Women's Batik and Tie Dye Group in Kuwan-O

As a member of Ao Luk's Community Based Tourism Network, the small village of Kuwan-O has been busily developing their community's ability to attract visitors. Although they've been hosting boat tours for a few years now, they have only recently developed a women's group dedicated to create batik and tie dyed fabrics made locally into sarongs, skirts, scarves, shirts, bags etc. The group began in December 2009 and since then they have been turning out their own unique designs to sell at their village workshop and at local markets.

The women make their own natural dyes using local leaves and bark.

They put the materials (here some leaves locally found) in water, over a fire for at least a day.

Fabrics go into the natural dyes. Some of them are first covered with wax designs to create batik designs or tied off with wood bits and rubber bands to create tie dye patterns.


The dyed and dried fabrics are then dried and made into different items for sale. The styles are unique and many have designs of local cave paintings found only near this village.

Women's Batik and Tie Dye Group in Kuwan-O