Banyan Tree Gallery

The retail arm of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Banyan Tree Gallery acts as a marketing channel for traditional village crafts handmade in various parts of Asia like Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and China. In the process of showcasing these local crafts, it also helps sustain the livelihoods and skills of these artisans through gainful employment. Banyan Tree Gallery is the brainchild of Claire Chiang, one of the founders of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts. In 1989, Ms. Chiang was approached to purchase two traditional maun triangular cushions by village women of the Yasathon village community in Northeast Thailand. Recognising the opportunity for supporting cottage industry, Ms Chiang commissioned 500 cushions and other traditional Thai crafts and textiles to furnish the interiors of the resorts in Laguna Phuket. This led to the birth of the first flagship store in Banyan Tree Phuket in 1994 and the ethos of a socially responsible tourism retailer.