Baskets and woven bamboo goods are used for a range of purposes in Thai homes and shops. Everything from the walls of some Thai houses to fish traps, fans, furniture and musical instruments are made from strips of bamboo bark. Other durable grasses and ferns are also used to make a multitude of containers for everyday use. One of the best known is a vine called 'yan lipao' which is plentiful in the South. The pliant, supple stems are polished and woven into elegant containers, betel-nut boxes, trays and other fashionable items. The craft, which was once practiced extensively in the South, especially in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, has recently been reinvigorated with the encouragement of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. She helped establish a project in Narathiwat province, in the deep South, where stylish decorative items and fashion accessories are made from yan lipao for sale and export. close window