Smaller cities urged to cash in on silk

Lalida Chiranantaprawat, deputy director general of the Department of Business Development, said an event called “Silk Road to Secondary City” was held in both locales this past Monday through Wednesday (November 18-20).
“We want to stimulate sales of products and services related to the silk trade in Thailand’s smaller cities,” she said.
The department arranged a trek to the Northeast for reporters and bloggers who specialise in travel and lifestyle and could, Lalida said, “share their impressions with their readers, letting people see the value of silk products”. 
“It will get more people buying silk products in the secondary cities, which will strengthen the grass-roots economy.”
It’s also important to get more young people to appreciate the Thai silk that was so beloved by their elders and to wear and use it more in their daily lives. 
“We showed how silk attire can be worn in contemporary ways,” Lalida said.
Local producers were encouraged to develop products that meet consumer demand, while descendants of traditional weavers were urged to preserve their family knowledge.
The road trip also featured visits to Wat Phra That Choeng Chum and Wat Tham Pha Daen, villages celebrated for producing silk goods, the Indigo Dye Silk Group at Khok Si Suphan and the Kramsakon silk shop.
“In Kalasin we toured the Sirindhorn Museum and its Phu Kum Khao Dinosaur Research Centre,” Lalida said. “We also visited the weavers at Ban Nong Yuang Kham and the group making mudmee phu fabric at Ban Sung Noen.”