Buying furniture in Thailand, prices and qualities?

[OneMoreFarang]

I bought very little furniture in my life. I.e. one office desk maybe 20 years ago and that still does the job.

I also bought office chairs before and I learned that many of them don't survive very long. Now I bought a very good and expensive chair with 10 years warranty.

 

Recently I also bought from IKEA a cheap small table for 600B and drawer unit for 7000B with 10 years warranty.

I build both myself according to the instructions. The cheap table gives me the impression that it is easy to damage it (maybe just with a vacuum cleaner). The office drawer seems to be good quality - as far as I can tell.

 

My question is how to judge the quality of furniture. And obviously how to do that in a shop when we buy furniture and not seeing 10 years later which one was good.

Is quality almost always related to the price? Or is it possible to buy relative good relative cheap furniture and expensive low quality furniture?

How can a non-expert see what is good quality and what is bad quality?

 

I guess a high price is also often related to "modern design" and whatever is fashion at that time. Personally I don't care. I.e. if I buy a cabinet it should do the job and it should look ok. I don't care about the newest fancy design which will anyhow be out of date in a few years.

 

It seems some people like IKEA and others don't. Until some time ago I thought they have only cheap furniture. It seems I was wrong. Some of their furniture is definitely not cheap. And it seems many people on the internet think i.e. IKEA kitchen are good value for the money.

 

What do you think? Where do you buy your furniture and how do you judge if the quality is good or not so good.

Obviously all comments are welcome. But personally I don't want cheap cheap and I am not willing to pay a lot of money for the latest designer furniture. Good quality for a reasonable price is what is on my mind. Thanks

[scubascuba3]

I like IKEA, I've bought stuff in the UK and the wardrobes and bed look brand new 10 years later. Here things deteriorate due to humidity etc so will see how my IKEA kitchen, bed and wardrobe last. The IKEA guarantee is very good. I exchanged a mattress 7 months after i bought it, no problem.

 

Alternatively thai furniture could be a no name brand that falls apart quickly with screws, bolts and hinges rusting quickly

[Bangkokhatter]

Generally Ikea, Index and SB furniture have two levels of quality, cheap low quality or a bit higher price which is better quality.

 

I personally have many items from all three bought at the higher price and can honestly say have had no issues with any item, oldest purchase probably ten years ago already.

 

Of course you will get the snobs on here saying Ikea is just cheap rubbish all sourced from China, but it's plainly not true and if it's value for money your after against style and designer name then any of the above stores will suit your needs.

[giddyup]

The price of good quality furniture in Thailand is either on a par with or higher than a similar product in a western country, even if made here. I wanted to buy a nice pair of bedside cupboards, price here around 6000 baht each, made from rubberwood. A similar cupboard in the UK made from oak would cost around the same.

[86Tiger]

 

 

I furnished my entire place from IKEA here in Turkey.  It has served 4 years very well and shows very little wear from 3 destructive kids for 2 years.  This was my first experience with IKEA and I will not hesitate to use them or recommend in the future.

 

But more to your question, identifying quality:  I look for things like real wood vs press board, the feel and/or thickness of fabric indicates higher quality, real leather vs faux leather, the thickness and type of padding, the material filling cushions, etc.  Notice how joints come together and are secured.  Also, the look and feel of the finish is good indicator.  Sometimes it is not apparent but looking at details such as these is a good start in determining over all quality of a piece.

[Gsxrnz]

I go for the modern antique look.

 

My wife can turn a piece of new furniture into a modern antique tout suite.  

[wombat]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

My question is how to judge the quality of furniture

antique and has stood the test of time is perfect for an eclectic taste 

[OneMoreFarang]

53 minutes ago, 86Tiger said:

real wood

It seems many people like real wood. But it seems real wood has lots of challenges mostly because it expands and contracts. And that seems to be the reason why even high quality furniture is often not build with real wood.

[newnative]

     There's a street in Bangkok that has furniture stores lining both sides of it.  Can't remember the name but there's a wide variety--I remember one store had a huge selection of dining chairs.  My partner and I bought a nice dining set in teak with good quality wood and craftsmanship at a shop there.  We have been doing custom cabinets with kitchens, bath vanities, armoires, desks, etc.  We like being able to design exactly what we want and have it made and installed for not much more than off the shelf. 

     We like IKEA for their sisal rugs--good selection in various sizes--and also some of their housewares and lighting.  We also like their selection of big ottomans with storage, something hard to find in Thai-based stores.   We use Index, Chic Republic, SB, and Lifestyle Furniture at Boonthavorn for things like bed frames, sofas, and easy chairs.  We like Asian antiques for things like sideboards, bedside tables, side tables, and cabinets for under tvs.  Asian antiques can make a nice pairing with sleek modern.  From past experience, I would avoid anything made in vinyl from China. 

