Overview
A pha khao ma is a length of cotton, usually woven in bright checks or plaids, about a metre by two, hemmed at the ends. It has no fixed form: it becomes a wrap for the waist, a sash, a bundle for goods, a sun-cloth for the head, or a cloth to wipe away sweat and bathe.
How it is worn
It is wound about the hips as a light lower garment for work and bathing, tied at the waist as a belt, slung over a shoulder, or wrapped round the head against the sun, folded and refolded as the moment needs. Men keep one to hand at home, in the field, and on the river.
History
The checked cotton cloth is old and widespread across Thailand and mainland Southeast Asia, woven in every village in local colours. Practical rather than formal, the pha khao ma remains a familiar everyday object and a warm symbol of rural Thai life.