Panung

What is Panung?

Panung, also written pha nung, is a lower garment of Thailand, formerly Siam. It is a plain strip of cotton, measured by a United States vice-consul in 1921 as three feet by ten, wound about the waist so that it hangs just under the knee. The cloth is sold in three grades. It is not set aside for one sex. An upper piece goes with it, the sabai or pha hom, a comparable cloth laid over the chest and shoulder.

Where does Panung come from?

The material offers no founding story and no date of origin. The name itself is Thai, pha nung, and the garment is recorded as the dress of Siam. The earliest description it gives is consular: in 1921 an American vice-consul set down the dimensions of the cotton piece. Nothing is said of courts, guilds or a revival. A later remark notes that Western dress has been taking the place of this older way of dressing, so the record runs from that 1920s note to a present-day observation about changing habit.

How is Panung made?

The sources describe qualities of cloth rather than looms or dye work. Patta, the first quality, is a hard-wearing printed fabric with large checks or a crossed pattern, and may carry one or more stripes at either end. Papoon, the second, is noted for colour that holds and for slim stripes woven in, together with a two-and-two check. Palai, the third, is judged by accurate sizing of the material and by a stiffened body. Cotton is the only fibre named.

Colours, motifs and borders

Pattern sits mostly in checks and stripes. Patta carries big checks or a cross design, sometimes with bands at the ends. Papoon has narrow stripes worked into the weave and a two-by-two check. Palai is spoken of through its sizing and stiffness rather than any figure. The sources name no colour for the cloth at all.

How Panung is worn

The cloth goes round the waist and finishes below the knee. For chong kraben, part of the length is taken between the thighs and fixed behind the body. An upper cloth accompanies it, the sabai or pha hom, made of similar fabric and laid across the chest and shoulder. Beyond the three-by-ten-foot cotton piece of 1921, the sources mention no blouse, petticoat or fixed length.

When Panung is worn

No festival, rite or ceremony is attached to the panung in the sources. It is given simply as dress of Siam, worn by people in Thailand, and it is not held back for one sex. Bridal and mourning use are not discussed. The one change recorded is the drift toward Western clothing, which points to ordinary everyday wear rather than special occasions.

Styles of Panung

Three named qualities form the main variation: Patta, Papoon and Palai, in that order of grade. The first is printed with large checks or a crossed design and may have end stripes. The second has thin woven stripes, a two-and-two check and colour that stays. The third is known for correct sizing and a stiffened finish. Chong kraben is a separate style that alters the drape rather than the cloth. The dhoti and the sinh are listed as related garments.

What Panung means

The panung is the everyday lower dress of Thailand, called Siam in the older record, and it is open to both sexes. The source ends on a note of change: Western clothing has been displacing this older way of dressing. Nothing in the material covers official recognition, weavers' groups or a place in film. The dhoti and the sinh are named alongside it, which sets it within a wider family of wrapped lower cloths.

Questions people ask about Panung

Good reading and sources

• Panung on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data