Queen Suthida showcased Thai textile and handicraft traditions upon arriving in Hanoi for the royal couple’s state visit to Vietnam, wearing a dark-grey mudmee silk dress and carrying a handwoven yan lipao bag made by an artisan from Narathiwat.
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Suthida arrived in Hanoi on September 14 for a three-day state visit marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Vietnam. The visit runs until September 16.
For her arrival, the Queen wore a long-sleeved dress made from dark-grey mudmee silk featuring a rice-grain pattern.
Mudmee is a traditional Thai form of ikat weaving, in which sections of yarn are tied before dyeing so that patterns emerge when the threads are woven into fabric. The technique is particularly associated with northeastern Thailand and is widely used in silk textiles.
The fitted upper section of the Queen’s dress continued into a flared outer skirt, with a side opening revealing a straight inner skirt made from floral-printed silk.
Floral patterns in grey and navy appeared across the lower section of the outer skirt and continued into the inner layer, while light-grey and black bead embroidery was added over parts of the design.
Her accessories included flower-petal brooches, sapphire and diamond earrings and a compact dark-brown yan lipao handbag.
Yan lipao is a traditional southern Thai basketry craft made from a thin but durable climbing vine from the fern family. The vine is processed into fine strips and tightly woven into baskets, boxes and handbags, with the craft particularly associated with southern provinces including Nakhon Si Thammarat and Narathiwat.
The rectangular bag carried by Queen Suthida featured rounded corners, a tulip-shaped handle and green sapphires in cabochon and faceted cuts.
It was made by Abdulroning Waji, an artisan with the SUPPORT Foundation Yan Lipao group in Narathiwat province. He is among craftspeople working to preserve the traditional weaving technique while adapting it for contemporary designs.
Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, helped revive yan lipao weaving in Narathiwat through the SUPPORT programme, which promoted training and provided opportunities for local artisans as the traditional craft declined in popularity.
The Hanoi appearance continued a pattern of Queen Suthida incorporating Thai textiles and locally produced handicrafts into overseas royal engagements.
During the royal couple’s state visit to France in June, she also carried a yan lipao handbag made by a Narathiwat SUPPORT artisan, again placing southern Thai craftsmanship alongside formal royal dress.
The Vietnam trip is the first state visit to the country by Thailand’s King and Queen since diplomatic relations were established in 1976. The visit is intended to mark five decades of ties and strengthen cooperation between Thailand and Vietnam.
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