[khunPer]

Lots of IKEA products are good, even relative cheap - I speak from several years experience, I'm from Scandinavia, just like IKEA - I've had numerous stuff from IKEA, which have lasted for many years, I even brought some cheap IKEA porcelain with me to Thailand, still great after more than 30 years.

 

Cheap furniture in Thailand are made from chipboard and thin wood-look-alike vinyl coating. Moisture makes the chipboard swell up and the thin vinyl easily pels off. Might look nice when new, a couple of years later not so nice; and if you take good care of them, it might take 10 years - or even longer - before they are ready for the bonfire.

 

More expensive furniture made by real wood are normally excellent I have have some, and I've had them for 11 years now; they'll probably last long time. A hint to keep a wooden table top nice is to place a 6 mm glass plate on top, the furniture supplier can have it cut for you.

 

Same for with artificial leather and steel. Artificial leather won't last, and cheap steel might rust in no time. Real leather and quality stainless steel costs more, but lasts and might age nice.

 

Europen kitchens - and yes, an IKEA kitchen is good value for the money - don't seem to last as long time in Thailand, as in Europe. I had a European kitchen installed in my house when I build it, now 11-12 years after I begin to consider some replacements, home in Scandinavia it would last for 25-30 years or longer. Probably both weather and different cooking style, if Thai food is made in a Europen-style kitchen. Having two kitchens in a combined Farang-Thai home makes good sense...

 

At the end it's a question of money, and perhaps it's end up being even in costs - I've not been living here long enough, only 16 years - mening that buying cheap stuff and replacing it relative often might be the same costs as buying more expensive quality stuff, as the life-time of quality stuff in Thailand is still unknown to me...????

[scubascuba3]

One thing about IKEA kitchen units, perhaps all kitchen units here, they are lower than equivalent in UK, probably other farang countries too, so you have to lean over more when using the sink

[OneMoreFarang]

37 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

One thing about IKEA kitchen units, perhaps all kitchen units here, they are lower than equivalent in UK, probably other farang countries too, so you have to lean over more when using the sink

Thanks

I don't plan to get involved in women's work. ????

 

[elcaro]

50 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thanks

I don't plan to get involved in women's work. ????

 

Didnt spend on the kitchen I see ????

[natway09]

Bought 3 peices from Index Living Mall, look great, Veneer sure but look antique/ modern

[Yellowtail]

Generally heavy is better than light, because all things the same, more material is better than less. 

 

I've bought stuff from Index and SB and a few other places. Just look at it and sit on it. Look at the bottom of the chairs and whatnot. You'll start to get an idea of what's decent and what's not. 

 

Only buy stuff you like. 

[sezze]

Table i bought cheap before , pressed wood , even the top layer which was supposed to look like wood was actually paper so damaged very easy with some wet glass ( and you do know cold drinks do condensate some water in Thailand ) so it didn't live very long . After some searching i found real wood table , the style i wanted , for a surprising cheap price in a local shop , bought it , and it is going strong , not a single complaint about it .

Cupboards , same experience , still need a large cupboard for clothes , but i figured out where to find them at affordable prices ( meaning the real wood and not the pressed wood ). 

Seats/chairs , i never found anything cheap actually sitting good . I do mean the ones you sit in for watching TV or relaxing , not dining things . They appear all to have very low quality foam/support , and even the fabric surrounding is many times crappy quality . So i did visit the big stores , and bit the bullet for 3 seat and 2 seat for around 35k (@boonthavorn) , which is expensive imho . But so far it is holding up good .

[Airalee]

Some Ikea stuff is ok.  Some not so much.  Same with all the other “big box” stores here.

 

Better mid-range which will last much longer…..

 

http://www.mangosiam.com
 

http://www.128studio.com
 

https://hultadesign.com
 

https://www.nathanrhodesdesign.com
 

And below…expensive…so you know and understand just how expensive good quality can be and won’t cry as much at midrange prices.

 

https://www.chanintr.com

 

 

[ujayujay]

Buy cheap, get cheap means also for Furniture????

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Airalee said:

And below…expensive…so you know and understand just how expensive good quality can be and won’t cry as much at midrange prices.

Wow, I saw a sofa for 800,000 and then one for over a million THB. After that the 68,000 THB sofa on one of the other sides looked almost reasonable...

Thanks

[Airalee]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Wow, I saw a sofa for 800,000 and then one for over a million THB. After that the 68,000 THB sofa on one of the other sides looked almost reasonable...

Thanks

Yup…it’s really all relative.  I’m not much into the ultra high priced designer furniture although I do like some of the classics such as Knoll and Herman Miller.  Nathan Rhodes does some decent quality knockoffs of some of the mid century classics and I also feel that some of these small independent furniture makers around Bangkok (I’m not familiar with the “furniture district” offerings however) offer much better value (quality for price) than the lesser expensive “big box” stores.

