Buying a sofa in Thailand

[lopburi3]

I agree the normal leather does not last here and redid a recliner more than 11 years ago and it is still like new looking and feeling and is not used in an air conditioned room - no sweat at all.  But a key point is to use the higher quality upholstery vinyl (which will be more expensive) but less than new purchase and the bad leather flaking off again.  And actually found the <deleted> leather more of a sweat seat than the good vinyl.

[jomtienisgood]

11 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Now that reminds me of Angel Witch ...

AHHHH, a connaisseur.. Nana Plaza;;;; 

[Airalee]

On 12/3/2020 at 9:12 AM, Kenny202 said:

 

That's why these sort of things are so expensive here even though made locally for 2000 baht. So many suckers willing to throw their money away. What an ignoramus 

Nothing is being made for 2000 baht.  Quality furniture is expensive ...always has been.  The 80k(ish) full grain leather sofa I bought recently would be hard to find for that price back in the US.  The 20-30k sofas sold here (and back in the US) will break down within 3-5 years.  A top quality sofa that will last a lifetime...that will be over 100k easily, but amortized over a long period, ends up costing less.

[Kenny202]

18 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

I agree the normal leather does not last here and redid a recliner more than 11 years ago and it is still like new looking and feeling and is not used in an air conditioned room - no sweat at all.  But a key point is to use the higher quality upholstery vinyl (which will be more expensive) but less than new purchase and the bad leather flaking off again.  And actually found the <deleted> leather more of a sweat seat than the good vinyl.

 

yes I have seen what I would call good thick grainy vinyl too but not sure how many upholsterers use it. The stuff I saw didn't look to flash although guy said it was extremely tough. Felt rubbery, stretchy

[Kenny202]

10 minutes ago, Airalee said:

Nothing is being made for 2000 baht.  Quality furniture is expensive ...always has been.  The 80k(ish) full grain leather sofa I bought recently would be hard to find for that price back in the US.  The 20-30k sofas sold here (and back in the US) will break down within 3-5 years.  A top quality sofa that will last a lifetime...that will be over 100k easily, but amortized over a long period, ends up costing less.

 

You are comparing prices here to back in the States? That is ridiculous. Full grained leather? How many hides do they skin in Thailand here a day? Its cow skin. And labor costs here are zero. I think prices here for the same thing should be about half....at the most

 

And my experience in Thailand is just because it looks better or well made and costs a fortune is no guarantee it is going to last any longer than a cheap one

[Airalee]

3 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

 

You are comparing prices here to back in the States? That is ridiculous. Full grained leather? How many hides do they skin in Thailand here a day? Its cow skin. And labor costs here are zero. I think prices here for the same thing should be about half....at the most

 

And my experience in Thailand is just because it looks better or well made and costs a fortune is no guarantee it is going to last any longer than a cheap one

Good leather doesn’t come from Thailand.  It’s just not something they do.  The best tanneries would be ones like Tanneries Haas in France (make the leather for Hermès). Horween (US) and Shinki Hikaku in the US.   Leather working is a hobby of mine so I do actually know something about quality leather and know it when I see it.

[Airalee]

1 hour ago, Airalee said:

Good leather doesn’t come from Thailand.  It’s just not something they do.  The best tanneries would be ones like Tanneries Haas in France (make the leather for Hermès). Horween (US) and Shinki Hikaku in the US.   Leather working is a hobby of mine so I do actually know something about quality leather and know it when I see it.

I meant Shinki Hikaku in Japan

[OneMoreFarang]

32 minutes ago, Airalee said:

I meant Shinki Hikaku in Japan

Obviously ???? 

[Airalee]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Obviously ???? 

At ฿50,000 +/- per square meter (damn customs duties) for their shell cordovan leather...that would be one crazy expensive sofa.

[Raphael Hythlodaeus]

From the above, it seems a common problem with leather sofas in Thailand. I bought mine 3-years ago from a well-known furniture maker here that has a reputation for better quality products but although it looked fine the leather has started to crack. The cloth covering underneath the seats has disintegrated, which I removed revealing a very rough wooden frame. The seats are also sagging due to using poor filling material (I don't know what).

So how to get a quality product in Thailand? Price does not necessarily translate into lasting quality.

