Thailand is an agricultural country. In the country, men are farmers and women do not have jobs. Their children are either farmers or work in factories in Bangkok. This has been changed when handicrafts become more popular in domestic and foreign markets. Many housewives make handicrafts from materials available in their local areas; for example mulberry paper from Northern Thailand, candles and flowers from Central Thailand, and rubber leaf flowers from Southern Thailand.
 
Many people rely on making candles as their main source of income. Most of the crafters (95%) are women. They can work from homes or gather at group leaders' homes where they chat while they are making candles. Skillful crafters who are also group leaders usually train their members to make difficult flowers. Handicrafts are labor intensive jobs. The woman do not use machine, so handicrafts create many jobs for the local people. Candle making is taught in some vocational schools, too.

In the crafters' homes, candles are made like making biscuits. Special cutters are used, similar to biscuit cutters but the shapes are petal-shaped. Each petal is cut and assembled into a flower skillfully by hand. Plumerias are made in a few seconds while lotus and sunflower are more difficult to make because they have many petals. And of course, each crafter has her own special technique :)

In our opinion, the candles are 'fair trade' products even though the crafting groups do not have a 'fairtrade' certificate which are mainly for agricultural products.

We believe the candles are 'fair trade' because they are made by local crafters who are many groups of housewives and the handmade candle business is expanding and creating many jobs for the local people. Most housewives in the province of Nakornayok, in central Thailand make the candles! Many unskilled and unemployed people are eager to learn how to make the candles.