Thai Puppet Museum

Thai Puppet Museum

Every decorative detail is studied at length before moving on to sewing.

A worker moulding the head of a puppet.

The exhibition area displays Thai as well as foreign puppet collections.

Puppets are decorated like characters in the epic Ramayana they imitate.

Given his love for Thai art, Niwet Waevsamana has turned part of his house into a museum that exhibits his hand-made puppets, together with a demonstration of how they are made, and he welcomes the public to come and view his creations.

Called "Baan Tookkatoon Hoonkrabok Thai", the museum is located in Soi Vibhavadi 60 in Laksi district of Bangkok, not far from Don Muang Airport.

"People close to me when I was still a child predicted that I would become an artist when I grew up," said Niwet, now 37. Even as a child he liked drawing characters from the epic Ramayana with an eye on details.

While still a student, he did many part-time jobs such as playing Thai and Western music, working as a ticket boy at Thailand Cultural Centre and playing handyman at movie production houses, which all helped add to his skills as a connoisseur of art.

Graduating from the Faculty of Decorative Arts, Silpakorn University, he worked as art director at an advertising agency. Seven years later he was looking for new inspiration. When his company announced layoffs in the wake of the economic crisis in 1997, he decided to start something on his own.

"I took a walk with my friend to Naraiphand souvenir shop just to kill time, but when I saw Thai puppets on display there and I was attracted to them," he said.

He found them expensive. It was then he thought about making puppets on a mass scale to make their prices more affordable.

Ambitious and confidant, he drafted a marketing plan. But he needed a product. "None of the makers of those puppets were willing to work for me. They wouldn't even teach me how to make a puppet. I was quite upset. It made me wonder how could Thai art survive if nobody was willing to share their knowledge with others," he said.

Angry, he set out to create his own puppets. He visited museums, libraries, surfed the Internet and bought books on the subject. After three months of trail and error, he came up with his first specimen, chao ngao or Sakai, the aboriginal inhabitant of Southeast Asia. After some market research he opened a web site with support from friends and posted his puppets there. It fetched him a few orders, which led to to another problem.

"I got orders for 50-60 specimen so I needed more hands," he said. He started teaching people living near his house how to make puppet dress, sew beads and crystals on silk using golden threads. He also asked his friends to help with the art work.

To ensure accuracy, he called on Khru Chuen Sakulkaew, the national puppetry artist. "Khru Chuen told me my puppet was beautiful, but quite small and a bit difficult to use for performances," he said.

Proud of his work, he asked Khru Cheun to teach him the delicate movements of Thai puppets.

A decade in the business, Niwet has created more than 100 designs of puppets based on characters in the Ramayana, such as the white monkey, and other figures prominent in Thailand's literary circle. The puppets come in varying sizes measuring five to 23 inches, with prices starting at 2,800 baht.

The first and second floors of his wooden house serve as showroom for his puppets and there is a corner where puppets from around the world - France, Indonesia, China, Burma, Nepal and Russia - are displayed.

Niwet welcomes visitors. He and his friends will even be glad to put up a puppet performance for them. He also has materials for visitors, especially students if they want to learn puppet making.

As a cultural ambassador appointed by the Ministry of Culture, Niwet has presented Thai puppet shows both in Thailand and overseas.

"I am happy if I can make others smile. Some people might view my profession as just another way of making a living, but I know my work can also help preserve Thai art," he noted.

Making the face of female puppets is most difficult part of the job.	Niwet holds aloft one of his favourite creations from his collection.

MORE INFO

Thai Puppet Museum ( http://www.tookkatoon.com , tel: 02-579-8101) in Soi Vibhavadi 60 in Laksi district, Bangkok, opens weekdays from 9am to 5pm. Admission is free but advance booking is required. Bangkok Post.