NORTHERN REGION THE NORTH IS A MOUNTAINOUS REGION WITH DENSERAINFORESTS POPULATED BY COLOURFUL HILLTRIBEMINORITIES, WHO HAVE THEIR OWN CUSTOMS AND CRAFTS,INCLUDING EMBROIDERED COTTON FABRICS AND SILVERJEWELRY. THE FERTILE VALLEYS ARE RICH IN HISTORY WITH ALONG TRADITION FOR SUPERB HANDICRAFTS, PARTICULARLYCARVED WOOD, RICH SILVERWARE, PAPER PRODUCTS MADE FROMNATURAL FIBRE, CERAMICS AND BAMBOO BASKETS. NORTHEASTERN REGION THE RAISED PLATEAU OF THE NORTHEAST IS A LARGE,RELATIVELY POOR REGION WHERE AGRICULTURE IS THE PRIMELIVELIHOOD AND COMMUNITIES HAVE A TRADITION OFMAKING PRODUCTS BY HAND, ESPECIALLY FABRICS ANDBASKET, FOR THEIR OWN USE. THE PRODUCTION OF SILKAND COTTON FABRICS IS ESPECIALLY WIDESPREAD, WITH THEMOST POPULAR BEING THE TIE-DYED MUDMEE DESIGNS ANDNATURALLY-DYED SILKS, WHOSE PATTERNS AND COLOURS VARYFROM LOCAL TO LOCAL. THE MOST FAMOUS OF THESE ARETHE LAI KHID AND PHRAE WA SILKS. OTHER POPULAR ITEMSINCLUDE REED MATS. BASKETS WOVEN FROM WATERHYACINTH AND THE INIMITABLE TRIANGULAR PILLOWS. CENTRAL REGION GEOGRAPHICALLY, THE CENTRE IS THAILANDS HEARTLAND,THE GREAT RICE BOWL OF THE CENTRAL PLAINSSURROUNDING THE CHAO PHRAYA RIVER. THIS IS A FERTILEFARMING AREA, HOME TO ORCHARDS, PADDY FIELDS ANDPLANTATIONS. ITS EARLY HISTORY BY THE GREATCAPITALS OF AYUTTHAYA AND BANGKOK. TODAY IT IS THEMODERN CENTRE OF THAILAND. WHERE TRADITIONALHANDICRAFTS OF BAMBOO AND BAI LAN, GREAT EARTHENPOTS,DAN KWIAN POTTERY AND TERRA COTTA ITEMSCONTINUE TO BE PRODUCED. EASTERN REGION THE EAST IS FIRMED FROM THE NARROW COASTAL STRIPTHAT RUNS FROM BANGKOK TO THE COMBODIAN BORDER,A RICH AGRICULTURAL AREA FAMED FOR ITS VARIETY ANDQUALITY OF FRUITS. PICKLED AND PROCESSED FRUITS OFTHE REGION ARE MUCH SOUGHT AFTER. IN ADDITION TOEARNING A LIVING FROM THE POPULAR TOURIST CENTRES OFPATTAYA,RAYONG AND TRAT, EASTERNERS ARE FAMED FORTHEIR VARIETY OF BAMBOO AND RATTEN BASKETS. REED MATSAND MUDMEE FABBICS.