Technique : Chok weaving
Making process (in detail) :

1. Pattern designKru Pranom imaginatively creates the continuous fabric patterns on paper then on the computer program (Excel) similarly to cross stitching. This technique enables other weavers in his group to follow the pattern weaving. The motif mainly illustrates the unique Phrae province’s motif.
2. Cotton yarn bleaching
   This process is to remove sericin, and various contaminants attached to the cotton before further dyeing process. Firstly, dissolve3-4 tablespoon of liquid soap or dishwashing liquid in 20 liters of water. Then boil a proper portion of cotton yarns in hot water for 1 hour. Stir and turn the cotton yarns regularly for deep cleansing. Then hang to dry and rinse in clean water and twist to semi-dry. Leave to dry for further natural dyeing, and yarn reeling as well as warp yarn setting processes.
3. Cotton yarn dyeing with natural colors as follows :
   · Mai Khae or heartwood of jackfruit tree - Yellow pigmen
   · Stick lac - Red or pink pigment
   · Khram - Indigo Blue pigment
   · Mai Khae for Yellow pigment, then a second dyeing with Khram for Green pigment
   · Khram and stick lac - Purple pigment
   · Sal bark or shorea bark- Goldish brown pigment

• The ratio of materials for silk yarn dyeing using tree barks: 4 kilograms of tree barks per 1 kilogram of silk yarns per 20 liters of water. Hit tree barks into pieces and soak in water for 1 night. Then boil with water for 2 hours and filter the liquid out. Put 5 steins of cleaned silk yarns into a hoop and boil in 50–60-degrees Celsius. Add mordant substances such as alum, salt, alkaline solution and the silk yarns back and forth to allow thorough dyeing at every 5 minutes for 2 hours. Set aside and put in another non-metal container with a close lid. Leave it for 1 night. Rinse in clean water then twitch the yarns for further sun-dry process.
• The ratio of materials for cotton yarn dyeing using tree leaves:  Mince tree leaves into pieces and follow the same process as that silk yarn dyeing using tree barks.

4. Cotton yarn reeling Reel the dyed warp yarns and supplementary yarns with reeling kit to adjust and smoothen the cotton yarn texture before the yarn-spinning process.
5. Won Fai or Krue Fai (Warp yarn setting)
   In Thai-northern dialect ‘warp yarns’ are called Krue. It is to set the warp yarns from the reeling kit onto the above rail then onto Pai Kor - a device made of wood). Then calculate how much yarns are needed for the desired width and length of the woven fabric. Next, line the yarns from Pia Kor onto the loom (dialectally called Krue Hook).
6. Setting warp yarns into the beater
   Insert the warp yarns into the reed and set each cotton yarn onto the beater; 40 columns per 1 lob (80 cotton yarns). For Chok weaving, 2 cotton yarns are inserted in each column and 2 pairs of silk yarns (4 silk yarns) for weaving the end of fabric. Then set the yarns from the beater into Sapan or the heald (round-shape stick made of wood or other materials) to form a simple crisscross pattern while framing both sides of woven fabric with Mai Pang.
7. Weft yarn preparing
   Reel the finished dyed cotton yarns into a bobbin (made of bamboo or other materials, with a hole in the middle). Put into order before containing into the shuttle by inserting coconut stalks, or other similar materials with the same length of the shuttle, into the shuttle’s hole. Then put the stalks in the columns inside the shuttle and at the shuttle head to hold the bobbin with the shuttle while weaving.
8. Weaving
   To make a set of Pha Sin, 2 weaving techniques are used: standard weaving and Chok weaving
   Standard weaving – Manage the warp yarns in the heald. The warp yarns are then separated by raising or lowering heald frames to form a clear space where the weft can pass. The weft is propelled across the loom by a shuttle. It is then pushed up against the fell of the cloth by the reed or the beater. Have the weft yarns spout back and forth to be woven in the beater and constantly hit the beater, until the woven dense fabric is perfectly completed. Or have the weft yarns crisscrossed with the yarns in the shuttle and spout back and forth to be woven in the beater and constantly hit the beater twice at minimum, until the woven dense fabric is perfectly completed.
   Chok weaving – The patterns on Chok fabric are created by picking up the warp with a porcupine quill, a pointed stick, or fingers, then adding the colorful or special weft to create patterns on the reverse side of the loom. The patterns can only be admired once the reverse side is turned up – called “Kwam Lai Long”. Propel the weft yarns (onto the other static shuttle) once each row of Chok weaving is completed and hit the beater twice at minimum. The knots from Chok weaving must be neatly fixed on the reverse side of fabric. The knot fixing is required when the new pattern weaving begins or when the waft yarns being woven runs out. The smooth patterns on both sides and the dense fabric texture, against manually squeezing trial, are expected on the finished woven fabric.
9. Assembling Pha Sin (Tube skirt)
   Manually sew each part of Pha Sin: Ew Sin (Top part), Tua Sin (Middle part) and Teen Sin (Bottom part), under the traditional way and different sewing techniques.

