BANGKOK
BANGKOKSHOPPINGBANGKOKSHOPPING TOURIST MARKETS
The souvenir sellers have an amazing knack
for sniffi ng out what new arrivals want to
haul back home – perennial favourites in-
clude raunchy T-shirts, mŏrn kwăhn (tradi-
tional Thai wedge-shaped pillow), CDs and
synthetic sarongs.
Th Khao San Market STREET MARKET
(Map p 60 ; Th Khao San; h11am-11pm; bus 2, 15, 44,
511, river ferry Tha Phra Athit) The main guest
house strip in Banglamphu is a day-and-night
shopping bazaar for serious baht pinchers,
with cheap T-shirts, ‘bootleg’ CDs, wooden el-
ephants, hemp clothing, fi sherman pants and
other goods that make backpackers go ga-ga.Th Sukhumvit Market STREET MARKET
(Map p 92 ; Th Sukhumvit btwn Soi 2 & 12, 3 & 15;
h11am-11pm; BTS Nana) Knock-off bags and
watches, stacks of skin-fl ick DVDs, Chinese
throwing stars and other questionable gifts
for your high-school-aged brother dominate
at this market peddling to package and sex
tourists.ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK... IS NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE
A SUIT MADEMany 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 drivers to
shoddy workmanship and inferior fabrics make bespoke tailoring in Bangkok a poten-
tially disappointing investment. To maximise your chances of walking away feeling (and
looking) good, read on...
The golden rule of custom tailoring is that you get what you pay for. If you sign up for
a suit, two pants, two shirts and a tie, with silk sarong thrown in for US$169 (a very popu-
lar off er in Bangkok), the chances are it will look and fi t like a sub-US$200 wardrobe.
Although an off er may seem great on the surface, the price may fl uctuate signifi cantly
depending on the fabric you choose. Supplying your own fabric won’t necessarily reduce
the price by much, but it should ensure you get exactly the look you’re after. If it’s silk you
fancy, go straight to the Jim Thompson outlet (p 138 ) for quality at good prices.
Have a good idea of what you want before walking into a shop. 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 advise. Alternatively,
bring a favourite garment from home and have it copied.
Set aside a week to get clothes tailored. Shirts and trousers can often be turned
around in 48 hours or less with only one fi tting, but no matter what a tailor may tell you, it
takes more than one and often more than two fi ttings to create a good suit. Most reliable
tailors will ask for two to fi ve sittings. Any tailor that can sew your order in less than 24
hours should be treated with caution.
Reputable tailors include:
» Pinky Tailors TAILOR
(Map p 86 ; 888/40 Mahatun Plaza Arcade, Th Ploenchit; h10am-7.30pm Mon-Sat; BTS Phloen
Chit) Custom-made suit jackets have been Mr Pinky’s speciality for more than 35
years. Located behind the Mahatun Building.
» Marco Tailors TAILOR
(Map p 86 ; 430/33 Soi 7, Siam Sq; h9am-7pm Mon-Sat; BTS Siam) Dealing solely in men’s
suits, this longstanding and reliable tailor has a wide selection of banker-sensibility
wools and cottons.» (^) Raja’s Fashions TAILOR
(Map p 92 ; 1/6 Soi 4, Th Sukhumvit; h10.30am-8.30pm Mon-Sat; BTS Nana) One of Bang-
kok’s more famous tailors, Raja’s gets a mixed bag of reviews, but the majority swear
by the service and quality.
» (^) Nickermann’s TAILOR
(Map p 92 ; http://www.nickermanns.net; basement, Landmark Hotel, 138 Th Sukhumvit; h10am-9pm;
BTS Nana) 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.