Best place to buy silk in Bangkok?

[taffygrrl]

Need to buy some silk gifts for friends that sew and know fabric quite well. Planning to go to the Jim Thompson Soi 93 Outlet. Searched the forum but didn't find any recent recs. Are there any other amazing places for quality silk in Bangkok?

[Filer]

Try 'Old Siam Mall' in Chinatown - at the corner of Charoen Krung and Triphet, close to Pahurat cloth market. On one of the upper floors (one floor up from ground floor, I think) there's quite a large area of small shops devoted to silk and silk-type fabrics. A lot of the ladies in Bangkok appear to go there for their silk material for dressmaking etc.

 

My wife and I have purchased there when we needed silk of a certain colour to make sets of cushions. I think that you need to have some basic knowledge of silk types and prices to buy wisely there - it's not like J Thompson in Sukh 93 where you can get information and guidance,  but where prices (even in that 'outlet shop') are quite high. If you don't know Old Siam Mall, it's an interesting place that a lot of middle-class locals seem to use - fabrics, dress-making, gold and jewelry, cheap ready-made clothes, leather goods, guns etc - and of course eating places. There is parking below, but we always go on public transport. We're looking forward to the opening late next year of the westward extension of the underground blue line - there will be a stop very close to Old Siam Mall, two stops along from Hua Lamphong.

[rak sa_ngop]

Yes Old Siam, but also the nearby ChinaWorld Mall which has been completely taken over by fabric sellers (mainly Indian). Also look around the adjoining streets, lots of fabric shops.

[thedemon]

Haven't been for many years but there used to be a couple of shops behind THAI Airways Head Office on Vibhavadi Rangsit.

 

They produce the inflight uniforms for THAI cabin crew but also sell silk by the metre.