Chiang Mai, in the far north of Thailand, is the center of Thailand's famous handicrafts industry. It is the main reason we based our "Lanna Charm" business here, everything we would ever want for our shop and website is at hand.
For someone like me, who is very much involved in the industry, it is paradise on Earth.
Our Lanna Charm website was originally set up as a retail outlet for handcrafted handbags, shoulder bags, scarves and home decor soft furnishings.
But in the last couple of years we branched out into wholesale mango wood and bamboo products, hand painted lacquerware and hand carved soap flowers.

The soap flower carving industry is believed to have begun in the Chiang Rai region, with the beautiful creations being sold in the Night Market. It did not take long before the craft was taken up by carvers in Chiang Mai, and now there are many outlets in the markets and on the streets.

Soap flower carving is a bit like weaving silk and cotton ; the basic principles are the same for each weaver or carver, but every craftsperson injects their own style and personality into their creation.

The soap flowers are so realistic that bees and butterflies have been known to land on them. Some people add a drop or two of scented oil to their flowers to enhance the aroma of the scented soap.

 Chiang Mai is also a good place to source marble products, such as vases, bowls and garden water features. And nearby Lampang is a treasure trove of wood carvings and beautiful ceramic products. 

As far as handicraft villages are concerned, the Chiang Mai district is well stocked.

The most famous are probably Hang Dong and Ban Thawai villages which are about 15 km south west of Chiang Mai on highway 108. Both villages abound with wood carving outlets, including teak and mango wood, as well as furniture, antiques and home decor products of every description.

*Information about the Hang Dong and Ban Thawai villages.*

Another pair of villages well known for their handicrafts are Bo Sang and San Kamphaeng, which are situated about 9 km east of Chiang Mai city. Bo Sang is probably the umbrella capital of Thailand, in fact one of the Thai words for umbrella is bo sang. Both villages have plenty of saa paper product outlets, displaying lamps, umbrellas and parasols. The area is also a treasure trove of handwoven silk and cotton fabrics and products.

San Kamphaeng's hot springs are also worth a visit, a great place to spend an afternoon soaking your feet in the soothing hot water.

*Information about the Bo Sang and San Kamphaeng district.*

After living in Chiang Rai for about 3 years I finally made it to the White Temple, or the Chapel of Wat Rong Khun.

This amazing structure is about 20km south of Chiang Rai, visible from the highway, and well worth the drive. Parking is available and admission is free.

The White Temple was designed by local Chiang Rai artist Mr. Chaloemchai Khositphiphat, famous for his artwork both in Thailand and abroad.

The entire complex includes nine buildings, each one making it’s own statement, and building began in 1977. Work is expected to take 50-60 years.

To discover more about this wonderful site, and it’s creator, please visit Mr. Chalermchai Khositpipat’s website

If you ever find yourself in Chiang Rai, visiting the White Temple is a “must do”.

Following are some images of the White Temple :

Make sure you actually go inside the temple and check out the mural on the end (front) wall inside. It is quite different to anything I have ever seen inside a temple. Very hard to explain what it is like.

We recently added bamboo ornamental rice containers to our range of handcrafted home decor products. They were traditionally used to store sticky rice, a staple food for Thai people.

These beautiful and versatile containers are created by hand weaving strips of bamboo into the basic shape of the finished product, which is then “plastered” with a blend of teak sawdust and resin, sanded, and finally hand painted. ( The lids are made in the same manner. )

They are surprisingly light considering how sturdy their construction. The lids simply push on, and are held in place by knotting the carry cord.

Our bamboo rice containers are available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors and designs, and look great around the home or office. The designs include traditional Buddha images, floral motifs, banana leaf and lotus leaf styles, and the beautiful “Lanna” language scripts.

Sizes range from the tiny ones you see on dining room tables, used as toothpick holders etc, to the large “urn” shapes which can reach six feet in height.

Their many uses include storage vessels for such things as coffee, tea, sugar, salt etc, or just about anything you can think of. Becoming very popular in restaurants as both condiment holders or simply as decor.

Of the many varied bamboo products on the market today, these very useful “rice containers” are my favorite.

The bamboo rice containers displayed on our website are sold on a retail basis, but if you would like a wholesale price please contact us at sales@lannacharm.com for more details. We offer up to 50% discount on orders of 10 items or more !

We also have a range of bamboo candle holders !

We recently added some beautiful mango wood products, vases, bangles and candle holders, to our ever growing
range of home decor accessories.

Mango wood vases are my personal favorite, there seems to be an unlimited range of sizes, styles, shapes, designs and colors on show.

Simply beautiful.

We thought visitors may like an insight into the production of these amazing works of art. They begin as a log brought in from the mango plantations, are rough shaped on a very basic lathe, then are kiln dried and finally turned into the amazing creations that the north of Thailand is famous for.

The carving of patterns, painting, sanding and staining is all done by hand. They really are handcrafted works of art.

The products listed on our website are for the retail buyer, but everything we sell is also available to the wholesale buyer, with attractive prices offered for orders of 10 or more items. Please feel free to contact us for details regarding wholesale prices and shipping rates for larger orders.

Following are some of the photos I took while touring one of the many mango wood products “factories” to be found in the Chiang Mai area, as well as some examples of the finished products.






























The finished product !

If you would like to browse through our range of mango wood vases and candle holders please visit our Mango Wood Products collection.