Rattan is in fact a generic term for around six hundred types of climbing palms which come from the Daemonorops and Calamus genera of the Arecaceae family. They are typified by long, tough but thin stems - usually between 0.5 to 5 centimetres wide - which can be easily bent and woven whilst retaining their toughness and strength. The woven form of rattan often comes under the umbrella term ‘wickerwork’. This flexibility allows the plant to climb over and through other forms of vegetation in some cases for hundreds of meters, which in terms enables the plant to find precious shafts of light which penetrate the canopy of the jungles in which it grows and allows it to photosynthesize.

It is found throughout the jungles of south east asia and is as endemic as bamboo, although unlike bamboo, it cannot survive unsupported by an external structure, nor is it hollow like bamboo. It is attracive as an ecologically sound resource. Since it requires other trees to grow up and through, its cultivation does not compete with naturally occuring forest but actually complements it.

As a raw material in the creation of furniture and the kind of handicrafts available at Lanna Thai Crafts, it can easily be stained, painted and treated in the same way as most woods. The skin of the rattan stem is often peeled away and used in weaving, whilst the central woody material is used in the manufacture of armchairs, tables and sofas.