Bedroom Furniture (but On A Budget).

[TomBrown]

I've read several posts that say Thepprasit is the place to go for custom made furniture, but wouldn't the cost of solid woods be much more than the chipboard / particle board stuff found in Home Pro / Home Works / Index (which seems expensive)?... or maybe Index adds bigger profits than smaller shops with real wood because of the known name?

Don't want to go to Thepprasit unnecessarily if it's too expensive.

It seems like the prices in Home Pro/Home Works/Index are the same as Argos in the UK. Can't understand that.

Tom.

[Samuian]

I've read several posts that say Thepprasit is the place to go for custom made furniture, but wouldn't the cost of solid woods be much more than the chipboard / particle board stuff found in Home Pro / Home Works / Index (which seems expensive)?... or maybe Index adds bigger profits than smaller shops with real wood because of the known name?

Don't want to go to Thepprasit unnecessarily if it's too expensive.

It seems like the prices in Home Pro/Home Works/Index are the same as Argos in the UK. Can't understand that.

Tom.

Forget the Index, Konzept, HomePro Stuff, unless it is solid if it's particle board... it is strong cardboard - none else - bad new if you want to use your furniture...solid wood furniture in Thailand is still very cheap and will last... consider this well!

I have experience with the cheap stuff from rental & accommodation, daily heavy usage... it' is simply crap and not worth a cent spending!

[johnnyk]

The cost difference for solid wood isn't much and can actually be less if you look around.

In this climate the veneer can peel off the sawdust-glue stuff quite quickly. This does not happen with solid wood.

[chivo]

you'd be surprised with how affordable some of the all wood furniture is at chatuchuk market. the shops dont usually have a lot on display, but enuf so you can see the quality, and they have photo books and can do custom. i have bought some great stuff there.

[johnnyk]

Index and their ilk bump up the prices because

1) Joe/Bjorn/Hans/Nigel Falang will pay it (its cheaper than the same sawdust crap in the west).

2) Many Thais want to appear 'with-it' by having 'euro-style' furnishings.

I've heard "Why you wan' dis? Dis ol' style" from many Thais.

I bought solid wood and it was about the same price as the glue/sawdust. My beds are so heavy it takes two people to carry one.

Edited September 14, 2008 by johnnyk

[TomBrown]

What I really needed was built-in wardrobes (H: 237cm, W: 220cm) to start with, as well as bed, chest of drawers, all in a lighter coloured wood. I went to a few shops on Sukhumvit Road and several down Thepprasit Road, which had prices from ฿25,000 to ฿35,000 for the wardrobes, the latter price being for Teak and the shop said about one to two weeks to make. The cost of two wardrobes, bed, bedside cabinet, and chest of drawers all in particle board from Index was about ฿28,000, so in the end I had to settle for the particle board stuff, partly on price and partly just not enough time at the moment.

Seeing the Index wardrobes in place now, although okay as they are, I wish I had more time to search for a better priced solid wood alternative. I'll come back to this before the year end.

Does the prices I've been quoted sound about right?

If not Teak (Mai Sak), which other wood would you recommend?

[JimmyTheMook]

The furniture here is absolute crap.

Your only decent option is the HomeWorks custom wood shop where real wood is used and you can design your own. It will be a bit more expensive but will not fall/peel apart in a few years time.

[Crash999]

I've read several posts that say Thepprasit is the place to go for custom made furniture, but wouldn't the cost of solid woods be much more than the chipboard / particle board stuff found in Home Pro / Home Works / Index (which seems expensive)?... or maybe Index adds bigger profits than smaller shops with real wood because of the known name?

Don't want to go to Thepprasit unnecessarily if it's too expensive.

It seems like the prices in Home Pro/Home Works/Index are the same as Argos in the UK. Can't understand that.

Tom.

Index furniture uses MDF not particle board. I've been to their factory (Bangkok Interfurn) several times and exported product from them- it's a top quality operation, though the ex-factory costs can be somewhat high relative to what can be found elsewhere in the region. You won't find their product at ASDA, for example, as ASDA will buy cheaper product from China. So Index is not the cheapest option, for sure. But I trust their capability and quality especially compared with some of the smaller brands out there.

The advantage of MDF over solid wood is primarily cost, both in terms of material and ease of manufacturing. Also as the surface is a veneer there is better color consistency than can be found with stained solid wood. The advantage of solid wood is a more durable construction and perceived higher value.

In reality the longevity of MDF furniture is such that you'll probably wind up replacing your furniture long before you need to do so anyway. If you go for solid wood then locally-grown rubberwood is more than adequate as a material- it's cheap, strong, and takes stain easily. Teak is overkill unless you want to have the same wardrobe around 100 years later- also there are ethical considerations as teak can take 50+ years to reach maturity and a lot of wood is still illegally sourced.

My advice is to buy solid wood for surfaces that are used regularly (for example a dining room table, coffee table) and MDF for everything else. With Index you know what you're getting. With a set of custom furniture you are responsible for the design and the quality of the wood can be unknown- was it kiln dried to prevent cracking? Is the glue a good quality to prevent drying? Was it fumigated to prevent insect eggs from hatching?

The above is applicable only to indoor furniture. For outdoor furniture you must use solid wood and only woods with a high density- you cannot use rubberwood for outdoor furniture (though some people try) as it will most definitely rot.

[johnnyk]

Good solid wood furniture can be resold, no pompem.

Chipboard/glue will diminish in value, effectively no resale IMO.

[nitnoymoy]

Termites luv mdf so make sure you take out a contract with a pest control firm if you choose this option ,I pay just under 7000 per year for a 4 bed 3 bath house south pattaya I lost 2 fitted wardrobes to the unwanted guests, but since I got sprayed every month no probs. Thinking about rebuilding them now,ok now for about 2 years ,managed to save the mirror doors,cupboards etc but would have them rebuilt without false backs and bases then you can see whats going on inside

[billp]

I don't know anything about it, but I found this on the web:

MDF is an acronym for Medium Density Fiberboard, also known as particleboard. A manufactured material made essentially of glue and sawdust, the material has a weight and strength similar to real wood but there are many differences. It can be very difficult for the average furniture buyer to see the difference between a carefully veneered MDF board and a solid wood top.

MDF can absorb moisture, and when it does it expands often ruining the surface of the "wood". Typically covered with a laminated wood surface, the expanding or swelling MDF can distort or even delaminate the surface permanently ruining the appearance of the furniture.

If you've ever remodeled a kitchen and removed cabinets, you might have noticed that MDF disintegrates into a smelly dust.

MDF furniture might look like wood but it is essentially fake furniture, a cheap and temporary way of having some good-looking furniture, but not for long. Set a glass on a laminate-over-MDF table and see what happens. Laminate over MDF cannot be re-finished, because there is nothing to refinish so the furniture is ruined. Imagine the consumers' surprise when trying to repair or re-finish a piece of this type of furniture - a good sanding will not only remove the dent or watermark but also the veneer.

Another problem with MDF is that is internally weak. Screws or nails placed into the material have a tenuous grip

Comments?

[Tony121]

you get what you pay for, I found cheap chipboard furniture also attracts mould more than real wood

If you can afford real wood get it as al will last you a lot longer.

[chivo]

i just had some more real-wood furniture delivered from a shop in chatuchuk, and its really nice. solid, well finished, and inexpensive. and it looks very expensive- not junky.

going back for more.