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Painting :

Classical Thai painting was confined to temple and palace interiors and book illustrations. Mural painting was developed to a high degree in the belief that walls should enhance the beauty of the religious and royal objects they surrounded.

Traditional Thai painting was typically Asian. Figures sizes depending on their importance. Space was neutral rather than atmospheric and no shadows. 

Figure were landscapes, two dimensional and were merely sketchily-treated backdrops for detailed action. A technique of pictorial composition called "apportioning areas" was used, comparable to the "bird's eye view" of Western painting. By this method, the positions of the key scenes were assigned first and then closed off with "space transformers" that effectively isolated them from considerations of perceptive by doing away with any surrounding intermediate or middle ground. 

Traditional Thai painter had 5 primary pigments, the close equivalents of scarlet lake, ultramarine blue, pipe-clay white, yellow ochre, and pot-black. Painter could produce as many other colors. All were tempera colors, finely ground powders that were stirred into bowls containing a glue binder, using sticks to work it to the desired strength and consistency. With these colors the traditional artists created uniquely beautiful compositions in the form of temple murals, cloth banners, and manuscript illustrations. 

The earliest surviving murals are painted by earth colors made from natural pigments. They depicted excerpts from the Jataka stories, episodes from the Buddha's life, rows of gods, scenes of contemporary Thai life etc. The murals in Bangkok's Wat Suthat and Thon Buri's Wat Suwannaram are particularly good examples. 

Painting technique continued into the Bangkok period. Colors became richer thanks to pigments imported from China. Around the middle of the 19th century, artists began using chemical pigments and Western perspective. Spatial values were eschewed for atmospheric effects, and opulent gold leaf and bold primary colours radically altered the delicate harmony of the old subdued earth colours.

Thai painters with distinguished works generally reach scholarly professional level of artistic skill. Some of them have been recognized and awarded with the status of the "National Artist" including for example, Fua Hariphitak, Chalerm Nakeeraksa, Sanit Dispandha and Tawee Nanthakwang.

Besides, Thai painters, though trained in the traditional style, have been influenced by Western style and technique. However, some have been able to integrate the various styles and thus created their own expression of art. 

Chakrapan Posayakrit, while best known for his portraits is also a painter of scenes and characters based on literature which manage to convey a flavour that is at once modern and traditional. Another internationally contemporary artist is Tawan Dachanee, who has experimented extensively with his medium.

Sculture :

Thai sculptors of the past concentrated almost on Buddha images, producing works that rank among the world's greatest expressions of Buddhist art.  Their greatest achievements were during the Sukhothai period, when the smoothness and sheen of cast metals perfectly matched the graceful elongated simplicity of the basic form.

To emphasize the spiritual qualities of Buddhism, thai sculptors eschewed anatomical details such as muscles and bone structure, realizing that these would only distract from the enigmatic serenity that was their goal.

Thai sculpture received a boost in 1933 when an Italian sculptor, Corado Feroci founded the Fine Arts School which in 1943 became Silpakorn University. Having first arrived in Thailand in 1924 to work with the Royal Fine Arts Department on the creation of monumental sculptures. Feroci is today remembered as the father of modern art in Thailand. He became a Thai citizen in 1944, changing his name to Silpa Bhirasri, and served as Dean of the Painting and Sculpture Faculty until his death in 1962.

Many of his students have been awarded with the "National Artist" status. These include, Paitoon Muangsoomboon, Chit Rianpracha and Pimarn Moolpramook whose works have appeared in various places such as at the Benjasiri Gardens in Bangkok. Another artist who well-known among the Thais and abroad is Misiem Yip-in-tsoi. She took up painting first, and then sculpture. She achieved great success in the latter field. Examples of her works, much of which depict children, can be seen in many private collections as well as in a sculpture garden she established in Nakhon Pathom near Bangkok. Many modern Thai sculptors have experimented with the artistic possibilities of new methods borrowed from industrial technology to create works both simple and incredibly complex in meaning and effect. Others have taken objects out of their ordinary environment and turned them into arresting works of art. In one exhibition at the art gallery of the National Museum, buffalo horns and hides, rice sacks, dried rice stalks, sickles and other implements were used to create the essence of being on a farm. 

Pottery :

Handsome pots dating back more than 5,000 years have been found at Ban Chiang in northeastern Thailand, and the art of shaping and firing clay has continued to the present day. Simple earthenware vessels are still used for cooking and storage, while more sophisticated glazed pottery is also being produced by methods introduced from China 700 years ago. Almost every region of the country has its own traditional pottery.

