Tiki in Thailand

It has been a point of debate on TC, whether the "international" in Western International Trading Company (WITCO) actually meant that any WITCO carving were ever exported outside of the US.

Well I had an surprise a few weeks ago, when taking an alternative route back from a school in Bangkok, that I passed these chaps outside a Beer Garden on Lad Prao Road in Bangkok.

It took several weeks before I was passing that way again but this time I managed to get further pictures and just in time as the whole bar was being demolished.

While I was taking pictures I discovered that these fountains were in fact made of fibreglass and not carved from wood. A helpful lady came out and talked to me and suggested that they might be for sale but I'd have to speak to the manager.

I went to find the manager, passing another fountain on the way, and found him and had a little chat.

He had very good English and explained the bar was being refurbished, that the fountains were staying and not for sale but that they had bought them from a fountain maker just outside Bangkok. Unfortunately he couldn't remember the name of the company but I'll go back later with a Thai Friend and one of my Tiki Mugs and wheedle the name out of him.

[ Edited by: atomictonytiki 2012-04-22 01:37 ]

Surprise yes, but not Witco-made. Copies from either a real Witco fountain, or perhaps even from the BOT or Tiki Modern. They sure look great as entrance statues.

Obviously not Witco as the bar manager said he had got the fountains from outside Bangkok.

They could be copies of an original, there was a large enough US serviceman population back in the 60/70s that someone might have brought one over. I can't think that a fountain exposed to forty years of Tropical heat, insects and wet, would be in any great shape. Fibreglass is much better option.

But it may be an example of the continued influence of your two books, they're not the only Thai Tiki to show the Witco style.

(Sabay Bar, Khoa Chang, Thaialnd)

The search continues for these fountains I really want one for my balcony.

Here is a Thailand find that I would like to deny any responsibility for :) :

(e-mailed to me from Chiang Mai -by a European museum director!)

...and no blame for these multi-coloured tiki totem poles..

...from the floating market near Pattaya.