Thai umbrellas and parasols available from Arts of the World Gallery in Salt Lake City are purchased from craftsmen in a village in Northern Thailand where they have been hand making them for hundreds of years. They have a bamboo support structure and are available in raw muslin, oil painted cotton and paper, hand pressed mulberry paper, and traditional lacquered paper. The oil based paint used on the cotton and paper makes these umbrellas rainproof. The more traditional lacquered paper is also good in the rain, but will wear quicker than the muslin. The hand pressed paper makes a lovely sun-brella (parasol). The paper is either colored or is natural with flower petals, which show up beautifully with the sun shining above them.