 

Certain things you want to look for (some being harder to find these days vs back in the past)…

 

1.  Solid wood vs veneer over particle board.

2.  For sofas, eight way hand tied construction and kiln dried hardwood construction.

3.  For drawers, dove tailed joints vs stapled on drawer fronts.  It’s also good to know about different kinds of joinery.

 

I personally (for the most part) tend to lean towards the “buy once, cry once” attitude and get quality classic designs that will last a lifetime.  
 

 

“Quality (or lack thereof) is remembered long after the price is forgotten”

-Aldo Gucci

[Andycoops]

Living in Isaan the only decent ish choice is Koncept.

I bought from them 13 years ago to furnish my 3 bedrooms and lounge, I got my kitchen stuff from Global.

All has lasted well, replaced the sofa last year, again from Koncept.

[Orinoco]

23 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

Living in Isaan the only decent ish choice is Koncept.

I bought from them 13 years ago to furnish my 3 bedrooms and lounge, I got my kitchen stuff from Global.

All has lasted well, replaced the sofa last year, again from Koncept.

index is fine.

just bought a lot from them for new house. ( in isan )

Also in my condo, I still got bed, Vanity unit, desk, chest of draws, coffee table. from 20 years ago, all from index  pattaya. not bad going for them.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by Orinoco

[sezze]

It is soo much easier now , with all the websales . Ikea was not here a few years ago , and while they might not be the best quality , they offer good value for money . They are popular everywhere because of it and as far as i've seen it is true in Thailand also . They not bring super quality , but neither super bad , and the price is correct .

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, sezze said:

It is soo much easier now , with all the websales

I like good websites, including IKEA, to browse and look what is available at what price.

But I would never buy anything over a few thousand THB online without looking at it in a shop first.

The combination of good websites and shop(s) is the best.

[Airalee]

8 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I like good websites, including IKEA, to browse and look what is available at what price.

But I would never buy anything over a few thousand THB online without looking at it in a shop first.

The combination of good websites and shop(s) is the best.

You’ll find that’s a problem with sofas as the majority that I saw online (that I was interested in) at various retailers were not on display and were special order only.

[donx]

On 12/8/2021 at 11:40 AM, Airalee said:

Some Ikea stuff is ok.  Some not so much.  Same with all the other “big box” stores here.

 

Better mid-range which will last much longer…..

 

http://www.mangosiam.com
 

http://www.128studio.com
 

https://hultadesign.com
 

https://www.nathanrhodesdesign.com
 

And below…expensive…so you know and understand just how expensive good quality can be and won’t cry as much at midrange prices.

 

https://www.chanintr.com

 

 

When my wife bought her townhouse in Krabi a few years back, we couldn't find any decent bed frames. In the mangosiam.com website you posted, I see the bed styles I like, but I don't see any prices when I click on the beds section. It only shows a picture. I'm wondering if those type of beds are available in Ao Nang, Krabi. As of the last time I visited our townhouse, all the mattresses were lying on the floor with no bed frames. It makes it hard for an old farang like myself to enjoy sitting on them the way they are positioned.

[Airalee]

34 minutes ago, donx said:

When my wife bought her townhouse in Krabi a few years back, we couldn't find any decent bed frames. In the mangosiam.com website you posted, I see the bed styles I like, but I don't see any prices when I click on the beds section. It only shows a picture. I'm wondering if those type of beds are available in Ao Nang, Krabi. As of the last time I visited our townhouse, all the mattresses were lying on the floor with no bed frames. It makes it hard for an old farang like myself to enjoy sitting on them the way they are positioned.

I bought my bed frame from Hulta and have been very pleased with the quality.  I did however upgrade from pine to solid oak so it was about 60k but it is so solid that it will last for a lifetime easily.

 

https://hultadesign.com/product/wood-bed-1-bed-111/

[donx]

16 hours ago, Airalee said:

I bought my bed frame from Hulta and have been very pleased with the quality.  I did however upgrade from pine to solid oak so it was about 60k but it is so solid that it will last for a lifetime easily.

 

https://hultadesign.com/product/wood-bed-1-bed-111/

I'm looking for a bed frame like one of these:

 

[Yellowtail]

26 minutes ago, donx said:

I'm looking for a bed frame like one of these:

Try Mango Siam Furniture 

[HashBrownHarry]

17 hours ago, Airalee said:

I bought my bed frame from Hulta and have been very pleased with the quality.  I did however upgrade from pine to solid oak so it was about 60k but it is so solid that it will last for a lifetime easily.

 

https://hultadesign.com/product/wood-bed-1-bed-111/

This is a good shout, currently speaking with them about some items.

 

Thanks for mentioning it.