Triangle Cushions - Thai Handicrafts

Triangle Cushions or triangular backrests are among the best known Thai Handicrafts products.

Aesthetically pleasing and practical as well, these Thai Triangle Cushions which are called Mawn Kwan or Mawn Sahm Liem, have become popular outside Thailand and can now be purchased in many of the World’s largest Department Stores. In rural Thailand these Thai Handicrafts are especially useful as many Thai people prefer to sit on a mat spread out on the floor rather than sit on a sofa or armchair. Many restaurants, including the famous Khantoke Restaurants of Northern Thailand, also have a similar seating arrangement and the triangle cushions help to support the customers while they are eating.

The material used to cover Triangle Cushions is woven using Thai traditional designs and the cushions are filled with a mixture of kapok and dried twisted rice stalks which add strength to the cushions.

About 20kms from Yasothon in Issan, North Eastern Thailand is a village called Baan Sri Than. As Yasothon is rather better known for being the birthplace of Thailand’s most loved and respected comic, Petchtai Wongkamlao (Mum), and the home of a famous Rocket Festival, we were surprised to hear that this Thai Handicrafts village is one of the largest “manufacturers” and suppliers of Thai Triangle Cushions as well as many other shaped cushions. Nearly everyone in this village is involved with making these cushions, and as you walk through the village you can watch both young and old working on some aspect of their manufacture. The Triangle Cushions are all handmade here using skills passed down through generations.
Most of what this village produces is taken to Bangkok before export but there is a small shop in the village where you can purchase some of these cushions.