Mak Khum (Thai Mancala Board) — a 90 cm Boat-Shaped Wooden Trough, Two Rows of 7 Pits 8-9 cm Across and 4-5 cm Deep, a 10-13 cm Home Pit at Each End; 7 Counters per Pit

"The top is hollowed into pits of equal size in 2 rows, round pits like the moulds of a khanom khrok pan." (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, author not named, CC BY 4.0)

Use kapok, thong lang (coral tree) or jackfruit wood, shaped like a boat, about 90 cm long and about 10-13 cm high.

Hollow out round pits of equal size, like khanom khrok moulds, in 2 rows of 7, about 8-9 cm across and 4-5 cm deep. At each end hollow one larger pit, about 10-13 cm across, round or triangular, called mae roen (mae ruean), hua mae roen or hua mueang.

Sawat seeds are preferred: oval, hard-shelled, pale grey, light and durable; ripe tamarind seeds also serve. Dried clay balls are not favoured because they do not last and soil the hands. Today glass marbles are usually used.

Photos of a real mak khum (the counters shown are wooden beads) (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, author not named, CC BY 4.0)

Two players sit on either side and put 7 counters in each of their 7 pits, leaving the home pits empty. In the first round both move at once (khaeng mueang), taking counters from one of their own pits and sowing right to left, one per pit, including their own home pit but skipping the opponent's. When the last counter lands in a pit with counters, take them all and keep sowing; landing in an empty pit means the move dies. Dying on your own side captures the opposite pit into your home pit (kin thaen). In later rounds players move in turn; a pit with no counters is a mueang mai (widowed town), and whoever has more of them loses.

The game has different names in different countries: in the Philippines sunga, and among Malays congkak. Take care with the chisel and knife when hollowing the pits. Source: Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, Traditional Objects of Everyday Use database, "หมากขุม", author not named (CC BY 4.0 licence). **Limits** There is no product line for kapok, thong lang or jackfruit wood. The materials list names softwood, a knife, a chisel, sandpaper and glass marbles.