Have clothes made in Thailand
As you probably know it is very tempting to get into Thailand to have a suit or a dress made. It's cheap, fast and the range is huge.
On streets like Sukhumvit, Khao San in Bangkok, there are countless tailor shops and you will be seduced by signs with super offers: 1 suit with two trousers, 3 shirts, a pair of ties and all for a price that you can find a pair of nice T-shirts in Europe. shirts for buy. Most of the tailors are of Indian or Pakistani descent, although most of them have also been in Thailand for generations.
Of course it is not all as beautiful as it seems and the final result is often disappointing.
How did that happen? Are there so many crooks among the tailors? There will undoubtedly be some, but if you follow the tips below, it will certainly help to avoid disappointment.
- Remember that your tailor should get as much information as possible from you so that he knows exactly what you want. Just choosing the fabric and having your size taken is not enough. You will have to describe as precisely as possible what you want. The average Thai man is not a good example as their suits usually look like baggy bags so if you don't say anything and don't give any details that's what your tailor will make for you.
- The quality of the material is very important and it makes sense that an imported fabric from Europe is more expensive than a nylon fabric or textiles woven in Thailand.
- Take plenty of time for the whole process. Having a suit made 24 hours before you go home is not convenient and leads to disappointments.
- GreenWood Travel is happy to help you with addresses of tailors with whom we have good experiences, but the main point remains: be assertive and make your wishes clearly known.
I had a suit made in Chiang Mai three weekends ago. Was approached at the night bazaar by a little guy and … indeed, taken to a shop somewhere below / afterwards. Sitting there chatting and taking the gamble. I could choose a standard lining or a really nice processed fabric with special stitching tapes. I thought it looked good and as a 1.94 cm tall guy with 120+ kilos of Dutch wealth on and in the bones, you won't get anything decent that fits anywhere here. He started with a jacket, two trousers and two shirts at 18.000 THB. Well… phew. I do not think so. Got the calculator to do /2 and said bluntly that I normally pay that in BKK (never did). The broad smile of both gentlemen disappeared and there was some fiddling in Burmese.
Really couldn't: with that beautiful lining...? No sorry!
I wanted to walk away, but… okay, you my friend: 10.000 TBH. I thought: hmmm… am I willing to do that? In the Netherlands I always have to get my suits from Van Dal and then I lose 169 for a jacket and 69 for one pair of trousers… Hmm… okay. We'll take the gamble. If I succeed, I have 'won' an extra pair of trousers and two custom shirts. In the worst case I have a bad feeling one evening and I feel cheated and 'how could I have been so stupid…'.
Measuring pressure sizes (was Friday evening around 21:30 I think). They are such small men that he stood on a stool to measure my neck ha ha ha. Said I wanted my initials on the shirt pockets (no problem). I ordered the 'cufflinks' style shirts. I then paid a deposit of 4.000 THB by credit card and I had to come back at 11am the next day.
Done. They had already (at night?) made something of a vest that would be used for the jacket. It was draped over my broad shoulders and then adjusted with pins. The trousers were already ready. Looked fine. Slightly too big in the band, but would be adjusted. If I could come back again in the evening. But with a little 'lucky money' left behind. Oh yes: 'cash money preferably…' Ha ha ha. Well okay. 3.500 on credit card and 500 in cash.
Back around 22:00 PM. Colbert hung there! Two shirts also ready. Just noticed a few small things to finish it off. Was I not interested in also 3 extra shirts…? Hmm, I did gain confidence in those two little Burmese, so why not. They wanted 5.000. Well, divided by two again, but it came to 3.000. Not a penny more. (Very probably still (much) too much: but oh well... they also have to live I think with almost everything here). Three more fabrics selected. Also a black shirt: King's feeling will be black for a few more weeks and a few will die left and right, so I'll have it hanging.
Everything neatly picked up the next morning (Sunday morning). Neatly put in a suit bag and received another set of tie with cufflinks.
The tuk-tuk driver told me that I had made a world deal against my (Thai) bride-to-be. Lying in consession I think suspiciously, but well: I was ready for 13.000 THB. Jacket, two slacks, five shirts. Beautiful fabric. Beautifully finished and made to measure: it fits like a glove. Now finally for once not those standard size 47 shirts that I need for my shoulders ('swimmer build' by nature, but after I turned 40 a snack bar conservatory was built against it), but where I then have a Thai in the 'belly' can tuck away when I pull the shirt forward. No, it has now also been delivered nicely signed. Home in two weeks. A few times to customers, where I will happily walk around in the suit, then quickly back here in October; where life is sabai mak mak. So far so far one (positive) experience. But... maybe all the stitching has already fallen out after one day of wearing it: I'll keep you posted.
I wonder how they actually do it... All those Burmese will have a factory somewhere in the center of Chiang Mai where they put slaves to work, but couldn't find anything about it on the internet... Anyone have an idea?
By the way, forget about the 'finished in <24 hours' story. If they really want to do it right, you really have to go back a few times to fit.
Good story, nice and short too: we're not going to do anything with it.
: )
Alex
Beautifully written story.
As far as I'm concerned, you should write more often. 555
But there will be an update anyway: about how the stitching went.
And if it all went well I would like to have the address.
It's a lot of money, I think, but it's a beautiful story and everyone's happy. Nice example of “Fair Trade”.
Otherwise the pennies would have disappeared into the pockets of passers-by.
We have been several times
Make clothes for both men and women. Different addresses, both in Bangkok and in Chiang Mai, but never really had it that good. If you have some different sizes it is really difficult. At Manhatten in bangkok, quite cheated and the hotel security had to be involved to get the original clothing back. In addition, every time half the city to try on is not what you want during your holiday. Maybe all can be cheaper after the necessary haggling, but quality???
