I believe all of us have come across a “Thai Mat” at certain points in our lives. Since Thailand is a country where heat is a constant companion, these native materials have long been part of every Thai household due to their cooling properties. The more common something is, the harder it is for it to be perceived as a high-valued household item, especially when trying to enter the high-end consumer market, or find a home in a luxury resort.
Meet The Talented Isan Woman Who Elevated the Thai Mat While Giving Back to her Community
Kun Ung-Ing, a talented woman with a background in arts, culture, and beauty, hails from from the Isan region. She related her experience of creating Thorr, which sprung from a personal journey to return to her roots through the art of cloth mat weaving:
“The starting point of building a brand begins with recognizing that Thai mats— which are a traditional household item used for sitting on the floor— are beautiful but lack distinction. What if “Thai mats” were not just mats but adapted into other forms such as household items or bags?“
Ung-Ing (whose full name is Thanaporn Kingsuwann), did everything she could to make Thorr stand out and become a household name. One of her tactics in this regard was elevating the Thai Mat so it could enter the luxury sector. She saw the problem of Thai handicrafts tending to be a bit too conventional and lacking in creativity. Her innovative approach and vibrant, contemporary designs helped her stand out in a crowd of conventional cloth mat options. She not only had the determination and effort needed to make Thorr successful, but also used her experience and expertise in design and marketing to create a successful and popular brand consumers could connect with.
Furthermore, she created opportunities for villagers in neighboring communities in the northeastern region of Thailand by promoting increased income through job creation while empowering young Isan women to have a sense of identity and pride. This development encompasses emotional and economic aspects within the community.
In the end, she added more value to the local handicraft industry than ever before and provided job opportunities for people in the community so they could grow and develop sustainably. This blend of business and social development can be seen in every aspect of her life and business.
Constant Production and Operation Problems Can have a Silver Lining
Ing noticed that there was a lack of diverse and unique cloth mats in each area. Therefore, she decided to research and study cloth weaving techniques from PVC pipes, which was a piece of wisdom gleaned from the villagers. Then she understood that the diversity of yarns and patterns of cloth mats is not determined by the culture of each area but by the producers.
Ing recognized the main problem: cloth mats were limited to just being used for sitting. Therefore, she saw the need for new ideas about color and design, quality tools, stable production, and appropriate distribution channels to make cloth mats useful and marketable to new generations as well as people who want high-quality products. Over the course of her career, she has worked as a Designer, Creative, Art Director, and Salesperson. Currently, she serves as a Product Manager assigned to develop and oversee new markets. This involves pioneering, pushing, and creating new demand in the market. Although she graduated in design, she has knowledge and experience in both fields, which she uses to develop community goods internationally.
Ing understands that having problems is important when it comes to development and improvement. She sees problems in marketing, production, and farming, and she is confident that she can solve these problems. Her insight allowed her to understand the importance of marketing and selling products, knowing that good or beautiful products alone cannot sell. They need the magic of marketing, and she believes that there must be passionate and experienced marketers to help sell products.
(Photo: Khun Ing with her talented team.)
Creating Stories for Ordinary Objects
While ordinary people may simply see cloth mats as items for covering oneself, Ing sees cloth mats as something more than just the material they’re made from— she also sees them as tools she can use to show off techniques and tell stories that can help her sell them as high-end household products.
After Thorr developed its products, received initial interest from consumers, and became significantly well-known in Thailand, the brand reached a major turning point when it debuted at renowned fairs in Thailand such as 2018’s Maison & Objet, where designers and fashion industry insiders admired and acknowledged the success and quality of Thorr’s work.
In addition to developing and coordinating with the Thorr brand, Ing also opened the THORR Cafe in the Hua Taphan District of Amnat Charoen Province, to showcase her beautifully decorated prototype shop. This is an opportunity for locals to admire and learn about her work, as well as serve as a sales outlet connecting people with souvenirs from Thailand. It’s a gathering place for local wisdom and beauty, and she hopes THORR Cafe will take its place among the most popular thailand tourist attractions in the near future. In addition, the Thorr brand has been publicly recognized by the Thai government through the Ministry of Commerce.
The lowest-priced Thorr products start at 89 baht, including coin purses, rectangular bags, and coasters, all of which make inexpensive and memorable souvenirs from Thailand. (At time of this article’s writing, 1 USD was trading at a rate of 36.86 THB.)
The most expensive product from the Thorr brand is the stunning and intricately-woven “Puzzle” wall art pictured below. It is priced at 52,500 THB:
For those of you based in Thailand, the Thorr brand has stores in the following locations:
JJ Plaza Zone B, Iconsiam 4th Floor, Banyan Tree Phuket Hotel, Ging Grai Hotel Chiang Mai, and THORR Cafe in Hua Taphan District, Amnat Charoen Province. If you’re not in Thailand, you can naturally check them out online at https://thorrliving.com/.
Don’t forget to follow the brand on Instagram to see more of their beautifully crafted products!
