A rare sighting of phai si suk, or thorny bamboo, only seems to bring up memories of the past nowadays.
The multi-purpose wood used to make various types of food, household objects and animal shelters is being increasingly replaced by modern materials like plastic.
In the eyes of young Thais, the special type of wood is something of a historical artefact.
These youngsters may not know that phai si suk used to play a large part in daily life and previously could be seen everywhere in Thailand.
The bamboo tree is called bambusa blumeana in scientific terms, but is also referred to as thorny bamboo for the sharp, long thorns along its stem.
In Thai, phai means "bamboo" and si suk means "happy", the meaning of which is connected to traditional beliefs.
Phai si suk is one of five types of auspicious wood that Thais place at the bottom of a pillar shaft when they build a house. They believe the wood brings them good luck.
The wood is commonly used in the construction of houses. Its naturally bent base is not ideal for use as pillars. However, some like the material due to its strength. Phai si suk can also be used for walls when flattened into logs, or as a mat to cover floors.
People who live on floating houses also use phai si suk. The bamboos can be bound together, forming a base for the house. The base is referred to as phae luk buap.
Those living by rivers use phai si suk to make piers. The bamboos are again bound together, then stuck into the riverside clay and tied with wood boards. This serves as a structure for docked boats, while villagers can use it to take a bath or wash clothes.
Phai si suk played another role in the past in households that did not have land title deeds or fences to mark the boundaries of their homes. Villagers used bamboo as territory markers as the plant is strong and does not die as quickly as other species do.
The functions of bamboo do not stop there -- as many Thais will know, the plant serves as a main ingredient in several types of local dishes.
Cooks often use bamboo shoots collected in the rainy season for easy cooking, boiling them with pickled fish, fish sauce and sugar. The resulting dish is a local soup called tom ploe.
Bamboo shoots can be also boiled with spare-ribs to make a soup called kaeng chuet.
If there are leftover bamboo shoots, villagers tend to preserve them through pickling. Pickled phai si suk is often cooked with black eared catfish, another delicious dish.
Animals can also benefit from phai si suk. The wood is used to make stalls for cattle, for example. The bamboo can be placed over water, making it a float for planting morning glory and water mimosa, while serving as a home for fish to live under.
On the ground, phai si suk can be used to make shelters for jungle fowls. They like this type of shelter as the bamboo standing close together offers them protection against humans. Underneath the bamboo leaves can be found worms that further serve as food for the fowls.
Another important use of phai si suk is for charcoal. It has long been known that this type of wood makes for the best charcoal as it is thick and good at giving heat.
In Uttaradit, people used to use phai si suk charcoal to melt metal ore, a material which can be found all throughout this northern province. The metal was then sent to the ancient kingdom of Ayutthaya for making swords and weapons.
Despite a wide range of uses for this type of wood, it's clearly losing its important role in Thais' daily lives as people seek out more modern comforts and materials.
The rise of plastic has made people forget the feel and touch of phai si suk.
Instead of using quality phai si suk charcoal, people tend to turn to cooking gas out of convenience.
People have also opted to use other types of wood as phai si suk is thorny and challenging to cut.
When phai si suk is gone, many traditional forms of woodwork will also disappear. Nowadays it is not often you see the old bamboo-woven baskets where mackerels used to be placed. Fish sellers tend to opt for the popular option of foam containers.
Once an integral fixture of daily life, the thorny bamboo is increasingly fading in importance. The use of the plant may be less widespread, but its foundational role in Thai tradition remains strong.