Thailand has long been popular and famous for its gorgeous iridescent silk. The art of making silk originated in northeastern Thailand, where cloth weaving is a traditional craft. The people from northeast rear their own silkworms, spin and dye the yarn to make bolts of silk which are sold world over.

Thai Silk Products are known world over for its finest quality and strength. Natural fabric lovers across the world prefer Thai silk as against any other option. Silk has its own charm; the Chinese Emperor wore and used it to symbolize his royalty and wealth. Almost 5,000 years ago, silk emerged in the Yellow River valley in China. For more than two thousand years the Chinese kept the secret of silk close to themselves.

Thailand is a world famous tourism center; the main source of livelihood is tourism and agriculture. However, the agriculture is at a declining note and the families are barely able to survive. Thai people are used to working for long hours under the scorching heat; this habit of hardworking and dedication has made Thai people as one of the best silk producers in the world. Thai Silk Products are now one of the main attractions for the tourists visiting Thailand from across the world.

Isan region in Thailand is especially known for its silk production. A number of family run factories are established in this region that employs locals for their silk production activities. With poor rewards from tireless efforts in the paddy fields, the people of Isan have adapted their skills to silk production and other activities. As a result of these efforts Isan is now the center of Thai silk manufacturing including a wide range of Thai Silk Products.

The silk produced in the region is of the finest quality and is suitable for making any kind of silk product. The silk products in Thailand are available in a wide range such as ladies wear, silk pyjamas, sarong, neck scarf, beach accessories, shoulder bag, mobile phone bags, hand stitched purse, cushions, massage bed and more. Thai Silk has become one of the major attractions for the tourists and it is believed that one who visits Thailand would definitely purchase some or the other silk product manufactured in Thailand.

The history of the export of Thai silk during the twentieth century has been one of great ups and downs, and is often clouded by inaccurate of nonexistent data. For instance, export figures for finished silk do no exist until the post-war years, but earlier data concerning export of raw silk will suffice to illustrate the industry’s plunges. While in 1990, raw silk worth 141,468 baht was exported, in the 1930′s this figure fell to less than 500 baht. Similarly, the export of Thai silk has undergone similar fluctuations since it began to figure prominently around 1950, when half a million baht was earned in foreign export.

During the 1950′s, Thai silk followed a rather steady upswing and then leaped in the early 1960′s into the 20 to 30 million baht per year rang. This can be attributed to promotion of the fabric by Her Majesty the Queen, who included dresses fashioned of Thai silk in her world tour wardrobe in 1961. By the following year, 1962, export of Thai silk was earning 26.6 million baht per year. This figure further increased in 1963 to 34 million baht, a gigantic leap from the figures of the 50′s -all considerably below ten million baht.

Apart from earning much-needed foreign exchange for the country and aiding in decreasing Thailand’s overall trade deficit, the export of Thai silk figures prominently in other areas. It is, for instance, instrumental in the development of the underdeveloped and underemployed Northern region, where very limited sericultural techniques and little marketing knowledge are gradually being eradicated by technical programs and instructional aid. The growing demand for Thai silk throughout the world can not help but improve the methods and lives of the individual growers and weavers throughout Thailand.

Undoubtedly one of the most stunning and unique textile products available in the world, it has been said the Thai silk is one of Thailand’s most effective ambassadors of goodwill abroad. Carried by most of the leading department stores in America and Europe, and gaining acceptance in other areas of the world, Thai silk implants the name Thailand in the minds of those who choose to wear it and women in over 50 countries of the world correctly do. It also introduces the country itself in the great fashion centers of the world, since leading designers – including Pierre Balmain and Elizabeth Arden- feature it in their collections.

With the efforts of the Government, including the Silk Promotion Committee, and the great strides being made at sericultural research centers such as the one at Korat, improved worm strains and eradication of disease do indeed point to a bright future for the export of Thai silk. As tourism is now the number two industry in Thailand, the “invisible export” of the approximately 180 million baht worth of Thai silk bought annually by tourists must not be neglected either. All these factors combined indicate a sound future for the industry, increased earnings for the nation, the enhancement of the Thai reputation world-wide,- and perhaps most important of all – the economic development of the underprivileged Northern and improved standard of living for the tens of thousands involved in sericulture throughout the region.