The Legend of Thai Silk, Shinawatra Thai Silk, Chiang Mai

Taxi Chiangmai and Private Tour by Patrick 081 617 2116 Oversea Call +66 81 617 2116 E-mail: neomart@gmail.com

The uniqueness of Shinawatra products    In the past and still today the motto of the Shinawatra family is “give priority to and control the quality of the materials used”.    We constantly upgrade our fabrics and introduce sophisticated, up-to-date designs while maintaining bargain prices. This long-standing family policy coupled with creative designing has ensured that the Shinawatra brand has always been the leader in the silk textile market.    The following product samples show why the Shinawatra brand has always been the one of choice in the ever changing field of silk textile fashion. The development of the Shinawatra family silk textile industryFrom a local home industry to a leader in the international market    Chiang Shinawatra, who was head of the family , started the industry at Sankampaeng in 1911. At that time many households in Sankampaeng wove silk for their own domestic use. In those early days, Chiang organised some of the best weavers to produce sarongs which were sold in the markets of Chiang Mai and Bangkok and also exported to neighboring Burma.    Chiang married a Sankampaeng girl and they had twelve children. The family team worked together to improve quality and design and also to expand its marketing network. At first they depended on traditional weaving methods, but in 1935 more modern looms were introduced and dying technology was improved to give more attractive, fast colors.    Today it can be seen that the Shinawatra brand keeps fully up-to-date in design and colour with the very latest international fashion, reflecting the taste of modern day consumers from around the world.    The pride and joy of our family is Dr. Taksin Shinawatra who became the Prime Minister of Thailand in the year 2001. He is the son of Lerdt and Yindee Shinawatra.    The present generation of Shinawatra children are continuing to uphold and improve the family tradition so well that the Shinawatra name, both locally and internationally, is synonymous in the textile industry for excellence. The name Shinawatra – which is pronounced Shinawat – was bestowed bestowed by King Rama VI. It is Sanscrit and means… Free Transportation: Call 081 617 2116 Patrick (oversea +66 81 617 2116    Founded in 1911, Shinawatra is the oldest silk factory in Thailand. Based on an age old tradition of craftsmanship in the ancient Kingdom of Lanna, Chiang Shinawatra and his family have, through the years, introduced innovative technology and set ever higher standards of quality and consistency for this most precious of all materials.    A hundred percent Thai owned, Shinawatra is a model of pioneering excellence. It has long been a major attraction for visiting Royalty and guests of the Thai government.    At Shinawatra visitors will find the very highest standards of quality and design.    Shinawatra Thai Silk, a timeless expression of an ancient heritage.  The History of Silk    Chinese legend attributes the first creation of the wife of the mythical Yellow Emperor who is thought to have lives 5000 years ages. Recent archeological discoveries, however, indicate that sericulture was known in China some 6000 to 7000 years ago. For thousands of years silk was reserved for the use of the Emperor, it was the most closely guarded secret in all of history.    By the time of the Han Dynast silk had become a vital part of the Chinese economy. People paid their taxes in silk, silk was used as bow strings, for fishing lies, on musical instruments and, of course, for garments. The secret could no longer be kept. The Greeks and Romans regarded silk as one of the most priceless products In 200 BC Chinese emigrants introduced sericulture to Korea and from there it, no doubt, spread to other Asian countries.    Stories tell of two Nestorian monks who, in about 550 AD, smuggled silkworm eggs in their hollow bamboo staves to Byzantium. Travelling along the Silk Road silk finally came to be produced in Italy at the time of the Second Crusade in the thirteenth century.    In 1688 the French Ambassador writes that the King often gave ‘ silk pagnes of an extraordinary beauty and gaudiness ‘ to the lady of his court. We do not know, however, whether they were locally produced or imported. Shinawatra Thai Silk Showroom    The moment you enter the grand courtyard of the Shinawatra Silk Company, the buildings’ impressive proportions and fine materials make clear that this is no ordinary manufacturer and exporter of silk products. This dramatic setting contains a fascinating presentation of the timeless process of sericulture and silk manufacture as well as being a trove of silk products.    Designed in the traditional architecture style of the ancient northern Thai Kingdom of Lanna, the buildings burnt-orange brick walls, the massive support teak columns, the mighty, exposed teak trusses bearing the gabled roofs and the walkways paved in a careful selection of hand made terracotta tiles, all reveal the Shinawatra family’s pride and joy in its showcase headquarters.    The silken treasures within are, indeed, worthy of the building.    From the moment when you are first greeted in the reception area, you are led into a wonderland of silk. The first gallery shows how silkworms are raised, you then see the delicate process of separating the filaments from the cocoons, reeling, spinning, dyeing and weaving the silk threads on hand operated looms. Next is the gallery of history where are photographs of the many famous people who have visited the showroom. You are then able to wander from room to room – the gallery of women’s wear and accessories, of men’s ear and accessories, the gallery of silk fabrics, special rooms of scarves, of neckties, upstairs are galleries devoted to decorative items and house ware. At the heart of the building is the superb promotion hall and souvenir and gift shop.