The North, for example, makes fine low-fired pots and water jugs, lightly glazed with terra cotta and oil to make them capable of holding liquids; by northern custom, one of these pots is placed outside most temples and private homes so that thirsty strangers homes so that thirsty strangers can stop and refresh themselves. Dark brown pottery in a wide variety of shapes, from flower pots to fanciful animals, is produced at kilns near the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima and Ratchaburi, west of Bangkok, is noted for its beautifully decorated water storage jars, yellowish-green in colour and adorned with dragons and swirling floral motifs.
According to tradition, the art of making delicate, blue-green celadon began at the end of the 13th century, when King Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai brought 300 Chinese potters to his kingdom. Within a short time, the high-fired throughout Southeast Asia, all the way to the Philippines and Indonesia.The celadon industry declined with Sukhothai but has been revived in recent years in the northern city of Chiang Mai. The technique is still the same as in ancient times, using a clear glaze made from feldspar, limestone, ash, and small amount of red clay. The wood used for firing the kilns comes from a small jungle tree that grows north of Chiang Mai, the ash of which is supposed to help impart the typical celadon colour. Several companies are now making the stoneware, which is becoming a noted Thai export once again.

Weaving :

The gorgeously irridescent, nubby Thai silk may have originated in northeastern Thailand, where cloth weaving is a traditional folk craft. Rearing their own silkworms and spinning and dyeing the yarn, northeast village women use primitive hand looms to produce shimmering bolts of cloth for sale in faraway markets.

Though it prospered in early Bangkok, the silk industry went into a long decline starting in the latter part of the 19th century when cheaper, factory-produced fabrics from China and Japan began to flood the market. An attempt to improve production was made during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, when Japanese experts were brought in and a Department of Sericulture was established, but the effort enjoyed limited success. A few years after World War II, an American named Jim Thompson revived the industry and made the silk known to international markets. There are number of silk companies today, many of them in or around Bangkok, but the Northeast is still the main centre of production; near the northeastern town of Pak Thong Chai, the company Jim Thompson founded has built the largest hand-weaving facility in the world. Besides plain and printed silks of various weights, a number of special weaves have become celebrated. One of these is called mudmee, a kind of ikat which is a specialty of the Northeast. Thanks to the encouragement of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, mudmee is now in wide use. Another sought-after silk is richly brocaded with gold and silver thread in traditional Thai patterns. This requires the most time and skill to make and is therefore the most expensive, used mainly on such ceremonial occasions as weddings.Thai silk is today the best known of all the country's handicrafts, found not only in countless local shops but also throughout the world. It is exported worldwide in plain lengths, plaids, brocades, stripes, prints, and checks and is supported by a massive manufacturing and sales infrastructure, a far cry from its bumble origins.Supple handwoven Thai cotton is also popular. Made in a variety of weights for both clothing and home furnishings, it is being exported in increasing quantities.Fine embroidery is one of the traditional crafts of the northern hilltribes, with the Hmong and Yao people being particularly skilled at creating splendid, boldly-coloured geometric designs. In long strips, these are used to edge a skirt or jacket, in squares to enhance a vest or shoulder bag, in larger pieces to make a handsome quilt. Her Majesty Queen Sirikit has long been and admirer of tribal embroidery and has helped to promote the craft, particularly on homespun cloths such as cotton and local hemp that produces a fabric resembling linen, among fashionable ladies in Bangkok and in other countries as well.

Nielloware :

The art of khruang thom, as the thais call nielloware, is believed to have come to the country during the Ayutthaya period. The precise origin is uncertain; some scholars say it came from China, while others give Persia as the source.

In any case, it became a major craft in southern Thailand, particularly in Nakhon Si Thammarat, and is still practiced there.Fine nielloware is usually made of pure silver, sometimes later plated with gold. The metal is bought by the craftsmen in thin sheets, from which the desired shaped is cut and welded into a crude, three-dimensional form. After the design-has been engraved-usually traditional, such as Thai flame or an intricate floral motif-an oxidizing solution is applied to the parts in high relief, turning them a permanent blue-black. The piece is then filed to remove all the rough edges and given a final polishing. Nielloware objects have been made in almost every conceivable shape, from elaborate coffee and tea sets to fittings for handbags and buttons. It is one of Thailand's most distinctive and beautiful crafts. 

Silverware :

Though silverware is made in several parts of Thailand, the most famous centre is Chiang Mai, where it has been a prominent local handicraft for at least a thousand years.

In ancient times, it was concentrated in a village called Wua Lai, just outside the city wall; the village has long been absorbed by the modern city but the area where it stood is still noted for its silver. Northern silversmiths have applied their skills to a great variety of objects, from goblets to swords, but their most common products have been ceremonial bowls and boxes of assorted sizes. These are usually adorned with elaborate decorations, either figures or traditional Thai motifs. 