Hey Nicky,
In my case, the different sizes have been the reason to try it once… 🙂
It is true that you may have to cross half the city and yes, if I had been very precise I would have had to add a few baths in connection with the tuk-tuk and the E85 (fuel) in our car. It's peanuts on the 13K though. In time it went really well and for me (unlike travelers and holidaymakers perhaps) it can go 'sabai mak mak'. In short: relax and have fun. I had driven from Sukothai to Chiang Mai with my girlfriend and family for a weekend and we had no fixed plans. I live 50%-50% in Thailand and the Netherlands (I took pre-retirement last May when I turned 44).
So well: if you want to save yourself that effort and avoid the risk, you don't have your clothes made to measure. It's a free choice. I only described my experiences -so far- and tried to describe the framework in which it came about. It is difficult to judge whether the quality is as good as claimed. We'll see and promised is promised: I'll get back to it.
Sawasdee Khrap!
Once had a suit made by Mr Guru in Cha Am, it took a few days, but the result was very good and at a reasonable price.
We listened carefully to wishes, in short, very satisfied!
The problem in Thailand is that if you visit 10 shops and have your size taken, 10 different sizes come out. And then the fact that there are more than 120 fabrics does not make it any easier. You can have shirts made for 300 baht and from 1000 baht.
I have now discovered a fabric that is no less than Alcantara, most people from the past still know. Beautiful fabric and can be put in the washing machine with cold wash and hang up wet and like new again. pricey, yes …… about 4500 baht for a jacket, but when alcantara was in fashion, about 30 years ago in Holland, you couldn't get away with less than 1200 guilders ……. but have had them for over 12 years and remain new...so all worth it. Looks like suede and not many shops have it, but if you find one, let it be made. A jacket for life.
I also had a suit made once. An Indian who even said he had been to the Netherlands.
125 euros for a dark suit with pinstripes, waistcoat, two ties and two shirts.
That was in 2004 and it wasn't until more than ten years later that it was of no use to me anymore... my own fault, because I ate more than 12 kilograms of it. Things were very tight, haha!
My younger brother had to apply for a job and needed a suit, and it's been with him ever since.
Fortunately, the shirts were a bit wider, so I still have them now.
The shop on Central Road in Pattaya is long gone, but the quality was 100 percent good.
Are many clothing makers who tour Europe.
You can even make a deal with them that you take care of customers.
You will then receive a certain percentage or something similar.
I have shirts made here, hand in a well-fitting shirt with a breast pocket and after selecting the color and fabric it is neatly copied, I do not use trousers and suits here.
Had clothes made for my brother, who is 1.80 meters tall and weighs 150 kilos.
So extra expensive in NL.
Had it made here at a shop that mainly makes uniforms for municipal officials.
Was good in one go, no fitting in the meantime, etc. The man told us that is not really necessary. They make thousands of uniforms for the municipality etc without fitting. In the unlikely event that it does not sit well, no man overboard because it will be adjusted.
My brother liked the price.
In Hua Hin there is a shop called Picasso, had a jacket made a few times. Perfect fit and beautiful fabric, price around € 180, =. Now have some more made, including a jacket, the fabric of which was taken. No problem, a reasonable price and it fits perfectly. A few times even fit at 22:00.
Nice people and acceptable price. W e are very pleased with the result.
I picked up my costume from Picasso last week and immediately wore it to a wedding over the weekend.
Very satisfied with the result, much better than what I have experienced in the past in several other places.
My wife was so impressed that she had a beautiful dress made and she was very pleased with the result.
Have clothes made several times in Pattaya tailor in Woodlands resort name Willy very bad and still expensive. Have clothes made in Phuket, they have a shop in Patong beach and Phuket city, really high class, well finished with the same color yarn, fits perfectly and not expensive, exactly what I wanted.
Once in Chiang Mai night market wanted a Chinese blouse fabric selected had to fit paid and then it turned out that they were all small patches yes large size costs more. Naturally refused and then threatened nicely with tourist police who walked by I got my money back. Since then I've been cured of having it custom made some make a mess of it outside neat inside there it was topstitched with different color sorry but I won't accept that.
Once in CHIANG MAI, I had 2 suits made at a Nepalese tailor next to the EMPRESS hotel, 1 with and 1 without a jacket. Afterwards I ordered another jacket, requested with the same sizes, but upon delivery (by post) it was much too small .
On my next trip there, I was there with my girlfriend/guide and explained the problem, and immediately remedied, and perfectly suited.
I had several suits made in Thailand.
Over the years about 6 or so.
In recent years I brought the fabric and buttons with me from the Netherlands.
The quality here that you buy in a fabric store is often better quality.
The tailor also showed me that he did business with Swedish tailors.
They then send him the fabric and measurements and he made the costume.
The costume went to Sweden and back twice for the final fit.
There is a lot of chaff among the wheat when it comes to tailors in Thailand. But I am lucky to have found a (very) good one where I have had clothes made several times.
For myself: a suit, shirts, trousers (measured on the spot)
For my son: suits, shirts (copy of clothes taken with you)
Everything was made perfectly. Quality fabric and dimensions, nothing to criticize. Sonny, the owner, is a friendly honest man and takes all the time to take measurements, help you choose the fabric and discuss the details. Simply a lovely man. No screaming or seasoned nagging salesman. As far as I am concerned, he is a man who knows his trade. The price is good too.
Feel free to take a look at: The Prague, 41 Ratchamanka Road, Chiang Mai. (old center, opposite Restaurant Coconot Shell)
Rated 5 stars by customers on Tripadvisor.