Bamboo for Life: An Exploration of Bamboo Craft Practices in Thailand

Abstract

Considered one of Thailand’s most socioeconomically important species, bamboo is frequently found in open land throughout the country. They are incredibly fast growing and able to rapidly invade into any kind of land, including degraded areas. Being multipurpose species for a variety of uses such as food, household construction, craft making, paper pulping and more, the significant species of bamboo in Thailand can be divided into 3 groups according to their utilisation. (Pattanavibool 1998) Since Thais use bamboo shoots for food, the first group comprises of bamboos for shoot production, which are Dendrocalamus asper (Pai Tong), Dendrocalamus brandisii (Pai Bongyai), Dendrocalamus strictus (Pai Sangdoi), Bambusa blumeana (Pai Seesuk), Thyrsostachys siamensis (Pai Ruak), Thyrsostachys oliverii (Pai Ruakdum) and Gigantochloa albociliata (Pai Rai). Bamboo shoots are widely used in Thai cuisines, especially in typical dishes like green curry, red curry and spicy bamboo shoot salad, which is well-known northeastern food. The bamboo tube itself can be applied as cooking utensil too. Khao lam, for instance, is street food made out of a mixture of sticky rice, sugar, coconut cream and black beans, placed in bamboo tube and roasted.

With a purpose for construction, such as supporting poles and alike, the second group includes bamboos for stem production, which are Bambusa bambos (Pai Pha), Bambusa blumeana, Bambusa nana (Pai Liang), Dendrocalamus asper, Dendrocalamus strictus, Dendrocalamus membranaceus (Pai Sangnuan), Thyrsostachys oliverii (Pai ruak dam) and Gigantochloa hasskarliana (Pai Phaak). Bamboo houses can usually be found in the countryside, typically in the north of Thailand. In addition, looking particularly at stem production for basketry and handicrafts, the third group is consisted of Bambusa blumeana (Pai Seesuk), Bambusa nana (Pai Liang), Thyrsostachys siamensis (Pai Ruak), Thyrsostachys oliverii (Pai ruak dam), Gigantochloa hasskarliana (Pai Phaak) and Cephalostachyum virgatum (Pai Hiae). Closely knitted to the concept of life, since the ancient time, bamboo has long been extensively utilised into an array of utility artefacts to put to use from birth to death, from bamboo cradle to bamboo coffin. Although Thailand has become industrialised since the mid 1980s, at present bamboo is still considered a matchless material for the creative industries, which is often merged with the local wisdom and the dexterity of artesans. Bambusa blumeana (Pai Seesuk) has always been the exceptional choice for crafts, especially wickerwork and furniture making.

The objective of this writing is to look at the question of the sustainability of bamboo craft practices in Thailand, focusing on three different aspects of crafts production, promotion and infrastructure. Through three case studies, the paper explores the critical role of bamboo crafts in relation to culture, society, economy and politics. With an emphasis on projects that give the community additional income through bamboo craft activities, the paper also examines how such practices associate with the concepts of Buddhist Economics and Creative Economy.