In the eyes of the general public, the water hyacinth may appear a useless weed. But for the villagers of San Pa Muang Sub-district in Muang District. Phayao Province in northern Thailand, the water hyacinth, or "floating lotus", is an important raw material used to make baskets, handbags, hats and many other items.
When they are free from rice farming, members of the Water Hyacinth Wickerwork Group at Ban San Pa Muang village often spend their spare time making handicrafts to earn a supplementary income.
They begin by selecting stalks of water hyacinth of good quality to be dried in the sun for three to five days before being fumigated. They are sun-dried again before being sliced into pliable strips, to be worked into various designs and products according to the demands of their customers.
For items such as hats or artificial flowers that require meticulous work in particular, the wickerwork makers fashion stalks of water hyacinth to make them smooth with the final products coated with lacquer or oil for beauty and durability.
The wickerwork group comprises 55 members and they usually produce their handicrafts working from home. On special occasions, or when they welcome visitors, they will gather to demonstrate their handicraft skills in front of their houses.
Today, water hyacinth products from San Pa Muang Sub-district, which are priced according to the work content, are sold locally and exported. It is a great place to visited, especially if you like handicraft products.
