Sum (Thai Plunge Basket) — a Woven Bamboo Basket, Wide at the Mouth and Narrow at the Top, Pressed Over Fish in Shallow Water

"It is made of about 60 bamboo strips split from the outer skin, woven into a circle and used as uprights spreading out radially all round; then every one is bent down in an even curve, and bamboo is woven over one and under one, leaving a fair space between." (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, author ทำนุ วรธงไชย (Thamnu Worathongchai), CC BY 4.0)

Split bamboo and take about 60 strips from the outer skin for the uprights, and more strips for weaving round.

Weave the uprights into a circle so they spread out radially all round, leaving the centre open as the top opening, then bend every upright down in an even curve.

Weave the strips round over one and under one, leaving a fair space between, narrow at the top and gradually flaring wide at the mouth.

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

Choose a pond, swamp, ditch or canal with little water where fish live. Press the sum down into the water, then reach in through the top opening and feel for the fish; a large fish will bump the side of the basket so it can be felt. Catch it and put it in the fish basket.

Housewives used the sum when the kitchen ran short, especially in the dry season. The fish cannot be seen, so choosing the place takes experience, which gave rise to the words "sum ha" (to search at random) and "sum si sum ha" (haphazardly). The other kind, the slatted sum, is made of 50-60 pointed bamboo slats fixed to a wooden ring and a wire frame. The chicken sum is used to keep a hen with her chicks, or a fighting cock. Take care with spiny fish when reaching in. Source: Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre, Traditional Objects of Everyday Use database, "สุ่ม", author ทำนุ วรธงไชย (Thamnu Worathongchai), Nong Bua Khok Folk Museum, Buriram (CC BY 4.0 licence). **Limits** The source gives its sizes (mouth 50 cm, top opening 15 cm, height 50 cm) for the slatted sum; this blueprint uses them for the woven sum.