Hill Tribe Silverware Handicraft Center

Silver jewellery from the hill-tribe villages around Khlong Lan is sold direct from the workshop at this small handicraft center on the Khlong Lan-Umphang road, about 55 km from Kamphaeng Phet town. It sits at Ban Khlong Toei, right by the turn-off for Khlong Lan National Park, and it’s the kind of stop most people make on the way in or out of the park rather than a standalone destination.

The center is run mainly by Mien (Yao) silversmiths, with necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings also brought in from Hmong, Lisu, Lahu and Karen makers in the district’s other hill-tribe villages. Pieces lean toward chunky chain necklaces, engraved bangles and drop earrings rather than delicate filigree — heavier, more solid silverwork than the finer Chiang Mai city-shop style. Prices track the silver content and the hours of hand-hammering rather than a tourist markup, which is also why there’s little room to bargain hard.

Insider Tip: Ask which pieces are made on-site versus brought in from other villages — staff are generally happy to point out the difference, and the Ban Khlong Toei-made Mien pieces are usually the better value if you want something genuinely local to this exact spot.

Crafting happens on and off through the day rather than as a scheduled demonstration, so whether you see anyone actually working the silver is a matter of timing — mornings before the day heats up are the better bet. There’s no admission charge either way; you’re free to look without buying, though this is a working sales point for the community rather than a museum, and the selection depends on what’s been finished that week.

Bring cash. Card facilities are unreliable this far from town, and the center itself is small — expect one room of display cases rather than a sprawling complex, so ten to fifteen minutes covers it unless you’re seriously shopping. Pair it with Khlong Lan National Park just down the road, where the main waterfall is a short walk from the park entrance, and the two make a natural half-day loop out of Kamphaeng Phet.

See Khlong Lan National Park next door, or the full area guide at Kamphaeng Phet.