Lacquerware :

The art of making lacquer originally came to Thailand from China, probably by way of Burma-now Myanmar, but over the centuries distinctively Thai designs and techniques were evolved. It became a notable handicraft in the northern province of Chiang Mai and is still made there in a number of households. Lacquerware begins with finely-woven bamboo basketry or well-seasoned wood which has been carved or shaped on a lathe into the desired shape.

To this is first applied a basic coating material called samuk, consisting of the ashes of burnt rice-paddy husks or ground clay mixed with rak, or black lacquer, obtained from a tree which grows in the northern hills. When dry, this is polished with soap-stone and then another coating is applied. This process is repeated again and again for up to fifteen times, building up a rigid base of durable lacquer. At the end, a final polishing is given with a sandpaper-like leaf called bai-nod.The object is then ready for several coats of pure black lacquer, from three to six coatings. The final layer is polished with water and powdered fired clay, giving it a glistening shine.A design is then applied by either the method called lai kud or the one called lai rot nam. If the object is to be in colour, lai kud is used, while lai rot nam is for objects with gold designs. At the end of the process the colour or gold stands out against a background of glossy black.The use of mother of pearl to adorn objects has a long history in Thailand. Stucco pieces embedded with bits of shell have been found at monuments dating back to Dvaravati period (6th to 11th centuries A.D.), and same form of the art may have existed even before along the coastal region. But these early efforts were crude compared with the magnificent works achieved by techniques perfected in the late Ayutthaya and early Bangkok periods, when temple doors and windows, manuscript boxes, alms bowls, and numerous other items were splendidly decorated by the painstaking process the Thais call khruang muk. The craft continues to thrive today in the production of exquisitely detailed furniture, mirror frames, boxes, and trays that are the pride of many owners both in Thailand and abroad.The Thai mother-of-pearl inlay technique involves the patient cutting of the luminescent muk fai, or flame snail, indigenous to the Gulf of Thailand. The outer surface of this shell is removed with a special knife and the pearly inner shell is cut into fairly flat pieces, each about two and a half centimetres long. Sanded flat, they are glued to wooden surfaces to form patterns or scenes and the area in between filled with lacquer. 

Drama :

In the purely classical form, Thai drama and dance are indivisible. The khon masked drama is derived from Indian temple rituals and dancing and draws its story line from the Ramakian, the the Thai version of the Indian epic Ramayana.

During the Ayutthaya period, the khon was acted by accomplished male court retainers playing both male and female roles because until the 19th century the movements were thought too strenuous for women to perform. By the mid 1800's both men and women were appearing on stage together.Khon performances are characterized by vigorous, highly-formalized action. Acting and dancing are inseparable, each step having a definite meaning which is emphasized by precisely defined music to suggest walking, marching, laughing, etc. Because some actors and actresses are masked and cannot speak, narrative verses are usually recited and sung by a chorus that sits with the accompanying woodwind, gong, and drum ensemble. The leading male and female perfumeries do not wear masks and on some occasions they may speak.The ornate papier mache masks, decorated with gold, lacquer, and paste jewels, are works of art and perfectly portray the protagonists' personalities. Costumes are made of rich brocades adorned with sparkling costume jewellery and closely resemble the apparel of royalty and celestial beings in classical Thai mural paintings. Major characters are readily identifiable by the predominant colours of their costumes. Phra Ram, the hero, wears deep green, while his brother, Phra Lak, wears gold and the monkey-god Hanuman wears white. Khon productions were originally so long-more than 20 hours-that performances were staged on two consecutive days. Indeed, a performance of the entire Ramakian (with 311 characters) would take more than one month (720 hours plus) of continuous performance. King Rama II's shorter version of the epic is used for dramatic purposes and contemporary adaptations of certain episodes are as short as three hours.Lakhon dance drama is less formal and actors, with the exceptions of monkeys, ogres, and other non-human, non-celestial beings, do not wear masks. Lakhon plots are drawn mainly from the Ramakian, the Jatakas, and folk stories, Khon and Lakhon costumes are identical, but Lakhon dance movements are more graceful, sensual, and fluid, the upper torso and hands being particularly expressive with conventionalized movements portraying specific emotions.

