Thailand and Laos

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A note on identifying the origin of dha type swords from continental southeast Asia:

  • If the spine is straight (or mostly straight), it is probably from Burma.
  • If the spine curves slightly, it is probably from Thailand
  • If the spine curves significantly, then it is probably from Laos
  • The more detailed carving and other tooling, the more likely from Laos

The geographic region of origin is often much harder to discern than the ethnic group that produced the sword. In this part of the world, there has been a great intermingling of peoples. Certain groups may spread across two, three or more national borders. The Lao smiths have been considered some of the finest, and many moved into Thailand and settled in areas such as Chiang Mai and Lampang (north), Uttaradit (north central), Ayutthaya (central) and Nakhon Si Thamarat.