420

@elias61
Going to a tailor is like going to a doctor. For every 10 happy patients one will not be satisfied. Geographicus recommended Ms Tanika. Well I also went there and was happy with the results. The entire 6 week process consisted of many, many fittings, first with a suit made of a plain garment fabric just to get the pattern, then multiple fittings and adjustments with the suiting material and the end result was a fully canvassed, well fitting suit of Barberis fabric that I'm very satisfied with. Is it perfect? Probably not. Another tailor could find things that I'm not even aware of and pick away at them. But I've taken the suit back after having it for 6 months because something about the sleeve length bothered me and they adjusted it and I'm happy again. Even the really skilled Bangkok tailors who are not just fabric sellers need the customer to be really specific with the details, contour. silhouette, etc because without that they will give you their not too imaginative idea of a suit. I had two suits made by another Charoen krung Thai tailor and was not happy. I think I had them over adjust the suits and it killed the silhouette. Fully prepared to scrap the suits I took them to my adjustment tailors and they took one look, correctly identified the problem, and in 2 days I once again had two beautiful fully functional suits. So for every happy story in this city of 8+million soon to be wading in the flooding Chao Phraya river Bangkokians, you're bound to meet your share of unhappy customers. But as long as you follow the rules of commerce, buyer beware, you should be alright.

421

All,
I have a few suits purchased in Australia (Oxford and Ted Baker) that need to be hemmed and taken in, also the leg width , particularly at the hem is too wide by a few inches and I wish to have all of this altered. I also have a suit that needs the jacket altered as well. From the site I will probably go somewhere around asoke, and I am thinking of narin or tannika. Does anyone have any positive or negative experiences in having off the rack suits altered in Bangkok? I have plenty of time as I live in Bangkok. Also I have some shirts that I would like tapered or made a little more European styled.

Nathan

422

A local Thai/Indian tailor I've used frequently for alterations of suits and shirtsm is Emporium Tailors on Suklhumvit across the soi from Villa on Sukhumvit. They have completely altered my shirts including narrowing and shortening sleeves, tapering the torso, adjusting the shoulders and the yoke. They have also tapered trouser width and adjusted several suit jackets including shoulders, narrowing sleeves, and tapering the torso. The work was done in a reasonably speedy fashion and at a decent price. So I would recommend them.

423

I had a suit fabricated by World Group on Charoen krung Rd, soi 40, just before the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. I purchased the fabric, a nice Versace 120 all wool from a local fabric shop in Bangkok and brought them a suit I had made in Tanika on Sukhumvit that I was very happy with. They copied the suit perfectly and even the few twists I wanted. They copied the very fine pick stitching and all the other details I insisted on. The suit was ready in about 2 weeks. I'm very happy with the workmanship and the cut and would recommend WG. But like all tailors in Bkk, if you don't know exactly what you want the suit to look like, be it a picture or suit to copy, you'll get their standard cookie cutter suit.

424

Hi all and thanks for this thread Kevin!

Me and my girlfriend are travelling to Bangkok the coming February, arriving wednesday the 22 of Feb and leaving to Phuket on Monday the 27 Feb.

Now, after reading through most of this thread (which took a lot of time) I understand that these 5 days are way too short to create a suit, which is too bad because I really wanted one. I don't have a lot of insight in how a good suit should be or anything, I just want a neat suit that stands out a bit with a modern touch to use at parties and special events (not for work mainly).

I was acctualy thinking of maybe finding a picture for one of the tailors to copy with some fine fabrics of course. Now here is problem number one. I have no idea what kind of suit that is modern and would be a good choice. I'm 28 years old, weighing about 85kg and 175 cm tall. Like I said, a multi use suit which stands a bit out with a few modern touches. Please give me some advice and maybe a few examples on a good suit for me and recommended fabrics.

Also I've considered a few shirts as well. Like the suit I really have no insight. Any special recommendations for a novice as myself considering style and fabrics is appreciated!

I have considered a few tailors reading this thread without any idea if they would match my timeschedule:

• Raja's Fashion - has some great reviews on Tripadvisor
• Emipire Tailors - also have great reviews on Tripadvisor
• Moon River - based upon feedback in this thread
• Narin Coture - guessing he will not make my deadline...

Any thougts about the mentioned once or maybe other good choices?

Also my girlfriend would like a few dresses done in the same time frame. She wants to wear them like me at parties and special occations. She's 27 years old, 150 cm tall and has a normal sized body. Is there any recommendations for her in Bangkok? It doesn't have to be the most expensive dressed in the city but she's looking for something special and considering her height she's looking for something custom made.

