Chaweng Loecharoensuk, the creator, owner and maker of Chaweng Ancient Ships, is originally from Yara Province in southern Thailand. Of Chinese decent, he has studied art in Bangkok and taken a long and interesting path before finding his true calling as the creator of some of the most meticulously crafted ancient ship models in the world today.

As a young man, determined to escape the hard life of a rubber tapper in Yara province, Chaweng set out to own and run a construction business in Bangkok. Unluckily for him, but a blessing for those of us who enjoy his beautiful ancient ship models, the economic crisis of 1997 forced him to abandon the construction business and turn to his true calling as an artisan specializing in model ship constructions of famous ships of bygone eras.

Off the beaten path, in the countryside of Nakhon Pathom Province two hours from Bangkok, Mr. Pongluk Suwanmalee carries on the tradition and art of Celadon. Originally from Chiang Mai, Pongluk has been fascinated with the creating of Celadon pottery since his childhood and learned the technical as well as the artistic components of Celadon making from the local artisans in his community.

In 1992 Pongluk set up his own shop in the tiny village of Bannua and has been promoting the traditions and craftsmanship of Celadon making ever since. Today, he actively promotes his craft by training local villagers in the timeless traditions of Celadon, a pottery making art form that traces its origins to ancient China.

Using his extraordinary artistic talents and creativity, Mr. Suwanmalee’s small factory has been turning out a wide variety of dishes, tea sets, vases of all sizes and descriptions that are decorated and painted in classical Thai style that often depict Thai history, literature and art. Celadon articles designed by Pongluk feature a distinctive greenish glass like glaze and crackle that are unique and easily identifiable.

Pongluk Suwanmalee has made the art of Celadon his life’s work and takes great pride in teaching students and other interested individuals the Celadon process that starts with locally sourced clay and ends with magnificently decorated artifacts. In his studio, one can see awards he has won at various shows as well as pictures of celebrities and people of note who have come to this remote but intriguing corner of the world to admire the thousands of delicately made pottery articles on display.