Thai silk is produced from the cocoons of thai silkworms. Thai weavers, mainly from the Khorat Plateau in the northeast region of Thailand, raise the caterpillars on a steady diet of mulberry leaves. Khorat is the center of the silk industry in Thailand and a steady supplier of rose Thai silk for many generations.
Today, Thai silk is considered to be one of the finest fabrics in the world, a product of a unique manufacturing process and bearing unique patterns and colors.
After silk originated in ancient China where the practice of weaving silk began around 2,640 BCE, Chinese merchants spread the use of silk to different regions throughout Asia through trade. Some historical accounts indicate that archaeologists found the first fibers of Thai silk to be over 3,000 years old in the ruins of Baan Chiang, Thailand, the site is considered by many to be Southeast Asia's oldest civilization.
Since traditional Thai silk is hand woven, each silk fabric is unique and cannot be duplicated through commercial means. In contrast, artificial silk is machine woven, which means that every part of the fabric is identical and has the same color.
In addition, Thai silk has a unique luster, with a sheen that has two unique blends: one color for the warp and another for the weft. Color changes as you hold the Thai silk fabric at varying angles against light.
Moreover, Thai silk smells like hair when burned, a testament to the natural fiber that comes from the silk worm, which is similar to the fiber of human hair and fingernails. If you move the flame, Thai silk immediately stops burning. On the other hand, artificial silk smells like plastic when burned.
In terms of price, Thai silk is usually 10 times more expensive than artificial silk.
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