The Tai-Yuan Yonok Chiangsan ethnic group has spread to settle in 8 areas: Mae Chaem district, Chiangmai province, Laplae district, Uttaradit province, Si Satchanalai district, Sukhothai province, Chainat province, Suphanburi province, Ratchaburi province, Nan Province and Uthai Thani province. Thai-Yuan people settled in Long city, where located the ancient community and the important outpost city in the south of the Lanna Kingdom, possessed the similar outfit culture to other Tai-Yuan or Yonok ethnic groups. Teen Jok sarong is the woven attire on special occasions. The materials used include cotton yarns, silk yarns, silver threads, gold threads, woven into beautiful patterns. Pha Teen Chok Muang Long is apparently found the main outfit of those people in Long City for at least 200 years.

Chok weaving is a painstaking process. Weavers have to be very patient and it takes a great deal of concentration as it requires a delicate craftsmanship.  Teen Chok fabric also is woven as cloth for daily use such as tote bags, shawls, blankets, pillows, etc. Several patterns are minimally and beautifully created out of natural environments either plants or animals’ gestures. It also narrates mottos, beliefs, superstitions, and rituals within the patterns. Therefore, Chok weaving is deemed a tangible object that vividly conveys the way of life, beliefs, culture and wisdom of the Tai-Yuan Chiangsan people.

The significant uniqueness of Tai-Yuan Yonok Chiangsan Chok weaving is its liberal pattern design.  For example, the main motif can be both the main and supplementary motif. Therefore, to title the motif does not always signify its main motif at the center of the fabric When the fabric is woven to the desired length, a weaver basically ends with a special pattern as his unique identical autograph and to protect against robbery, namely "Mai sin”. Then each part is assembled with a single stitch, consisting of three parts of separated woven fabric:

1. Ew Sin or Hua Sin (Top part)– White and red woven fabrics, believed to be the auspicious color to the wearers, are popular used. The white fabric is on the top part while the red fabric is next to Tua Sin (Middle part) of the tube skirt.
2. Tua Sin (Middle part) – It is in between Ew Sin and Teen Sin. Any pattern and any weaving technique, such as Chok, Pan Kai, full-length weaving, can be created on Tua Sin. Finally, Tua Sin part is stitched to Ew Sin and Teen sin.
3. Teen Sin (Bottom part) – Woven with Chok weaving technique, Teen Sin definitely supports the entire fabric to be outstandingly elegant from its specially woven in full-length and from its combination of ancient patterns. There are 2 types of Teen sin:

Main motif - The most massive motif in the middle of Teen Chok fabric, namely Teen sin. It is in floral pattern and in Khang Dok pattern alternately along the horizontal length of Teen Chok fabric. Each Teen Chok fabric is called by its 2 main motifs:
- Main motif in Floral pattern
Muang Long Chok fabric in floral pattern holds 12 ancient patterns: Nok Khu Kin Nam Ruam Ton pattern, Sampao Loinam pattern, Nok Yang Ngao pattern ( Nok Song Krajok), Kha Moddang pattern, Kha Kampoong pattern, Kor Lai pattern, Mah Nad pattern ( pineapple), Chan Pad Kleeb pattern, Dok Chan pattern, Kor Dao pattern, Kor Pakkood pattern, and Dok Kor pattern.

