| Thailand has some great shopping. From tailored clothes to jewelry to beautiful hammocks and all sorts of cultural knick-knacks, you can have a blast.
Chinatown has all varieties of exotic products. It comes alive at night, doesn’t slow down until late. Sidewalks are lined with makeshift stores, and food stalls have plastic tables set up along the streets. Bangkok’s Chinatown is one of the largest and most authentic in the world; It’s definitely worth a look.
For the backpacking and techno set, Khao San Road during the day offers a bonanza of bargains. The newest Cds and DVDs go for 100 baht (or 500 baht for six), portable speakers for your walkman or ipod can be found for a few hundred baht (although don’t trust the quality), even software titles can be bought at steep discounts. International copyright laws are routinely ignored.
Silom Road is home to the most famous night market in Bangkok, and there you should be able to find, well, everything. Buddhist images and talismans, tourist specials, household goods, plus everything you’d find at the other major markets.
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Gold and precious stones are cheap and of good quality in Thailand, but a number of shops are dishonest about what you’re actually buying. Make sure you get an international guarantee wherever you are, as anything else is usually code for a scam. Gems Gallery is one of the finest shops in Bangkok – again, you’re going to pay a premium for the ease, but at least you know exactly what you’re getting. If you don’t know much about jewelry but want to bring something back for a loved one, your best bet is to stick with the slightly more expensive (but still cheap by Western standards) shops that don’t leave you guessing.
WARNING - DO NOT GO WITH A TUK TUK TO A JEWELERY SHOP. YOU WILL GET SCAMMED. DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING THEY SAY ABOUT TODAY BEING THE KINGS SPECIAL DAY OR WHAT NOT. |
If you want to get clothing made, Bangkok is a good choice. The prices run the gamut, but in general you’ll pay less for a tailor-made suit or jacket than you would for a ready-made one in the West.
Plus, the materials are splendid – Thai silk is, after all, famous the world over. But be sure to inspect the material – fine Italian wool and cashmere from name-brand fashion houses is readily available, is as high quality Egyptian wool and the silk so be sure you get the good stuff.
Be sure to bargain too. Oftentimes bargaining won’t be as much about money, as quantity. If you’re buying a suit, you might only be able to knock the price down by 1000 baht or so – but get two or three extra shirts and ties thrown in. If you’re buying a dress, look for them to try and attract you to a number of silk scarves.
Also inspect some clothing they've made before paying a tailor. Check the stitching, the lining, the general quality and the cut. Thousands of tourists have thought they got the bargain of the century, only to have the shoulder come undone within a month. Don’t be one of them.
If you’re a neophyte to the fashion world, stick with the places in this guide. If you know a thing or two, feel free to shop around – workers come and go, and prices rise and fall rapidly in the Bangkok tailoring world. Generally speaking, the longer a place has been in business, the better it’s quality. However, things change quickly.
Whatever you do, don’t buy from shops in the low-rent or high-rent districts. Khao San has bad quality, and ritzier areas charge like you’re in New York. The best places are off the beaten path – your tuk-tuk driver will know them. After all, he gets his gas by bringing you.
Do remember to get fittings done. 2 is a good amount. Secondly, do NOT make clothes that are ready in 24 hours. If its ready in 24 hours, then it'll look like it took 24 hours to finish. Lastly, don't let them post it to you unless its a tried and trusted shop. One of the great tried and trusted tailor shops around:
Crown Tailor
Location - Inside of Sukhumvit Road soi 8
www.crowntailor.com
Great service and great clothes, and they prefer not to make clothes in 24 hours, which is the greatest part. |
| Established in the late eighties, Crown Tailor has over 15 years of professional tailoring experience. All their suits are exclusively handmade with meticulous attention to detail, quality craftsmanship and with only the finest materials and threads. Excellent service and workmanship and detail to customer satisfaction has been extraordinary over the years. |
| At the moment, Tom’s Tailors (also known by its previous name, Tony’s)is one of the best tailor shops around. The prices are extremelyreasonable – there are cheaper places, but the product is invariablyinferior. Tom’s uses some of the finest fabrics and very skilledtailors. These shirts hold up and they’re fabulous (forreference, you pay less than 1000 baht per custom-made Thai silk shirt). |
| Manhattan Tailors is solid – good craftsmanship, good materials. The only problem is they have too good a name, and thus charge ratherexorbitant prices. If you aren’t concerned about $50 here or $100there, then you can trust the quality of Manhattan and avoid thehassles of shopping. However, you’re paying a premium for thatease. |
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