In Sankamphaeng at that time, women wove cotton cloth for their own use, using locally grown cotton, but they did not sell it... Chiang had the idea that the cloth could be improved and sold. He consulted older Chinese merchants in Chiang Mai, some of whom knew about silk production from China, and about local dyeing methods.... Chiang started to buy the Sankamphaeng cotton cloth for sale, and the business developed rapidly.... The Chinese Ho who came to Sankamphaeng market brought lengths of Chinese silk from Yunnan. The women weavers were not interested in copying the Chinese silk... but Chiang and Saeng decided to buy silk yarn from the Ho, install looms in their house, and hire skilled weavers. .... Chiang had silk samples of many different types sent from Bangkok to imitate.... He bought and dyed silk yarn from Isan, and traveled to Kengtung to buy Burmese silk.... The business was successful. They invested the profits in buying land. (Prani 1980, 199-203)