Traditionally, Thailand is an agrarian country, so the majority of Thai people are engaged in agriculture. As they rainy conditions, while farming, they need to wear a hat for protection against extreme weather.
This protection comes in the form of an "ngop", the Thai name for headwear made from palm leaves in the central region of Thailand. This hat shields them from the sun and rain while traveling or at work.
It is fashioned into a dome-shape, rather like an inverted basket, using bamboo strips plaited into the structure. The outer surface of an ngop is usually covered with palm leaves.
Similar head wear, used in other regions of the country with the same practical uses as the ngop, are structured differently and known by different names. The bamboo hats in the northern region are called kup, while southern residents refer to their hats as pieo.