Lakhon is subdivided into numerous variations, the major three being Lakhon Chatri, Lakhon Nok, and Lakhon Nai. Simplest of all in form and presentation,. Lakhon Chatri is often seen at popular shrines, such as Bangkok's Lak Muang (City Pillar) where dancers are hired by supplicants whose wishes have been granted to perform for the shrine deity. Lakhon Nai drama was originally presented only by court ladies in the palace. It was graceful, romantic, and highly stylized. Lakhon Nok plays, on the other hand, were performed outside the palace and acted only by men. Filled with lively music, off-colour humour, and rapid, animated movements, Lakhon Nok was the ancestor of the enormously popular Li-ke folk theater which is still a feature of many provincial festivals. Li-ke, a burlesque of Lakhon containing elements of pantomime, comic folk opera, and social satire, is generally performed against a simply painted backdrop during temple fairs. Its court-derived stories are embellished with local references and anecdotes, and spontaneous dialogue is freighted with outrageous puns and double entendres. Two neglected dramatic forms are Nang Yai shadow play and hun marionettes, both regular forms of entertainment in Ayutthaya. In Nang Yai, intricately fashioned cowhide figures, some two metres stall, are held against a brilliant backlit white screen. Bearers of the figures dance their parts, the movements of which were later to provide the pattern for Khon and Lakhon.The Nang Talung, a more popular shadow play found mainly in the south of Thailand, closely resembles the Indonesian Wayang. Beautifully fashioned Nang Talung figures are smaller than their Nang Yai counterparts and are often constructed to have one moveable part-an arm, a leg, or a chin. Concealed from audiences, the manipulators are skilled singers and comedians whose repartee keeps the actions bubbling.Hun marionettes, seldom seen today, are superbly crafted figures which differ from European marionettes in that they are manipulated from concealed threads pulled from below rather than above. A more popular version is Hun Krabok (literally "cylindrical model") which are similar to Punch and Judy style hand puppets.

Architecture :

Admitting Indian, Khmer, and other external influences, Thai Buddhist architects developed their own distinctive styles of soaring multitiered rooftops and towering spires straining toward the sky.  Harmoniously combining two apparently paradoxical elements, flamboyancy and serenity, the style perfectly mirrors the Thai soul. Although most early Thai buildings were made of wood and have long since disappeared, taking with them the architectural principals according to which they were built, a developmental history of Thai architecture can still be traced through surviving stone temples.

Early Sukhothai monuments were strongly Khmer-influenced. In the Khmer manner, sandstone was used to form door parts, lintels, and rectangular windows. Around the 12th century, brick replaced sandstone as the favoured mortar, bound with vegetable glue, and then sheathed in carved stone. Later, architects used stucco, a sand, lime, and glue mixture strengthened by a terra cotta armature, to cover the brick walls. In the heavily forested north, wood was employed in temple construction and craftsmen attained great skill in carving decorative elements.Chinese influence can also be seen in ornamental decoration, particularly the use of porcelain fragments in various colours and adornments that afford the finest Thai architecture its harmonious, polychromatic effect. This art reached its highest expression during the first half of the 19th century. 

Incorporating so many colours and materials, the complex is near psychedelic yet unified mixture of multitiered ochre, blue, orange, and green tiled roofs, towering fanged dragons staring at a golden Ayutthaya-style chedi, marble prangs, priceless mother-of-pearl inlaid doors, bronze lions, gilt Garudas, Chinese statuary, and tiny tinkling bronze wind bells suspended from scarlet and gold lacquered eaves and is, above all, the Thai ideal of a skillfully-arranged complex imparting reverence and serenity.Bangkok's Wat Benchamabophit (the Marble Temple) is renowned as the most impressive example of modern Thai Buddhist architecture. Built in 1899 by King Chulalongkorn, the temple is constructed of white Italian marble and surmounted by multitiered orange tiled roofs. In addition to religious structures, a distinctive Thai style of domestic architecture also evolved, employing prefabricated panels hung on a framework of stout pillars and using wooden pegs instead of nails for joining. Various forms developed in different regions of the country, perhaps the best known being the central plains style with is steep roofs, decoratively carved bargeboards, and slightly inward-leaning walls that give it a memorable sense of elegant grace. Traditional Thai architecture declined around 1900 when buildings were increasingly in European styles. Old-style craftsmen and builders who worked on temples, palaces, and traditional homes found that prevailing tastes required them to master Western techniques and construction of classic buildings almost ceased, especially in the capital. From the late 1940's European influence grew rapidly and local architects enthusiastically embraced the concepts of such Western pioneers as Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies Van Der Rohe.Like other forms of art in the early 1990's, Thai architecture has been revolutionized by new industrial materials and by the example of the pure functionalism of machines. Modern Thai architects seem to be guided by Western principles of structure, plan, and functionalism, so that their works resemble those to be seen in any large city of the world, reflecting not only individual taste but also such matters as zoning regulations, ecology, and energy consumption. 

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