ASEAN leaders and their spouses, attending the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, will each be presented with a special souvenir from the Thai government, a silver lei (garland) crafted by top artisans from the Support for Arts and Crafts International Centre of Thailand (SACICT).
SACICT director Mrs. Ampawan Pichalai said that the silver lei were inspired by those presented to monks to denote respect. They are widely used on auspicious occasions and for welcoming guests to convey the beauty of local wisdom and craftsmanship.
Mrs. Ampawan also said that the silver lei relates to the ASEAN symbol as the arrangement of tiny silver flowers reflects the cooperation and unity of ASEAN.
Ms. Narumol Tornjai, an artisan and teacher at SACICT, said she was proud that the souvenir, which was her creation, is to be presented to ASEAN leaders and their spouses.
Each of the silver lei was completely hand-made, starting with melting silver in a furnace at over 1,000 degrees Celsius, then carefully crafting every petal to form the shape of tiny roses, jasmine and dok rak. Finally, they are brought together in the form of a garland by the craftsmen in Tat Phanom district of Thailand’s northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom.
