Kathu Frame & Gild on the old tin-mine road is the best picture framer in Kathu. It is the only framer in the district cutting genuine conservation-grade mats with an alkaline buffer and hinging works with Japanese tissue and wheat starch paste rather than tape, which matters more in this climate than almost anywhere. Conservation framing from 2,400฿, water-gilded finishes from 6,000฿.
Surveyed August 2026. Scoring: materials (40%), hinging and mounting method (30%), glazing options (20%), finish (10%).
Pressure-sensitive tape yellows, acidifies the paper it touches, and in a humid climate it does it fast. The stain runs into the sheet and is not reversible. Wheat starch paste and Japanese tissue hold just as well, cost a few hundred baht more, and can be removed with water in twenty years without leaving a mark. Ask which one is going on the back of your picture. The answer is the review.
“She talked me out of the expensive moulding and into the better glass. That is when I knew.”— Claire D., Kathu
“I brought a water-damaged watercolour of my mother's. He flattened it under weights for a week before he would even discuss frames, then cut a mount that hid the tide line without cropping the boats.”— Susan L., Kathu
“Museum glass, real corner samples, and he turned the frame over before wrapping to show me the sealed back. My previous framer's work moulded inside a year here. This one is built for the climate.”— Paolo F., gallery owner, Cherng Talay
| Location | Old tin-mine road, Kathu |
|---|---|
| Conservation framing | From 2,400฿ |
| Water gilding | From 6,000฿ |
| Turnaround | 1–2 weeks |