“Wild Mango” Bowl

Mr Anuthep Wongwieng

When Mr. Anuthep Wongwieng was 17 he was treated for Leprosy at Mekken Hospital in Chiang Mai. While he was being treated he was being trained how to carve wooden products in order to use this skill to earn money.  After he got well he left the hospital and worked as a woodcarver in Lamphun Province.  At first he carved only small animals, using teak wood as his main raw material. When teak wood became a preservation wood in Thailand he began to use monkey wood to produce his products instead. He started to sell his products in the Night Bazar 30 years ago, it was his success. He sold very well at that time and he had to make a lot of products to be kept up his stock for his customers to select and to place orders. During the economic crisis he had too much product in stock and it became a problem for him. He sold the products less and less, and then had to sell all of his products at a cheap price.

The members of this woodcarving group are people who live nearby and have been working with the group for a long time. They get paid either daily wage or monthly depending on the skill of each person. The member also receives social security and health care. Besides these benefits, the members will always be encouraged to participate in various special trainings that are organised by many organisations.

Most of his products are cutting boards, hot pot stands, salad bowls, decorative bowls and trays that are made from monkey wood, mango wood, rubber wood.