The puppeteers are classically trained dancers who imitate the movements of the puppets to literally bring them to life, capturing gestures and nuances. During the performance, the puppets are brought out into the audience - Hanuman the white monkey king mischievously moves among the audience, while the female puppet cleverly charms the men. Even the American teenagers in the audience (obviously dragged along by their parents for their obligatory dose of Thai culture) were suitably impressed.

Once a popular art, puppeteer declined after the reign of King Chulalongkorn and almost died out. Joe Louis (originally a mispronunciation of Liew) learned the skills a child from his parents and began to make his own puppets, giving performances throughout the country. When he died, his wife continued with the theatre. Outside in the foyer are displays of the puppets, exquisitely decorated with coloured glass, a history of this incredible art and lots of information.

The history of Thai puppets goes back about 300 years. The art of HUN LAKORN LEK (which means 'small puppet performance') has been revived by artist Joe Louis. Different from other traditional Thai puppets, the Joe Louis puppet play is performed in a special way in which three manipulators control the movement of one puppet. Today his troup is the only one in Thailand, that still performs this wonderful and unique kind of puppet play.
Show Time : Daily 07.30 - 08.45 hrs.

After the show stroll through the extensive The Suan Lum Night Bazaar where you can find excellent bargains of handicrafts, clothes, leather goods, household ware and decorative items. The Suan Lum Night Bazaar is a great alternative to the weekend market, It's cooler, less crowded, more central, and open daily. The main difference is that there is such an eclectic mix of goods on sale here that it is an adventure going down each soi.

Free Time Shopping at Nithg Bazzar till 11.00 pm