The making of dolls of one kind or another is a handicraft in just about every country, and this is true of Thailand as well. Not all of them are intended for the amusement of children, however; on the contrary, many can be looked upon as exquisite works of art and are valued as such.

This artistic quality is evident in the charming " palace dolls," so called because in ancient times the ladies of the royal palace were noted for their skill at painting these tiny figures made of fired clay. Just about every aspect of Thai culture is reflected in the little dolls, from cooking to boxing, and each detail is meticulously rendered in miniature. As in the case of a number of other crafts, the making of palace dolls suffered a decline in the present century.

In recent years, however, it has undergone a successful revival under the auspices of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit's SUPPORT programme. Numerous households now make them in the central province of Ang Thong, where high-quality clay is abundant, and collecting them has once more become popular.

Less traditional but also popular with collectors are handmade dolls in native costumes ranging from those of the Thai classical dance to those of the northern hill tribe people. Thisis a comparatively new handicraft, having been started only around 30 years ago in Bangkok, but it has become so familiar to Thais as well as tourists that to many it seems a part of the national culture. Many haours of painstaking work are required to produce one of these beautifully garbed figures, to stuff and sew the cloth body and to apply the often intricate details to the costumes, which are exact replicas of the real thing. These dolls originated with Khunying Tongkorn Chandavimol, who became familiar iwth the process during a stay in Japan, and for years they were made only in her Bangkok home; now other companies produce them as well, to meet the growing demand.