Thai silk you've seen? The wonderful thing. This is exactly what will be constantly reminded of Thailand, and will last for years. Very high-quality silk sock, durable fabric. And some of it obtained shirts, robes, scarves. It is a miracle ... 

          Thai silk comes from China - in the sense that for the first time this fabric began to spin it in China about 4700 years ago. Then, and China, then no more was not. But people have learned how to grow the larvae of the silkworm and unwinding the thread from their cocoons. Later, thousands of years later, silk came to China around the country - in Thailand and India. 

   Specialists share oriental silk (and there are several other varieties) into three types. The most expensive and quality is a Japanese silk. He is the most subtle, most refined. Tissue, literally glows. The same quality is Chinese silk. This fabric is very smooth to the touch, tender, and it has a satiny sheen. Indian silk is the least valuable - he looks a little crumpled, but extremely soft to the touch. Thai silk occupies an intermediate position between the Chinese and Indian. In the tissues of the Thai production is a clear structure. On one side of Thai silk fabric is coarser than silk Chinese. On the other - Thai fabrics look more elegant than Indian. But in general, so well-versed in the silks, you must be at least a little expert in this area. Cheat unsuspecting tourists easily - sometimes imitation of artificial tissues, especially with the addition of natural silk, it looks spectacular than real silk. All is not gold that glitters. 

In Thailand, silk spun in different regions of the country, but mainly in the north - near the cities of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai (where there are large silk factories). Silk is very popular in these places, although it is a cloth for the rich, and therefore in great demand not use it. But this applies only to the domestic market. Travel Thai silk coveted acquisition. We are also talking about clothes of high quality, natural and very healthy tissue. By the way - the constant use of silk bed linen prolongs youth. And it's not rumors or beliefs, as set by medical fact. Like that clothing made from silk enhances the quality of life, as it enhances feelings of human, makes our daily lives more comfortable. Silk sharpens sensitivity and perception of life. In short - it's cloth.

 
Where to buy? Where silk is sold - from markets, ending the Eastern fashion boutiques. Guarantee that the fabric will be very natural, not allow anyone. Therefore, the forgery can run up and in a respectable shop and at the evening market ... For some reason we have decided that the surest option is a specialized silk shop. The choice is huge. Can not be that among the dozens of kinds of fabrics and garments that are sold here, there is room fraud. Or fake everything, or ... nothing. Logical? We took a chance. And today, a year after the acquisition can tell - we bought an all-natural silk fabric. 

Where we found this shop? Please - Pattaya, very beginning of the Second ROAD (Second Street), when viewed from south to north (ie from Jomtien). A number of shops on the right side of the street ... Yes, there is only a few silk shops. One just selling fakes - because the product is very cheap and kind of a "pop". In another store of Indian goods (and trader in the Indian sari). We have this store too bypassed. "Our" shop located in the middle (if memory serves). 

Initially, there was no trust him. Went smoothly from nothing to do - to view the indifferent gaze of Indian goods in the shop ... But something was still hooked. What is it? It is hard to say ... Have you ever seen a heavy, almost oily sheen of precious gold? That shine at which accurately allocate the real thing among cheap jewelry crafts? This is what happened here. Natural silk exuded warmth. He mysteriously gleaming in the dull light. And the touch was cool and unusually mild - although the fabric was quite thick. 

Thick shades of carmine fabric and raging gold details. Gold ornaments scattered on a red background. And it was all ... beautiful. Not so bright to be seen as kitsch. But not dull, not to hold the attention.

 
We began asking prices. How to understand that we are not dealing with a fake? We were lucky - my companion in the school years've grown larvae of silkworm cocoons and then hand over to the factory. She knew she should look like natural silk fabric. 
The first thing that you should pay attention - to shine. Silk has a unique luster. Shimmer in the light fibers so that you can not accurately determine what color they are. The fabric can be scarlet, and the fibers at the same sparkle as the threads of some unknown precious material. Rayon always pours a white glow.

 
The second - the natural tissue is not always perfect. A close examination easily detected by a thickening, tiny nodules, bumps. Silk thread - it is a living thread protein of natural origin. Rayon always perfectly smooth. His foundation - the thread of polyester. Hand-woven rayon do not, it is always factory production. 

Another criterion - price. Natural silk can not be cheap. When the initial value of women's robe (short, small size) of 900 baht, we make a deal thing for 700, but bought just three coat on an adult woman and a silk suit on a 3-year old child. Battle for the discount was serious. In the next shop, where forgery traded, we would have got rid of baht to 200, and sometimes less. 
Well, if the auction is delayed, but doubts still overwhelmed, you can ask the seller a thread of the tissue from which the gown is stitched. Natural silk to flame lighters lit, as virgin wool - with the same characteristic odor, leaving the ash. Artificial thread in combustion emits black smoke - such as plastic... 

Having bought one whole set of silk garments, we went to this shop all the time - just to chat with the sly, which instantly sets us apart from the crowd of farang. And now, looking at these gowns, we are reminded Tai, cheer Pattaya and this pretty woman, whose name we did not remember.