Thanks a lot for your help in advance!
Kind regards from Norway :-)

425

Ohh and by the way.... I'm thinking of maybe getting a 3 piece suit as I find it pretty cool. I have an old pocket watch to attach to that waistcoat.

426

Bought 2 suits from "The Oriental Galleria" @ 1115-1119 Rama 4 Rd

Does anyone have experience with this place? I am concerned about the "A Grade" material that I have selected for my suit as well as the quality of the tailoring / finishing?

I was directed to this place by a 'teacher' the the Erawan shrine - obviously part of the scam perhaps?

Are my suits going to last a few dry cleans and is the quality of the material indeed "A grade"? Roger, the salesman, kept burning the material and saying that the hair smell meant it was of great quality.

The suit also looked very odd on the shoulder pad / arm join - I was told to face forward and not to worry about how the suit looks from the side.

Paid 15000 baht for 2 suits - have I been scammed?

Any comments welcome......

427

Have you been scammed?

Thats hard to say, because we have no information to go on.
But do not expect a lot, since you pay 7500 baht per suit, while that normally not even enough to buy A-grade material for a suit (VBC marino wool for example).

And it does sound like a scam, with a "teacher" hanging around some tourist attraction and he helps people with things they never asked for.

The good news is that it is only 15K baht.

428

Thank enzino,

I don't really have much more to add - yet to use or dry clean the suits. I'm apprehensive as to how long they will last!

Only additional point is that I think the oriental galleria is affiliated with abprofessional and Brioni. These have both had bad comments on TA and other forums.

Excuse the broad question however, what additional info will help with knowing if I have been scammed? Perhaps the answer lies in using the suit a few times...

429

It all depends a bit on what you call "scammed".

If they sell you an empty box, while they told you there was a phone in there, then you have been scammed. And proving it would be simple by opening the box.

In this case its harder to know if you have been scammed. They probably told you the suit would be top-notch and perfect, but nothing is perfect. So depending on your taste and eye for quality you will find better deals in the future. Its hard to call it a "complete scam" though, since the seller sold you a suit, and thats also what you got.

One last advice: just try the suit on in the shop before walking out, and bring someone who knows a bit about suits. As long as you havent walked out, they probably agree to make alterations for free (as long as it is obvious it doesnt fit).

430

I still have trouble understanding people who expect to have a high quality wool suit, fabricated with painstaking care in 4 days for baht 8,000. 9 times out of 10 at that price you're getting a polyester blend or a cheap Chinese wool and polyester blend with an Italian label. And even if you bring your own expensive European fabric in 4 days you'll get a rush job and it won't be a canvass chest and will be missing all the elements of a custom suit. But the best posts are the ones where the customer is second guessing his purchase and wondering if he's been ripped off because he bought two suits for baht 15,000!

431

Before I say anything on this thread I should give some context since depending on what you are looking for they may or may not be relevant.

1. I am not a man, so I don't really know anything about men's suits. My comments only apply to women's suits and other clothing.

2. I am plus sized and very pear shaped. Depending on the off the rack sizing I can be up to 4 sizes different top and bottom. My biggest issue is fit rather than fabric or design. I have gotten super cheap (~$20) off the rack dresses tailored in the US effectively doubling or tripling the price and they've looked as good or better on than more expensive clothes. All of the places I went took at least 2 fittings to get a decent fit and usually 3 or 4. Sometimes they could do a first fitting in the morning and a second in the late afternoon/evening, but unless you are easy to fit, expect that you will not be able to get a good fit in 24 hours, regardless of advertisements.

3. I am currently living in Bangkok, but I have only had tailoring/dressmaking done in Thailand in Chiang Mai. But I have had 2 traditional suits made at 2 different tailors, alterations made at 3 different tailors, and shirts, dresses, trousers and/or unconstructed suits made at all 3 of the same tailors. So I have a reasonable amount of experience.

Based on the above I can definitely agree that any place where people linger outside to invite you in is a bad idea. One of the places I went to lured me in mainly because my feet hurt. I knew it was a bad idea but I was with my mother and went with her instincts instead of mine. This place did the worst job and made the most misleading statements about the material, etc. For example, I was shown "100% Thai silk" but after some skeptical consideration I said "so this is a silk blend, right?" and the sales guy said "yes."

In addition, the generality that the places with run by South Asians are a bad idea is a good one. (The place with the outside touter was one.) This advice was actually given to me by another tailor in Thailand as well. In addition, I would say that in general Indian merchants are more comfortable than Thais in doing a hard sell or Americans in resisting the hard sell. Of course that is a generality, so specific shops and people may be different.

