Wiyada Unnanuntana

CEO, Khum Chanhom

Industry : The Arts

A lifelong affection for Thai silk persuaded Wiyada Unnanuntana to exchange banking for a very different kind of enterprise. Through Khum Chanhom, she is helping safeguard Ubon Ratchathani’s weaving traditions while ensuring the craft can provide viable livelihoods for the communities that sustain it.

The initiative brings together local weavers, artisans and women’s groups, with more than 70 weaving households now participating in its network. Wiyada’s involvement spans the entire process – from sericulture and natural dyeing to handweaving and design – combining respect for distinctive local patterns with the development of contemporary products and wider market opportunities.

Crucially, preservation does not stop with the present generation. Training programmes led by master artisans give younger craftspeople the opportunity to learn traditional techniques, recreate historical textile patterns and adapt them for today’s market. In doing so, Khum Chanhom addresses one of heritage craft’s most pressing challenges: ensuring knowledge continues to pass from hand to hand.

Visitors can encounter that process themselves through the initiative’s learning centre, museum and cultural tourism experiences, which trace the stages of silk production.

Wiyada’s achievement lies in connecting culture with economic purpose. By creating markets, nurturing skills and opening the craft to new audiences, she is helping ensure Ubon Ratchathani’s textile heritage remains not simply preserved, but productive and evolving.