Abstract
For more than 40 years since Her Majesty Queen Sirikit been invested with the full rank and title of the Queen Consort of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej ; Her Majesty, apart from numerous functions, has worked with untiring efforts for the welfare of the nation. One of Her Majesty’s outstanding activites is to accompany His Majesty the King on innumerable visits paid to their people in all parts of the Kingdom.
Their Majesties the King and Queen’s benevolence towards Thai people, especially the poor in rural areas, has deeply formed special bonds between Their Majesties and their subjects. Their great endeavour to alleviate poverty in remote areas has come right from their hearts, not just a part of their royal obligations. Kingness and concern can always perceived in a way Their Majesties gently converse with local populace. His Majesty the King fully realizes that helping the poor by means of giving them the necessities of life is just an act of charity which is not a way to solve economic and social problems in a long term. Therefore, His Majesty has resolutely devoted himself to improve the quality of life in rural areas where most people earn their livings as farmers. While His Majesty the King sets his heart on development of soil and water resources which are of vital importance to agriculture, Her Majesty the Queen has made every effort to find a way to help families of poor farmers whose means of subsistence usually depend solely on agricultural produce. Their fundamental problems, ranging from malnutrition, want of medical supplies and care to lack of opportunity for higher education, all arise from their poverty.
Through Her Majesty’s keen observation combined with her artistic sense; the Queen, on her several visits upcountry, was surprised to see natives of the Northeast wearing clothes woven of beautiful silk with a variety of colours and patterns. Her Majesty later learned that northeastern villagers still wove this unique and exquisite silk known as Mudmee by hand for their everyday clothing. Her Majesty the Queen was very enchanted by their expertise in creating diversity of patterns and colours of the silk in perfect harmony by means of tying silk thread with strings for part of the yarn which was to remain undyed and then dyeing and tying for several times. Her Majesty the Queen greatly admired their ingenuity and craftmanship out of which a supplementary occupation programme, a silk-weaving project was graciously initiated by Her Majesty as a supplementary occupation for low incomed farmers and their families in the Northeast.
Her Majesty’s silk project was considered a pilot scheme and proved a success. With Her Majesty’s encouragement, supervision and promotion, the silk projects under Her Majesty’s patronage spread throughout the Northeast. Those who participated in the programmed did their best to create what was considered traditional arts and crafts from local material. Their gorgeous Mudmee silk not only provided them with additional income but also enhanced artistic value of the Thai nation.
