Chanthaburi Province's famous reed mats, known locally as "Suea Chanthaboon", are known for their uniqueness in durability, fine craftsmanship and decorative appearance.
The reed used to weave the mats is called "kok" reed, which grows in brackish water, making soft yet more durable than reeds grown in other environments.
Every mat takes time and skill to produce, and begins by slicing the reed and stripping the jute to be split into smaller strips of desired sizes. To prevent fungus from developing, they are placed in the sun to be dried. They are then dyed, sun-dried once more, and then spun into sizes suitable for plaiting.
Jute strips were originally spun by hand but, today, the villagers use a machine developed for spinning jute. Not only floor mats, but many other products are plaited, such as place mats that have become quite popular; bags of various shapes; bed mats and slippers. These products are sometime crafted from either reed or jute and sometimes a combination of both.