Sai (Thai Bamboo Fish Trap) — a Rocket-Shaped Trap of Bamboo Strips With Two Opposed Funnels, Catching Fish Moving Either Way Through Paddy Drains

"Above the last hoop, the side of the sai is cut open and a funnel made beforehand is fitted, with the tips of its slats pointing towards the front of the sai; above the next hoop, the side is cut slightly offset and a funnel fitted with its tip pointing towards the back. So the funnels are set in opposite directions." (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, author ทำนุ วรธงไชย (Thamnu Worathongchai), CC BY 4.0)

Whittle bamboo into round strips about 120 cm long. Make round hoops, called kong or plok, about 20 cm across from branches of the khoi tree or from whittled wood bent round, or weave the hoops from flat strips five at a time (the "plok ha" pattern).

Tie the upright strips round the hoops at intervals; between the hoops bind the strips all round with cord so they are evenly spaced. At the end draw the strips together and bind them tight with cord, and finally make a round tube about 10 cm across, bound tight with flat strips, as the tail of the sai.

Cut open the side above the last hoop and fit a funnel with its tips pointing towards the front of the sai; then cut the side above the next hoop, slightly offset, and fit a second funnel with its tip pointing towards the tail.

Photos of a real sai from the Nong Bua Khok Folk Museum (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, author ทำนุ วรธงไชย (Thamnu Worathongchai), CC BY 4.0).

Set the sai in the early rains after transplanting, in a drainage cut through a paddy bund. Lay it with the funnel side flat on the bottom and the tail facing the current, so the funnels lie left and right just off the ground. Shape the earth so fish must enter the funnels from both sides. Cover the top with clumps of grass, earth and pieces of wood, and plug the tail with a roll of grass. Check it from time to time; when it has caught something, lift it, pull out the grass plug and pour the catch into the fish basket.

Funnels set in opposite directions suit the fish that swarm in the new water, swimming up and down with the current. Near harvest, when the farmers drain the paddies and the fish return to the big swamps, the sai is used to cut them off on the way. The "sai plok ha", with hoops woven in the five-strip pattern, is now very rarely seen, and the skill of the master weavers is slowly being lost. Take care with spiny fish and crabs when emptying it. Source: Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, Traditional Objects of Everyday Use database, "ไซ", author ทำนุ วรธงไชย (Thamnu Worathongchai), Nong Bua Khok Folk Museum, Buriram (CC BY 4.0 licence). **Limits** The source does not give the number of strips or hoops, or the size of the funnels.