Chula Supports Push for Thai Pha Khao Ma as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage with a Pattern Database 

The Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Promotion, Ministry of Culture, is promoting the “Pha Khao Ma and the Thai Way of Life”, which is a national cultural heritage, to the UNESCO stage by accelerating the systematic creation of a database of Thai Pha Khao Ma patterns from all sectors for the benefit of preserving the national cultural heritage and promoting the creation of Pa Khao Ma identity patterns by organizations and communities, including the utilization of the database for further development in the community enterprise and marketing sectors to increase the economic value of Pha Khao Ma and the sustainable expansion of the community economy. 

When mentioning “Pha Khao Ma”, many probably think of checkered fabrics in various colors meant for various uses, from clothing, bathing cloths, scarves, head wraps, hammocks, floor mops, tablecloths, blankets, etc. It would not be wrong to say that Pha Khao Ma is a multipurpose cloth. Pha Khao Ma has been associated with the Thai way of life for a long time. It is a cultural heritage that is simple but has many uses. The charm of Pha Khao Ma still appeals to the new generation who use Pha Khao Ma to design products and contemporary clothing. 

The future of the Pha Khao Ma can still go very far to the world stage, with the Ministry of Culture proposing to register the “Pha Khao Ma” as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity with UNESCO, with the Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University, joining in supporting the collection and creation of a database of Pha Khao Ma cloth patterns in Thailand in an orderly manner on the  website. 

“Registering the fabric does not only mean that the Pha Khao Ma is ours alone because we do recognize that it is a regional heritage. We have focused on the Pha Khao Ma as a versatile part of the Thai way of life for a long time. Furthermore, Thai Pha Khao Ma also has its own identity in terms of form, pattern, dyeing technique, and weaving, which reflect the people and communities in each region of Thailand. They constitute the intellectual heritage of the Thai people,” Associate Professor Ritirong Jiwakanon, Director of the Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University, described the creation of a database to register Thai Pha Khao Ma at UNESCO. 

“For us, helping the Ministry of Culture on a project such as this is a way for us to preserve cultural wisdom on the world stage, which is a way to protect culture and ensure that cultural wisdom will not be lost.” 

The Thai Pha Khao Ma database safeguards the wisdom of the Thai way of life 

There are many ways to protect wisdom, said Assoc. Prof. Ritirong, be it teaching, publicizing, information dissemination, research, conservation, and even gathering and creating a database. 

“To keep the cultural wisdom part of the Thai way of life, we must make that wisdom move and develop continuously. Creating a database of Thai pa khao ma patterns is something that will make the wisdom heritage fluid because the database is not something static, but can change and be enriched. In addition to the original patterns, there will be new patterns added to the database all the time. The ever-changing information will be a sign that the cultural wisdom of Pha Khao Ma still exists in society and that people still show an interest in it.” 

The website welcomes communities to enter information on local Pha Khao Ma in February 2025. In addition to cultural protection, Assoc. Prof. Ritirong added the three goals of creating the database: 

1. Promote the value of Thai Pha Khao Ma as a cultural heritage 
2. Continue and develop cultural heritage into creative innovation 
3. Create cooperation between the public and private sectors to promote the community economy to continue the cultural heritage. 

Pha Khao Ma, a Zero Waste multipurpose cloth  

Although the cloth is something that Thai people know well and use daily, if asked to explain or give a definition, origin, and identity of Pha Khao Ma, many people may not be confident in their answer. 

Assoc. Prof. Ritirong explained the definition and characteristics of Pha Khao Ma saying that “Pha Khao Ma is a rectangular cloth of 60-80 centimeters by 120-160 centimeters. Size is important for Pha Khao Ma because if it is smaller or larger than this, it will be difficult to use. Pha Khao Ma can be found in both cotton and silk, woven using basic techniques, but has bright colors from the grid pattern, and both ends of the cloth have stripe patterns.” 

The villagers dye and weave the cloth themselves in their homes through knowledge passed down from their ancestors. As for the usage, it depends on the lifestyle and identity of each community. For example, on formal occasions, villagers will use Pha Khao Ma as a body wrap or use it as a belt, including using it as alms for monks. In the home, Pha Khao Ma is used as a tablecloth, curtain, pillowcase, baby carrier, cradle, or even as a diaper for newborns. 

Pha Khao Ma is also used in life-transition ceremonies and healing rituals. It is also used as a gift to show welcome and as a gift in wedding ceremonies. In addition, it serves as a form of worship of ancestors and deities related to agriculture in various traditions, including funerals. “Originally, they were made from leftover materials. As villagers were already weaving cloth, and when there were leftover threads, they would use them to weave into Pha Khao Ma. Anyone who is learning to weave must first learn how to weave Pha Khao Ma because it is a simple weaving method. They certainly serve the Thai way of life, from being a piece of cloth to being transformed into rags. It is a valuable use of resources, in line with the current Zero Waste concept,” said Assoc. Prof. Ritirong. 

