Woodcarving

Most of this comes from the craft centres of Chiang Mai, and again, Thai skills show through in a great variety of items that can be both novel and creative or entirely traditional. Buddha images are one of the standards, but you can find figurines of all kinds and many other off-beat things for home decoration. Thailand makes some great teak furniture, though only a little is available in Phuket.

Hae Ra Elephant Wood Carving Studio
Located on Chao Fa Road between Phuket Town and Chalong, is a red brick building that draws you in with its quiet sense of creativity. It's the Hae - Ra Elephant Wood Carving Studio. The director of the workshop, Jakaphan Chaiyajit is a young man whose father was Jaroon Chaiyajit, the Master Carver for the palace of His Majesty King Bhumibol's mother. He sits working quietly on the floor with an apprentice carver. Their carving tools are arrayed neatly before them and the fragrance of fresh wood shavings compete with the fumes from the busy road just outside the shop. They are carving elephants, small ones, about 15 - 20 cm in size, from teak. It is all that is carved at the shop.