Udon Thani Uncovered

Isan Museum of Textiles

⭐⭐Worth a visit if you are nearby

Isan Museum of Textiles

พิพิธภัณฑ์ผ้าอีสาน
Even visitors with little prior interest in textiles may find this museum fascinating, as it offers insight into Isan identity, colour, craftsmanship, and everyday rural life.

Why Go?

Beautiful collection of textiles
Set in their historic and cultural context
A unique and world class museum

Even if you do not normally seek out textile museums, this is an engaging place to understand Isan culture through colour, pattern, craftsmanship and everyday life. Traditional weaving in Northeast Thailand is closely tied to village identity, family history and women’s skills, making the museum about much more than cloth alone.

Part of the new Fabric and Textile Creative Design Center (FTCDC) at Udon Thani Rajabhat University, this mueum is an important resource for designers, academics, and historians. But its also a really beautiful plave to visit. Set in a spectacular new building on the city centre campus, the museum includes exhibits on the history and cultre of Isan textiles.

The textiles are made of silk and cotton and each pattern is unique to a particular location or cultural group. If this sounds rather dry, the textiles are beautifully displayed in a very modern series of galleries.

I particularly enjoyed the recreation of a silk weaver’s home. The whole process can take place there, including boiling the cocoons, spinning the silk, dyeing, and weaving. There’s no waste: the cooked cocoons are eaten as a delicacy.

An adjacent gallery shows examples of Isan textiles being used in fashion garments. The on site shop has a small selection of really beautful souvenirs including hand bags, clothese, and lengths of textile.

Unfortunately not all of the signs have English translations. On the plus side you will almostcertainly be the only people there!