The Thai Pha Khao Ma Database  

According to Assoc. Prof. Ritirong, the Thai Studies Institute has compiled a digital database of Thai Pha Khao Ma patterns, currently on the website.  There are templates for various topics with a focus on patterns, the background (stories) of the patterns, the designers, colors and patterns of the fabric, etc. 

“Patterns invented by villagers may be newly created names, or sometimes villagers use the name of the community as the name of the fabric pattern. Other details about the fabric, such as colors used in the pattern, type of grid, grid width, and whether natural or chemical colors are used. If it is natural colors, it must state where the natural colors come from. If it uses chemical colors, it must have a color number according to international standards and a list of contacts of the community owner,” Assoc. Prof. Ritirong elaborated on the details of the database. 

Assoc. Prof. Ritirong explained that there are three methods of data collection methods: 

1. Method one is when personnel from the Thai Studies Institute collect data in communities that make Pha Khao Ma. 
2. Method two is when data is gathered from both the public and private sectors. Data from the public sector, such as the Community Development Department of the Ministry of Interior, and the private sector, such as the Pracharat Rak Samakki Group, a community enterprise that holds a fabric contest every year. (Both private and public agencies already collect Pha Khao Ma data, but they are not stored in our system or are stored for other purposes. The Thai Studies Institute will ask for permission to collect it and organize it systematically. If there is incomplete data, we will fill it in the system and fill it in completely.) 
3. Method three is when data is collected by the pattern owners themselves. 

“We will allow communities to enter their data into the system by themselves. We will provide training to the communities. “To enable registration and input of one’s own information,” said Assoc. Prof. Ritirong.  The Thai Studies Institute will allow communities to participate in data collection on Thai-style Pha Khao Ma from February 2025 onwards. 

The Pha Khao Ma database, a platform connecting producers and buyers 

Assoc. Prof. Ritirong said that once the pattern database is complete, all agencies, both public and private, can use the data to benefit the study of Thai Pha Khao Ma patterns, community development, and marketing. 

“Making a database such as this is not about registering a pattern copyright. It does not mean that other people cannot use this pattern. Our database will indicate which community wove this pattern to connect the wisdom of the community with the public and private sectors.” 

In terms of marketing, Assoc. Prof. Ritirong talked about using the database to promote marketing to the community, saying, “Villagers who weave fabrics are skilled in production, but not in marketing. The database will act as a medium to connect buyers to producers. For example, if a hotel wants Pha Khao Ma as premium products with their signature patterns, they can enter the database, choose the pattern they like, and contact the community that produced the pattern.” 

For example, the Thai Studies Institute, Chulalongkorn University, has designed and produced its very own “Thai Studies” Pha Khao Ma to demonstrate the use of the Thai lifestyle Pha Khao Ma database. 

Assoc. Prof. Ritirong said that the “Thai Studies” Pha Khao Ma are pink and purple. It was derived from the analysis of the identity of Chulalongkorn University’s Thai Studies Institute and then commissioned the Ban Sang Hin community in Phanna Nikhom District, Sakon Nakhon Province to weave. The distinctive feature of this striped cloth is its uneven checkerboard pattern, which is different from the general clothes that have a uniform checkerboard pattern. 

“The Thai Studies Pha Khao Ma is an example that reflects that we can develop and create our own unique patterns. If any organization wants a pattern that is unique to them, the Thai Studies Institute can design a new one and send the design to the Pha Khao Ma weaving community to create work for them.” 

Weaving sustainable community economies 

In addition to being an area to reflect the cultural richness of Thailand, the database of Thai Pha Khao Ma is also a good opportunity to promote the community economy. However, Assoc. Prof. Ritirong urges entrepreneurs and those interested to prioritize using “large pieces of fabric” rather than those that are adapted into small pieces. 

He reasoned that taking one Pha Khao Ma (each piece is 60-80 cm wide by 120-160 cm long) to produce other products requires cutting the cloth, resulting in leftover remnants, which creates waste. In addition, in terms of economy, if one Pha Khao Ma is cut into a cloth bag, it may yield 3 bags, and the income will go to the bag seller, while the villagers only earn income from weaving one piece. 

“The villagers weave and sell fabrics, not making bags or other products to sell. If we buy a bag with a Pha Khao Ma pattern, the income will go to the person who created the product rather than the villager who weaves it.” Assoc. Prof. Ritirong explained. 

“The reason we support the use of Pha Khao Ma is to maximize the income of the villagers. If we use more Pha Khao Ma as is, the villagers will be able to sell more Pha Khao Ma, which will generate income and economic sustainability for the community. 

The aim is not only to promote the community economy, but the income that circulates in the community will help preserve and develop the cultural heritage, which will ensure the future of Pha Khao Ma as part of the Thai way of life. 

At night, they use Pha Khao Ma to sleep. At dawn, they bathe and use Pha Khao Ma to dry themselves. At noon, they tie the sarongs around their waists to go into the garden. In the afternoon, they arrange to spread out their cloth to set up their food. In the evening, they sit on the veranda and sweep with their Pha Khao Ma. Later at night, they use Pha Khao Ma to sleep on before another day ends – images of the Thai people’s attachment to this multi-purpose cloth will continue to be seen and experienced. 

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