Silk cultivation in Thailand is predominantly a cottage industry in which villagers have varying degrees of involves. Some grow mulberry trees and only raise and sell cocoons , other purchase the yarn , dye it and weave silk to sell. A few take part in the entire process , from the raising of worms to the production of fabric.

The origins of the shimmering , exquisite fabric lies in a caterpillar that belongs to the insect order Lepidoptera , which includes all moths and butterflies. There are two distinct types pertinent to silk production : the Bombycidae , or cultured silkworms , and Saturniidae , the wild silkworms.

The Bombyx mori of the Bombycidae family is the most common source of cultured silk. The worm is raised domestically , but only where mulberry leaves are available to satisfy its voracious appetite. The wild silkworm species , of which there are more than  500 types ,  will devour other varieties of leaves. More robust than domestic cousins , Saturniidae produce a tougher , coarser silk which is shorter in length , with colors that vary from off-white to beige or yellow. Wild silk is usually called tusser-silk. In thailand the two predominant Bombyx mori varieties used are the bovoltine , which produce the fine white yarn suitable for power-loom weaving , and the traditional hardy polyvoltine , which produces the  irregular yellow tread suited to hand-loom weaving tat is used in the creation of mudmee. Bivoltine silkworms produce two harvests a year , and ployvoltine an unlimited number.

The silk caterpillar goes through four stages in its life cycle : egg , larva to caterpillar , pupa or chrysalis and moth.

From a box containing 20,000 eggs , it is expected that 15,000 cocoons will be reared successfully. To minimise losses , the cocoons are divided into seoarate trays and closely observed. In an effort to increase silk production and improve the quality of Thai silk , Japanese sericulture is being introduced under technologically advanced and highly controlled conditions.

Rearing of the silkworms determines the quantity and quality of the silk , since they are fragile creatures that cosseting. Silkworm keepers must ensure that their valuable charges are not only correctly fed , but also kept meticulously clean. Silkworms are highly sensitive to noise , odour and other factors in their environmental surroundings.

Mature silkworm moths mate for several hours , and the female deposits 300 to 500 grey pinhead size eggs. Two or three days later she dies. During germination , the eggs require cool temperatures for development and warmer temperatures to hatch. Developing and hatching can take between 10 days and 10 months depending on climate conditions. In Thailand , eggs kept at controlled temperatures of 24 to 28 degree Centigrade take about 21 days to hatch , whereas eggs in  the wild require only 10 days because of the warmer conditions.

The young larvae begin feeding from the moment they hatch. This is the most crucial part of the cycle , since the worms are vulnerable to predators and to silkworm diseases. Initially they require three servings a day of clean , tender mulberry leaves , freshly picked and chopped. Preparing the leaves is labor intensive , round the clock work. Gorging for 28 days , the cultivated variety increase their body weight an astonishing 10,000 times. They grow to about three inches , and shed their skin four times. By the end of the feeding cycle , the caterpillar will consume 500 times as much as when is was newly hatched.  When fully satiated , the caterpillars raise their heads to indicate the commencement of spinning.

Before serious spinning begins , the worm secretes a pale yellow gum from two glands on either side of its head. From this it creates a web on which it anchors its cocoon. Once anchored , the worm ejects liquid silk from its two glands. Upon exposure to the air , the secretion becomes a fiber. In spinning the cocoon around itself , a process that takes two to three days , the worm works in a figure of eight motion , distributing the gummed tread evenly and winding from the outside to the center. The cocoon effectively becomes the worm's shroud.

The Thai pupa remains inside its cocoon for about 23 days. It pupates and spins a filament between 550 and 730 meters long. Other silkworm varieties can produce up to 1,650 meters of filament. To produce a mere 100 grams of silk thread , over 1,000 Thai cocoons are required. Over 500 cocoons are needed to weave a single necktie , around 4,000 a blouse and 8,000 an evening dress.

When spinning is complete , the cocoons are boiled or steamed in order to kill the pupa , to prevent it from metamorphosing into a chrysalis which would break the thread upon emerging from the cocoon. In Thailand reeling or unwinding the silk filament from the cocoon is traditionally done by hand. After sorting , the cocoons are placed in a pot of boiling water which softens the sericin and kills the pupa. A long handled wooden paddle with a notch in the center is used to submerge and stir them. When the cocoons are pressed under the water , the silk threads float and are swiftly reeled onto a wheel or frame 10 - 20 filaments at a time. The notch in the center of the paddle prevents the cocoons from becoming entangled. As the reeling of the filament from each cocoons nears completion , the filament from a new cocoon is attached to it. Acting as a adhesive the sericin assists in binding it.

Three types of silk are obtained from the reeling process :

Mai ton or bua mai silk is obtained from the first reeling or the outermost part of the cocoon. The threads are large, coarse and of a dull yellow shade. After refinement, bleaching and spinning, they become thick, coarse silk threads.

Mai klang or mai song threads are obtained by a continuous reeling process. When the filament from one cocoon is finished, it is replaced by another cocoon. After constant reeling, the reeler can adjust the size of the silk filament to medium or smooth with a few knots.

Mai noi or yod mai silk is obtained from the innermost part of the cocoon. It is yellow, fine and delicate. Due to the complexity of the reeling process, this is the most expensive type of silk.

After removal from the reel, the skeins of raw silk are soaked in hot water to remove the remainder of the sericin. At this sage Thai silk yarn is yellow. Before dyeing it must be bleached in hydrogen peroxide or lime water and then dried throughly in the sun. Silk skeins are transformed into silk yarn by throwing,  a process where several filaments are twisted together to form a ply. It is the thickness of the finished silk or the ply that dictates the purpose for which it may be used.

Various types of traditional looms are used in Thailand. They are usually made form hardwood or bamboo. The most common is the "flying shuttle", popular because it is both fast and simple.

In the cottage weaving industries, and especially in the production of mudmee tie-dyed silk, hundreds of individual patterns are achieved by using different weaving and dying techniques. Designs are based on elements of nature such as birds, flowers, fruits, snakes, trees and animals or religious symbols.

Although computerised pattern printing technology is popular abroad, the larger operations in Thailand use mechanical silk screen printing methods.

Following the printing process, the silk is steamed to fasten the color. The fabric is then washed in boiling water in order to rinse out any unfixed dye or adhesive. After a final drying, chemicals are applied to the material to prevent shrinkage, minimise creasing and ensure easy care.

The result of meticulous spinning, dyeing, weaving and finishing efforts are manifest in exquisite pieces of Thai silk.