Prae Wa Silk Festival in Kalasin

Kalasin, a province in the northeast of Thailand, is now not the most famous province. Sandwiched between 6 other provinces, it is a predominantly agricultural area with approximately 1 million inhabitants. Glutinous rice, cassava and sugar cane are the most important agricultural products and – like the surrounding provinces – Kalasin is one of the poorest parts of Thailand.

Nevertheless, Kalasin has something to offer for the traveling tourist. It is a hilly province with several national parks, which are worth visiting for spectacular waterfalls, beautiful flowers and plants and a modest range of wildlife. Many dinosaur fossils have also been found in Kalasin.

Once a year, however, the spotlight is on this province during the  Prae Wa Silk Festival, that this year of February 26 to March 7 is being held. The center of this festival is the fairly luxurious Rim Pao Hotel, but also the city of Kalasin pays attention to the largest cultural festival in the province. The festival opens with a grand ceremony, followed by a spectacular parade.

Prae Wa silk - the queen of silk - with intricate and colorful patterns is the specialty of Kalasin. The fabric, “Lai Lak” with traditional patterns and “Lai Theap” with a striped pattern, is mainly woven by descendants of Phu Thai settlers who once migrated from Vietnam.

The most important part of the Festival is of course a fair, where numerous stands offer their products such as silk fabric and silk clothing. During this holiday, there are plenty of activities to further promote the silk, such as a window display competition for silk-themed shops, a competition for the most beautiful garment in Prae Wa silk and a dance competition for couples in silk clothing.

A great opportunity to include this province in your itinerary and get to know another piece of unknown Thailand.