Charm of Kaab Bua, the signature woven fabric of Ubon Ratchathani

Weaving is a cultural inheritance passed down from generation to generation for the people of the Isan region of Thailand. An old saying, “In their free time from working in rice fields, women weave while men make basketry” is a true reflection of the culture of Thailand’s largest region. Women of Ubon Ratchathani use their free time to weave cloth for use in the household. As time goes by, they have developed their own fabric with unique patterns and colors.

It is a pity that the art of weaving gradually disappeared as lifestyles changed in the modern era. Traditional patterns were few and far between because finding someone who knew how to weave an original pattern proved difficult. The same was true for the practice of weaving in Ubon Ratchathani province. However, there was an initiative to recreate Kaab Bua textiles in the year 2000; an effort that brought together original characteristics of many types of Ubon Ratchathani’s local fabrics such as Sin Tiew, Mub Mai, Mudmee, Khit or Chok. The inventor of the Kaab Bua cloth was none other than Master Artisan Meechai Taesujariya, a 2021 National Artist in the discipline of Visual Arts (Textiles). Meechai is an Ubon Ratchathani native and the founder of Ban Khampun and Khampun Museum.

Nowadays the practice of weaving Kaab Bua cloth has become much more popular. The cloth has become one of the most famous products of Ubon Ratchathani province and is available as woven fabric or Kaab Bua clothing and various textile products.

The uniqueness of the Kaab Bua cloth

Kaab Bua cloth is that it can be woven from cotton or silk. It is special because the fiber’s structural quality is a straight-lined yarn consisting of at least two colors. Once these fibers are woven, a striped pattern or streak is created and called the Sin Tiew pattern. The techniques used in weaving weft yearn comprised of three types – it starts with the art of tying of yarns to form a pattern before the dyeing process called ‘Mudmee’, followed by ‘Mub Mai’ which is the spinning of two colors of silk together called the Hangkrarok method. Last but not least is ‘Khit’ which uses the rhythmic picking thread or silk to create a pattern. Incorporating large weft or embossed threads when weaving creates patterns shaped like lotus petals. Kaab Bua cloth is regarded as the cloth of Ubon Ratchathani and is a national cultural heritage.

Admiring the weaving culture

The Khampun Museum was established to preserve the cultural heritage of weaving. Inside the museum are ancient weaving tools displayed to showcase the traditional lifestyle of Ban Khampun. There is a café which serves food, drinks and delicious desserts every day from 9am till 5pm. If you wish to buy Kaab Bua cloth and other types of woven fabrics, please visit the Khampun shop, 15 minutes from Khampun Museum.

Khampun Museum: 131 Moo 9 Sisaket Road, Warin Chamrap district, Ubon Ratchathani province
Khampun Shop: 124 Phadaeng Road, Mueang district, Ubon Ratchathani province
Facebook: Khampun Museum

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