“Pha Som Pak Poom” history of Thai fabrics | THAILAND

"ผ้าปูม" "ผ้าสมปัก" หรือ "ผ้าสมปักปูม"

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“Pha Poom” or “Pha Som Pak” or “Pha Som Pak Poom” are unfamiliar names to most who come across the words these days.

Only a few people realize how they look or what kind of fabrics they are. As the terms have faded away from the modern Thai culture and society, it is hardly known that "Pha Poom" or "Pha Som Pak Poom" is a type of fabrics woven from silk threads using ikat (มัดหมี่: Mat Mii) technique, resulting in textiles beautiful colors and intricately decorative pattern with one-tier, two-tier, or three-tier-one-shape (Kauai Choeng) motifs embellished at their ends.

The fabrics are usually made with extra length and width compared with other PHA Nung (lower garments) as they are worn by wrapping around one’s waist like Chong Kraben, a lower body cloth that was popular among men in Ayutthaya to early Rattanakosin period. Their patterns were intended to indicate the status, titles, and ranks of the wearers.

Historical records concerning garments used by different classes of people in Siam since the Ayutthaya period, reveals that "Pha Poom" or "Pha Som Pak" or "Pha Som Pak Poom" were once lower body clothes bestowed by the Kings as insignia of ranks for court or government officials holding noble titles.

They must be worn as official uniforms in accordance with the ranks and titles of the wearers while having an audience with His Majesties or attending important royal ceremonies, a tradition restricted only in the palace compound.

At present, "Pha Som Pak Poom" has 2 styles: Type 1, woven by Tai-Lao techniques in Khon Kaen and Chaiyaphum province. and the second type of woven fabric, woven with Thai-Khmer ethnic, in Surin province.