Soi Pracha Rat 24
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Soi Pracha Rat 24 in the Bang Sue district of Bangkok is a street well known for wood furniture, decor and handicraft. The soi is home of the Pracha Narumid community that has produced carpenters, wood carvers and wood craftsmen renowned for their handicraft.
Traditional kalae for northern houses
The area is a living example of a local trade that grew over the generations into a community and has continued as a community.
The shops that line this carpenters' soi sell a comprehensive range of wood products and handicraft:
- wood furniture items like beds, dining tables, coffee tables, sideboards, book cases and chairs;
- home décor and fittings, doors, door frames and panels, door knobs, window frames, wall panels, flooring, cornices, skirt boards, banisters, flooring;
- and decorative pieces, engravings, letter boxes, statues, screens, wood sculptures and walking sticks.
Please see the latest update on the on the Carpenters’ Street
Watch the craftsmen at work as they chip away on elaborate motifs on wood panels or carve ornate wood sculptures, providing a demonstration of exquisite Thai wood handicraft. The soi is a must for lovers of wood furniture, decor and handicraft.
Home decor - Thai wood collectables
Every year since 1999, a street fair is held in late February or early March in Soi Pracha Rat 24. Art lovers and collectors gather to view the woodcarvings, handicraft and furniture produced by these carpenters and wood craftsmen.
The street is closed to traffic as shopkeepers display their wares along the street. Sculpture demonstrations, song and dance displays create the festive atmosphere while visitors view the wood handicraft on sale at discounts.
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Y! MyWebFurther in the soi, wholesale merchants deal in timber, wood panels and wood flooring, a useful source of supply for those planning to build a new home.
Wholesale timber
Soi Pracha Rat 24 is a Bangkok community that grew up around the wood craftsmen trade and has survived the pressures of the modern economy and urbanization.
Traditional skills have been preserved within the community to strengthen the local economy and keep the community with its distinctive character alive.
Update on Soi Pracha Rat 24 - 24 September 2011
The first time I visited this place was in 2005/2006. So I thought it would good to take another look and see how things are now. I got a pleasant surprise!
The construction of the Purple Line is in progress with the support pillars constructed along Krung Thep –Nonthaburi Road. So visitors will be able to take a skytrain here in future.
The nature of some of the shops in the soi has also changed. Modern shops have sprung up along street. These new furniture shops have departed from the traditional all wood furniture with natural stains.
New shops
What’s more, the new shops are now housed in spanking new buildings.
New face of Carpenters’ Street
However the traditional woodcraftsmen shops are still around. 
The old shops
So are the timber wholesalers. 
The old timber merchants
Then there are those shops that try to blend new décor with traditional craft.
The old and new, note the wooden bath tub to the right
How much longer can the old exist with the new? Or can we expect to see a completely new face to Soi Pracha Rat 24 in years to come?
To get there, please see map to Soi Pracha Rat 24 and for other Bangkok Communities.
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