Emerald Buddha that used to reside there is now at the national palace in Bangkok. Inside of the Jade factory, you can view a video that shows how the Jade is purchased and brought to Thailand. Most of the jade comes from Burma, now known as Myanmar, a dictatorship that is known for human rights abuses, particularly toward indigenous hill people. 80% of the Jade that comes from Burma is smuggled out over the border, resulting in deadly clashes with the police. The other 20% is sold at an annual auction by the Burmese government. The Royal Jade factory buys directly from this auction. In the showroom, one can see all the various colors of jade: red, green, pink, white, clear, etc. One can purchase figurines, Buddha images, and jewelry and, in so doing, support the Burmese government and the local Thai economy.