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Baan Baht - The village of making bowls in Bangkok

55 Soi Ban Bat, Khwaeng Ban Bat, Khet Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10100, Thailand

"Baan Baht is the last surviving artisan village in Bangkok that still craft by hand the bronze bowls that Buddhist monks across Thailand carry with them when they go on their morning alms round. making these bowls since the late 18th century. Today, only a few households survive this craft."

Thailand is a country where 90% of the population is Buddhist, and in Thailand, monks from all over the country often go for alms in the early morning. They walked in long lines through the streets with bowls in hand and returned when the bowl was full of food donated by the people. This symbolic daily act represents the close relationship between monastics and lay people. People want to create merit in order to wish to be blessed. There was a time when all the bowls that Thai monks used for their daily alms were made by hand. In the Rattanakosin period of Thai history, King Rama I helped establish 3 villages to produce bowls for monks. Today, Baan Baht is the only place among the original 3 villages that still produce alms bowls. Most of the bowls used today are mass-produced in factories, but the craftsmen of Baan Baht village still make them by hand to shape and the bowls here are still fresh. Loved by the unique feature that nowhere else can be found.

To make a bowl, each artisan in the village can take a whole day. First, the steel rim of the bowl is shaped into a circle on a wooden block. The two steel strips are welded together in a cross shape before being attached to the rim to form the frame. The cross represents the four main directions.

In Buddhist folklore, there is a guardian for each of the four main points (east, west, south, north). After the Buddha's enlightenment, each guard offered him a bowl of alms. The Buddha could not favor one protector over another, so he combined four bowls into one bowl. The cross forming the base of the bowls made at Baan Baht symbolizes the four legendary guardian deities.

Once the frame is complete, the gaps are then filled with individual pieces of steel, all of which are welded to the existing frame with molten copper wire. The steel bowl is then forged into its finished shape before being polished and treated with a protective lacquer.

Baan Baht Craft Village in Bangkok is a very interesting place to visit, especially for those who love to learn Thai culture. Here you will be greeted warmly, see the process of making bowls and hear interesting stories about the history of Buddhism.

Opening hours: The working time of the village is usually from 08:00 - 17:00 daily

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