Suphan Buri Thai Traditional Arts Training Center

It is located on Malai Maen road in Tambon Rua Yai. Standing next to Suphan Buri stadium, the center is across from Suphan Buri College of physical education. The Department of Arts is in charge of the center. It opens daily from 09.00-17.00. The policy is to train students to be experts in ten Thai traditional crafts in order to support and preserve the precious arts and cultural heritage. Ten crafts are drawing, sculpting, carving, engraving, moulding, turning, modelling, lacquering, metal beating and plastering. Nowadays, the number of ten crafts crew is declining because recent generations pay more attention to jobs in foreign companies than working in traditional arts career. Despite the fact that ten crafts crew earn respects. Suphan Buri Thai Traditional Arts Training Center is one of a few remaining centers in Thailand.First, drawing training session include painting with ground color powder mixed with glue binder, covering painting with gold leaf and painting with Thai-style pattern called Kam Ma Lo. Next, sculpting involves usages of clay. Clay preparation, essential equipment and sculpting procedures are being taught here. Plastering is closely related to this type of crafts only differences in material. There’s also a lesson on Rak Samuk sculpting. Rak Samuk is a material made from the mixture of Samuk, black lacquer, wood, oil and lime neutralized by turmeric. Third, lacquering class teaches how to make lacquer ware with Rak, obtained from a tree known as Melanorrboea usitzata and Samuk, glass mosaic decorating and Mother-of-Pearl inlay making. For craving, there are fruit and vegetable carving, solid object craving, stamp craving and mold craving. On the other hand, engraver works with wood, leather and paper. Moulding class trains student to be able to shape metal and gold into forms obtaining from mold. Then in turning arts class, metal will be made to utilitarian and decoration. Modeling training session teaches how to make many kinds of that traditional figure and puppets with various local materials. Last but not least, metal beating training work with metal both plain and patterns decorated.