- Main motif in continuous main pattern
Muang Long Chok fabric in continuous pattern holds 7 ancient patterns: Bai Pakwan pattern, Mang Ponglen pattern, Khom and Chornoi Tungchai pattern, Kor Namku pattern, Chan Pad Kleeb pattern, Krue Kabmuak pattern, Kongkeng Chonnok pattern, and Poom Doknok Kin Nam Ruam Ton pattern.

- Supplementary motif – The tiny and supporting motif to elaborate the perfection of Teen Chok fabric. The various 6 supplementary motifs are categorized as follow :

• Supplementary motif in the plant concept.
• Supplementary motif in the animal concept.
• Supplementary motif in the geometric shapes concept.
• Supplementary motif in the applied shapes concept.
• Supplementary motif in the animal and the geometric shapes concept.
• Supplementary motif in the animal and the applied shapes concept.

These 6 categories of supplementary motifs vary in abundant patterns as the new patterns are continuously created such as Kabmak pattern, Hang Sapao Tonson pattern, Soiprao pattern, Medmanglak pattern, Bua Kwam pattern, Bua Ngai pattern, Dok Pikulchan pattern, Hang Sapao Nok pattern, Nok Koom pattern, Ka Moddang pattern, Tom Krue pattern, Hang Sapao Doktom pattern, Funpla pattern, Kor Liew pattern, Krue Kor pattern, Mali Luay pattern, Tao Mai Luay pattern, and butterfly pattern, etc.

Each part of Pha Sin is sewn with one of the traditional sewing methods. Previously, all sewing was manually done. Sewing was therefore the ancient certificate of female skill, representing useful and sophisticate fabric knowledge inherited from the ancestors. It also identified the social class by the material used in weaving such as silk yarns, silver and gold threads. All three parts of sarong are sewn together in a circle, which are titled differently.

• Two parts of Ew Sin - That is to sew white and red fabric together, is called ‘Yeb Kiew’
• Tua Sin and red fabric Ew Sin - ‘Yeb Chong Ew Kob’
• Tua Sin and Teen Sin – ‘Son Hang Len’ (Takuad)
• Side parts of Tua Sin or Stitching – ‘Dook Pha’

With its distinctive identity, special weaving technique firmly inherited, up-to-date management, cultural value dissemination, these elements elevate Krun Pranom Thapang to be the trendsetter of the ancient Chiangsan Chok weaving of Long city. He has invented the ‘Yok Kao’ Chok weaving technique, which helps shorten 5 times of weaving duration. He is also the main collector of the long 200-year ancient Chiangsan Chok fabrics while he continues to create and educate the new workpiece to a wide circle of the next generation until Pha Chok Muang Long is well recognized among other weavers. The stable career is established in the community. And he is honored as the National Master Artisan in 2011. The House of National Artist – Pranom Thapang is also the center of knowledge and local wisdom about Pha Chok Muang Long and natural fabric dyeing demonstration, with a high determination to transcend knowledge and inherited history of Tai-Yaun ethnic culture to the next generations.

Reference :

• Institute for the Promotion of Thai Arts and Crafts (Public Organization). 2022. The descendants of craftsmen, arts and crafts teacher, National craftsmen master of the year 20116. Bangkok.
• Public library. Flip PDF online. Phrae Provincial Cultural Office. “Teen Chok Sarong, Long District”. www.anyflip.com. Accessed July 2023, 21. https://anyflip.com/nlfbr/chlk/basic/
• Pranom Thapang, Interview by We View Go Co., Ltd. 2023. (31 May).

• We will Go Co., Ltd.
• Knowledge Promotion and Dissemination Department Office, Handicraft Value Promotion Institute, Promotion of Thai Arts and Crafts (Public Organization)