I will try Studio 128 as suggested above, but it may be best to get a custom made leather sofa made by the furniture maker who made my condo teak furniture and fabric covered sofa 30+ years ago using high quality foam filling and still in use (after fabric recovered).

But any other suggestions would be welcome.

[CMHomeboy78]

What about elephant leather?

Years ago there was an upmarket shop on Tha Phae Rd. in Chiang Mai selling all kinds of things made of what they called elephant leather, but many people said it was really kwai leather tooled to look like elephant hide.

   Whatever it was, it was very durable. A friend bought a pair of shoes there that lasted him for a long time. I still have a wallet from the mid-90s that is usable to this day.

   Would it work as a covering for sofas?  Maybe so, if it was properly tanned and made thin enough.

[OneMoreFarang]

16 minutes ago, CMHomeboy78 said:

What about elephant leather?

Years ago there was an upmarket shop on Tha Phae Rd. in Chiang Mai selling all kinds of things made of what they called elephant leather, but many people said it was really kwai leather tooled to look like elephant hide.

   Whatever it was, it was very durable. A friend bought a pair of shoes there that lasted him for a long time. I still have a wallet from the mid-90s that is usable to this day.

   Would it work as a covering for sofas?  Maybe so, if it was properly tanned and made thin enough.

Long time ago my parents bought an expensive water buffalo leather sofa in Europe. It lasted for a LONG time - maybe even until now.

[Kenny202]

I ended up buying a fitted sofa cover off Lazada for 1100. Looks like good thick strong fabric and the way it locks onto the sofa looks good too. Time will tell, worst can happen lose 1100 baht. Has many good reviews though so I am hopeful. The structure and comfort of the lounge is still like new so I hope this is the solution.

 

For anyone interested go on Lazada and search "sofa cover" and here is the link to the one I bought. May be an option if your leather or vinyl sofa is ok but finding the surface sticky

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i1384212137-s3526320276.html?urlFlag=true&mp=1 

[jomtienisgood]

On 12/5/2020 at 12:10 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

Long time ago my parents bought an expensive water buffalo leather sofa in Europe. It lasted for a LONG time - maybe even until now.

Obviously, water buffalo's are used to a humid climate.. ????

[Saraburi121]

On 12/3/2020 at 4:41 PM, stubuzz said:

How much are the wooden sofas like the one in the picture?

Mine was not as ornate as the one in the picture but paid 7k several years ago. 

[Raphael Hythlodaeus]

On 12/4/2020 at 8:24 PM, Raphael Hythlodaeus said:

From the above, it seems a common problem with leather sofas in Thailand. I bought mine 3-years ago from a well-known furniture maker here that has a reputation for better quality products but although it looked fine the leather has started to crack. The cloth covering underneath the seats has disintegrated, which I removed revealing a very rough wooden frame. The seats are also sagging due to using poor filling material (I don't know what).

So how to get a quality product in Thailand? Price does not necessarily translate into lasting quality.

I will try Studio 128 as suggested above, but it may be best to get a custom made leather sofa made by the furniture maker who made my condo teak furniture and fabric covered sofa 30+ years ago using high quality foam filling and still in use (after fabric recovered).

But any other suggestions would be welcome.

Update: Studio 128 never replied to my email so they've been kicked into touch. 

Ended up buying a sofa and chair from Natuzzi Editions (a Boonthavorn company). They say their "top grain" leather comes from Italy but the furniture is made in China. 6-months delivery. But they did have a good promotion on offer so went for it.

[OneMoreFarang]

8 hours ago, MilanIsilva said:

Vinyl can be a good alternative, but you’re right. The durability can be hit or miss depending on the quality. If you like the design of your current sofa and it’s still structurally sound, recovering it in vinyl might give you a few more years. Some upholsterers do decent work, but yeah stitching can sometimes be basic. You could also explore some stylish and durable options if you’re thinking of replacing it altogether – click site for a few ideas.

 

My original idea was to buy a velvet sofa. I expected only low-quality leather for affordable sofas or good quality for very high prices.

The sofa which I bought now has high quality leather and was affordable. I like that.

The price for the kind of sofa I want was roughly 30k for velvet and 40k for top grain leather.

And it seems everybody agrees this kind of leather is a lot more durable than any alternative.