Ban Tha Sawang Silk

Ban Tha Sawang weaves yok thong, brocade with gold and silver thread supplementary weft, in a Khmer-influenced tradition that Surin province has kept - the area's Khmer-speaking population and its old links across the border show in the patterns. The looms are the thing to see: a full yok thong loom requires four weavers working simultaneously, one at the treadles and three lifting the pattern heddles, and the coordination between them is continuous. Output is around six to eight centimetres a day, so a length takes months, and prices are correspondingly high - pieces from here have been used for royal occasions and given as state gifts. The village opened a centre where the looms are worked in view and cloth is sold, alongside simpler silk that is more affordable. The weavers are working, not demonstrating; the pace is what it is and there is no shortcut version.

What you actually see

• The four-person loom - weavers working the treadles and heddles together.
• The output rate - six to eight centimetres a day on the brocade looms.
• The gold thread - the supplementary weft that defines yok thong.
• The Khmer influence - patterns reflecting Surin's cross-border heritage.

When to go

November to February, on weekday working hours - the looms are worked during the day and there is nothing to see outside it. Two hours covers a visit.

Honest expectations

Brocade prices are very high because of the labour, which is the point rather than a markup. Weavers are working, not performing - ask before photographing. Simpler silk is sold alongside at ordinary prices. Little English.

Nearby

Surin town is east; Ban Ta Klang and the Khmer temples are north and south.