Pla Ta Pian Keychain, the Thai Fish 🐟✨
The fish Thai families hang above a cradle.
The pla ta pian is a traditional Thai symbol of prosperity, abundance and protection. It has long been hung in homes, and above a baby's cradle, to bring good fortune and keep children safe.
Knotted by hand in cotton, 11.5 cm, finished with a premium hook. It is the piece in our range with the most specific meaning attached, which makes it a good gift for a new family.
Product Details
- Handmade in Asha village, Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Material: cotton
- Size: 11.5 cm high
- Premium hook, label included
- Hand washable
- Made to order
Made by Akha Women
- These are handmade by Akha women through the AKHA MA-DE social program
- This piece is knotted by Abu Athu, Abu Anna and Abu Jan. We can tell you who made yours.
- Every purchase directly supports these women and creates opportunity in their community
Bulk Orders
- For weddings, events, corporate gifts or hotel welcome gifts, we make these up as sets with no minimum order quantity. Please contact us for a quotation
Contact Us
- You can reach us any time through Messenger, Instagram or our "Contact Us" page
Packaging and Shipping:
- Delivery within Thailand takes approximately 5 to 10 working days. Because our products are handmade, delivery times can vary depending on how many orders are in production.
- For international or express shipping, please contact us
Returns and Exchanges:
We accept returns and exchanges:
- Please contact us within 7 days of receiving your order
- Send the item back within 14 days of receiving it
Return conditions:
- The buyer covers return shipping where the reason for dissatisfaction is not caused by a third party. If the returned item is not in its original condition, the buyer is responsible for any loss in value.
* Product images are for presentation purposes only and each piece may differ slightly from the photo. Colours may appear different on screen depending on your device settings.
** As each piece is handmade, the dimensions given in the product details may vary by approximately +/- 2 cm.
What Is a Pla Ta Pian?
The pla ta pian (barb fish) began as ปลาตะเพียนสาน (the woven barb fish), a small fish woven from strips of talipot palm leaf in Ayutthaya.
It is named in a late Ayutthaya-period document associated with King Uthumphon, who reigned in 1758, sold on a market street in the Pa Thon quarter. Ayutthaya is still its largest production centre today.
Traditionally the fish hang together as a set called ปลาลูกสิบห้า (the fifteen-young-fish set): a beaded ring, a presiding fish, a large mother fish with three tassels, and 9, 12 or 15 young fish, all moving in the breeze.
On 29 January 2024, the palm-leaf barb fish was added to Thailand's national intangible cultural heritage list for traditional craftsmanship. Ours is a contemporary cotton take on that craft.
Ayutthaya makers themselves already make laser-cut leaf and ribbon versions, and our cotton fish sits alongside them.
What the Woven Barb Fish Means
The fish carries two separate wishes, and which one depends on where it hangs.
Over a baby's cradle, it wishes that the child will be easy to raise, grow quickly and prosper. Thailand's national heritage record adds that the child will grow up with พากเพียร (perseverance), a play on ตะเพียน (barb fish).
In the house, the wish is for the whole family: that the household prospers and trade brings wealth.
Thai craft tradition explains the symbol through the harvest: the barb is said to reach full size just as the rice grain drops, so the fish stands for abundance. SACIT, the Sustainable Arts and Crafts Institute of Thailand, links it to the idiom ข้าวใหม่ปลามัน (new rice, fatty fish), which in the Royal Institute's sense also covers the sweet early days of a newly married couple.
Who This Is For
As a keychain, it keeps that wish for prosperity with you every day, on your keys, a work bag or a backpack.
The same meaning makes it a thoughtful New Year gift, a small wish for a prosperous year ahead. Companies can order it for clients or teams with no minimum order, and we send a quotation for any quantity. Browse more ideas in our New Year gifts collection.
For a new baby, it brings the cradle tradition into a modern home, clipped to the parents' keys or a changing bag.
For travellers, it is a Thai souvenir with a heritage-listed Ayutthaya craft behind it, sized for a keyring so it goes home in any bag. Find more in our collection of handmade Thai souvenirs.