Point taken. Page 35 of the PDF guide to Surat Thani (ie, the part the pertains to the silk weavers) is in English, by the way. You'll be able to read it! As for the word "vassal", that's the correct word. One of the images I've used links to the bunga mas, and on that page you'll see the word "vassal"; additionally, the page for suzerainty discusses vassal states  (    )