The second place I went was a "showroom" in a hotel in a tourist area (the first place was also in a tourist area). This place was staffed by a Burmese guy who did some of the finishing but not the majority of the work. (You should know that Burmese are generally not treated well in Thailand. For example his boss demanded that he work 6 12 hour days plus another half day. Needless to say he wasn't the most loyal worker!) He would tell me things like this is the silk we have. I am supposed to tell you that this is 100% Thai silk but it is actually a blend. Or, we can make this alteration but it will lower the standard of the finishing. Part of the reason I think he did this is that I spent a fair amount of time talking with him about his history (free English lessons for him) and didn't rush the process.

Based on this, I would reiterate that it is all about relationship. If you don't or can't take the time to invest in one you won't get the best results.

This second place required the most fittings and threw in an extra pair of trousers at the cost of fabric because one of the others had to be resown so many times that it impaired the integrity of the fabric at the waistband (they are still acceptable though after 4 years).

The third place I went to was "Khun Nok" a Thai seamstress with a storefront in a non-touristy section of town that does not carry her own fabric and speaks the least English of the bunch. Nevertheless, her the dresses she made with the fabric I provided were closest to the pictures and designs I requested. In addition her workmanship was of the best quality. Because I bought the fabric I got something that I was more sure of the quality and could pick something that was more to my style. The other shops selections are really tailored to menswear and did not include any knits or stretch cottons. This was fine for suits but not ideal for tops and dresses. If you want something that you will love and be sure of the quality, choose your own fabric. Especially if you don't want Thai silk or a traditional menswear type suit, trousers or shirt.

None of the places I've been to were able to replicate pictures, although Khun Nok did a nice job of replicating some pants with a couple of minor alterations to the waist and inseam based on only the pants (no fitting as I was in the States!). And all of the garments that weren't copies have a certain "sameness" and "Thai-ness" to the style. In general, Thais have a tendency to do things the "proper" way no matter what you request. Again, this is a generality but unless you can be super specific and have no communication problems you probably won't get exactly what you want. This is probably not a problem if you want a garment copied and can leave it with them but unless you are an excellent communicator with a great knowledge of both Thai and tailoring you probably will get something that looks like the samples made up already in the store.

Based on my experience I would say that if you want something even a little bit trendy, buy it off the rack and get it copied or altered. I haven't yet tried this but some of the trendy boutiques (which generally only offer women's clothing in sizes smaller than a US size 8 or 10 petite) offer made to measure options. I am hoping that works, but I haven't tried it. If you just want "a suit" or professional menswear style clothes that fit, go to pretty much any of the places that don't appear shady and aren't suggested by tuk tuk drivers or storefront touters. And if you want quality, bring your own fabric, don't look for a place in tourist areas, and build a relationship with the tailor.

Finally, if anyone knows a place in BKK that is experienced doing dressmaking for plus sized women please post it!

432

Hi to all.

So i went trough all 30 pages of this topic (with was a struggle as English is no my first language),and it looks like I still don't know is it OK,to get tailor made suit in Thailand or not:D

My holiday starts in few weeks and I am going to stay in Ao-Nang( Krabi), for a 14 days.
This will be my second time in Thailand,but first time in Ao Nang.
Now, I am thinking about affordable suit and extra pair of pants plus couple of tailor made shirts.
So what is your advice? should I go for it, or I am better off getting something of the rack In Zara?(I am from Europe)
Don't expect Italian quality, but I want to know if I spend about 300euro in total, is this get me a descent modern looking suit, with last for a while?Not really in position to throw away 300E to be honest.
I am thinking about Kings tailor, or Star tailor, both in Ao- nang. any tips?Recommendations?
Also I am quite tall (185cm), and slim looking(76kg), is this will be advantage or disadvantage(famous shoulder pads)

thanks in advance

marcin

Edited by: transik

Edited by: transik

433

#437: 14 days time and EUR 300? Better buy something of the rack in Europe.

#438: 19000 baht for VBC Super 160 sounds like bogus. Never heard of Pinky tailor but I guess if that is a decent tailor it would have been mentioned before somewhere in this thread.

434

@enzino
i think you are overreacting, to be honest.
I would say 75% of people stays in Thailand 2 weeks or less, and yet some of them (dont know how many, but by looking at the comments, lots of them) manage to buy nice suit.Not all of us expect best bespoke money can buy, enzino.m2m would be nice too.