Handicrafted Aranyik Knife Villages

Ethnology The ancestors of Ban Ton Pho and Ban Phai Nong villagers came from Vientiane in Lao PDR around the early Rattanakosin era. Most of them were artisans earning their living as goldsmiths and blacksmiths. Around 1822 A.D., the goldsmith occupation was wound up and only the blacksmith remained and has been their single occupation ever since. That these immigrants from Vientiane used to be goldsmiths is evident from the fact that if the soil from these villages is taken to be panned, there will be remains and filed powder of gold.

Settlement There is no evidence whether these people were forced to move by the Thai army in an attack on Vientiane or immigrated, but it was recorded that their leader was Nai Thao, who was later appointed to the position of “Khun Naraborirak” by King Rama V. Nai Thao found that this area was a good location for settlement, with dense bamboo thickets to make use of as well as the Pa Sak River and swamps as their channel of transportation and source of water. Bamboo could be fuel for their forges, building materials for their houses, and handles for their knives. Ban Phai Nong, which means a swamp bamboo village, was named after the topography at that time while Ban Ton Pho, a Bodhi tree village, was named after a large sacred Bodhi tree in the heart of the village.

• Aranyik Knife Village (หมู่บ้านหัตถกรรมมีดอรัญญิก)The Reign of King Rama III In the reign of King Rama III around 1826 A.D., King Anu Wiang Chan came from Vientiane, Laos, to attend the royal cremation of King Rama II and persuaded the Vientiane people to return to their hometown. They refused and insisted to stay and live under the rule of King Rama III. Their fine craftsmanship in blacksmith and knife-making became known around the country, resulting in their wealth and prosperity throughout his reign.

The Reign of King Rama V: Having been informed that Ban Ton Pho and Ban Phai Nong were knife-making villages, King Rama V and his royal family members went to visit them. A pavilion was constructed to welcome the king and his family, and villagers demonstrated their knife-making.

The Reign of King Rama IX In 1976, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej came on a personal visit to the villages. In 1988, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn took her military cadets here on an educational trip. Six year later, Princess Ubonratana and her family also paid a visit to the villages.

• Aranyik Knife: There used to be a market, shops and gambling houses at Ban Aranyik, Tambon Pak Tha, Amphoe Tha Ruea, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, approximately 3km from Ban Ton Pho and Ban Phai Nong. Ban Aranyik was a marketplace where villagers including those from the two knife-making villages took their products to offer for sale or exchange. Their knives were famous by word-of-mouth for their good quality, and Aranyik knives have become known ever since.

Aranyik Knife Products There are currently 4 categories of Aranyik knives; namely, farming, domestic, weapon, and others. Each category can be classified by application into 12 types and each type can still be classified by sizes and materials used in various parts, totalling 274 of them.

Tradition and Culture Other than merit-making that has been observed generally by Thai people on special occasions such as Magha Puja, Visakha Puja, Buddhist Lent, Robe Offering, Floral Alms-giving and Songkran, the villagers also have their own important tradition known as Wai Khru or Wai Khru Bucha Tao. After the Songkran Festival, the community leaders will meet to fix the date of the ceremony held to pay salute to their masters (Wai Khru) and forge spirits (Bucha Tao), usually on a Thursday of the waxing moon of the sixth lunar month. Once the date is fixed, all equipment and tools will be repaired and cleaned, new forges built and all required offerings prepared for the early morning ceremony on the set Thursday. This ceremony has been observed until nowadays for the auspiciousness and prosperity of their community. All visitors will be welcomed on that day.

To Get There Both villages are now accessible by bus from Chao Phrom Market in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Take the bus with a sign reading “Ayutthaya–Tha Ruea”, which runs along the Asia Highway (Highway No.32) towards Nakhon Sawan, pass beyond Somdet Phra Sangkharat Hospital for about 100 metres, turn left under the bridge across the Pa Sak River towards Amphoe Nakhon Luang and follow the direction signs. A boat trip is also available from in front of Chanthara Kasem Palace backward against the Pa Sak River via the Military Arsenal Department’s explosives plant and Amphoe Nakhon Luang, respectively. The boat trip takes approximately 2 hours.