Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK… IS NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE A SUIT MADE
Many tourists arrive in Bangkok with the notion of getting clothes custom-tailored at a bargain price, which is
entirely possible. Prices are almost always lower than what you'd pay at home, but common scams ranging from
commission-hungry túk-túk
(
pronounced
đúk đúk)
drivers to shoddy workmanship and inferior fabrics make be-
spoke tailoring in Bangkok a potentially disappointing investment. To maximise your chances of walking away
feeling (and looking) good, read on…
»
You get what you pay for
If you sign up for a suit, two pants, two shirts and a tie, with a silk sarong thrown
in for US$169 (a very popular offer in Bangkok), the chances are it will look and fit like a sub-US$200 ward-
robe.
»
Have a good idea of what you want
If it's a suit you're after, should it be single- or double-breasted? How
many buttons? What style trousers? Of course, if you have no idea then the tailor will be more than happy to ad-
vise.
»
Set aside a week to get clothes tailored
Shirts and trousers can often be turned around in 48 hours or less
with only one fitting, but no matter what a tailor may tell you, it takes more than one and often more than two
fittings to create a good suit. Any tailor who can sew your order in less than 24 hours should be treated with cau-
tion.
Reputable tailors include:
10am-7pm Mon-Sat; Phloen Chit exits 2 & 4) Custom-made shirts and suit jackets have been Mr
Pinky's speciality for more than three decades. Located behind the Mahatun Building.
9am-7pm; Si Lom exit 2, Sala Daeng exit 4) Tailor to Thailand's royalty and elite alike, the suits here
don't come cheap and the cuts can be somewhat conservative, but the quality is unsurpassed.
Sukhumvit; 10am-8pm Mon-Sat; Nana exit 4) One of Bangkok's more famous tailors, Raja's gets a
mixed bag of reviews, but the majority swear by the service and quality.
mark Hotel, 138 Th Sukhumvit; 10am-8.30pm Mon-Sat, noon-6pm Sun; Nana exit 2) Corporate ladies
rave about Nickermann's tailor-made power suits: pants and jackets that suit curves and busts. Formal ball
gowns are another area of expertise.
Markets
Although air-conditioned malls have better PR departments, open-air markets are the true
face of commercial Bangkok, and are where you'll find the best bargains.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
MARKET
(Talat Nat Jatujak;
www.chatuchak.org
;
Th Phahonyothin;
9am-6pm Sat & Sun;
Chatuchak Park exit 1,
Mo Chit exit 1)
The mother of all markets sprawls over a huge area
Kamphaeng Phet exits 1 & 2,
