Looking For Suits To Be Made In Bangkok

[scotsmarc]

Hi,

I see there are a lot of threads on getting a suit made in BKK but not a lot of constructive comments.

I am looking to get a suit made and i am looking for recommendations. If you have had western cut suits made and can recommend a good place anywhere in BKK i would appreciate your help, also if you are a tailor and willing to put your reputation on the line for a full and honest review i would be interested in a response also;

I will bring a suit that has a good cut to get copied, it will need to be tailored slightly as i have lost a little weight since i bought it.

I am looking for 2 suits both cashmere finish and with 2 pairs of pants

Any help is really appreciated

[LuckyLew]

I saw a show on TV the other night about the over abundance

of Tailors in Thailand, most of them alledgedley (sp?) being out to make

a fast buck.

a lot of points they made seem like common sense when you think about it

- They lure you in with low price specials

- Once in the store they then tell you that is for low quality

- Then they hard sell what the call "Top Quality"

- Do not use a tailor that says "we will deliver it to your hotel the day you leave"

- Make sure you pick it up at the tailor and try it on at the store before leaving.

Check out

http://www.thetruthabouttailors.com/

Good luck

[Nio]

The article said out of 400 Bangkok Tailors, only 6 were worth a hoot.

Problem was they never named which 6?

One of them was on Soi 3 that supposedly makes suits for all the diplomats but who knows?

Trying to pick which 6 out of 400 is a crap shoot.

The article went on to say Chinatown supplies all the fabric, which is smuggled into Thailand, to anyone on credit that wants to open a shop

So that is how you get all these Indians in business

They are the fast talkers and scam artists

All the suits are sewn in sweat shops manned by old Thai's and Cambodians making 200 baht a day

The hotel delivery service appears to be a big scam

The suit gets to your hotel right before your departure time and then the buyer has no time to check the quality, often arriving back in their own country to find the suit doesn't fit and sewn in a real crap job style

Why Thailand does not do more good reporting like this and starting naming names is beyond me.

[PhilHarries]

I've heard kevlar is a popular material these days. Lightweight and durable.

[LuckyLew]

http://www.thetruthabouttailors.com/recomm...tailor_map.html

[roamer]

Siam Emporium, 2nd Flr Siam Centre. I see its also used by one of the mods here and mentioned in this thread.

Tailors

I've used them for about 15 years. They know what their doing, very good range of imported cloth. Many tailors here are "never mind the quality, feel the width" type merchants. These guys always have work, don't see them having to hang around out front to drag work in. Will be back in summer for some more stuff, and sadly asking them to let some trouser waistbands out a little

[scotsmarc]

guys thanks for the replies excpt Phil!

I had suits made in Samui a couple of years ago and they are still in very good condition.

Lucky, i checked out www.thetruthabouttailors.com/ and thanks for the info. ill mail them and see what response i get. it would be good if i can get a tailor who is willing to be up to the test and ill review then on here. would be a good bit of advertising for them me thinks !

Nio, i think there would be way more than 6, but i do believe there will be a lot of cowboys out there!

[Svenn]

Scotsmarc, Bangkok has only one tailor that will do a 'full-canvassed' suit, a tailoring term meaning that the whole jacket is structured by an extended layer of fabric (done in all high-level British tailoring on Savile Row, or among the Chinese gentlemen in Hong Kong). The name is Narin Coutre I believe, and this type of suit requires a lot of labor and will cost at least $900, including materials, in even the cheapest parts of the world. The rest of the suits in Bangkok are 'half-canvassed' and should cost $300+ to know you're getting at least the minimum amount done. At this point, just try to find the most-used tailor with the least amount of bad reviews... I believe a lot of people, including diplomats and presidents (mind you, not an indicator of the tialor's worth), have used Rajaswonge.

You are very lucky you have a suit to copy, this makes things a lot easier. Tailors are notoriously stubborn, just keep a close eye on what they're doing and make sure they listen to your demands.

DO NOT make the newbie's mistake of paying a bunch for an expensive fabric, when the tailoring is only mediocre (i.e. go to some expensive Chinese-Thai tailor like July's... they aren't given you anything better than what you can get with the Indians). Have as many fittings as possible, and watch for any and all divots, wrinkles, and depressions. I was considering Narin until I heard his default style is a boxy 1980's sack suit... so I'm sticking with Hong Kong.

[Stjohnm]

Try Elegancia on the Ground Floor of River City, They are a bit dearer than others but still affordable & they are the best I've ever used.

My old man made his money in the Rag trade, supplying the likes of M&S & the limited group took one look at me wearing one of their creations and basically ordered me never to let anyone else make my clothes for me.

[puyaidon]

I have been getting my clothes including suits made at Raja's located on Soi 4, Sukhumvit, at the entrance to Nana Plaza. It was recommended to me by fellow university teachers. Father-son operation and very good. Sometimes pricey but the place is used by the US embassy staff and well worth it. Just ask for Bobby, the son. You can't get a bad suit there. Now, the daughter is working there just for the fitting of women. Well, worth just a look to see.

[Amerifarang]

I second Raja's on Soi 4 or 6......can't remember? See Bobby they did a good job for me. My son uses them also,a little pricey but you will not get screwed over.

[richard_smith237]

I second Raja's on Soi 4 or 6......can't remember? See Bobby they did a good job for me. My son uses them also,a little pricey but you will not get screwed over.

Raja's on Soi 4 was also the best Tailored suit I have had made in Bangkok. I went there based on recommendations and was disappointed. So, if Raja's are so commonly referred to as the one of the best, then the others must be atrocious - I only buy off the rack now.

The Jacket top: In order to maintain its shape remains too rigid. I had to repeat, repeat and argue to get what I wanted and not the standard block suit. After a few months the fit has slipped, the cuffs do not hang as I would like

The Trousers: Hemmed poorly, don't hang as straight as I would like and now bunch at areas like the knee- this could be the material.

Note: I have worn this suit only 5 times or so in as many months.

Shirts: After about 5 washes have started to wrinkle on the collar.

As another friend of mine does, I now only buy a Good suit off the rack and pay little more to know exactly what I am getting and feel much better when I wear it than Bangkok tailored suits.

[shaunoro]

I will 3rd Bobby Raja. On suk.soi 4 just upon right hand side.

[Trickcyclist]

Shush! Don't let this get around but, if you know a good Thai girl ask her to:

1. take you to Chinatown to buy the fabric of your choice-some super fabrics there

2. chat-up the motor cycle guys who deliver the suits from the little tailor factories to the Sukhumvit tailor shops, to find - out where the little factories are located.

3. Take an old suit and fabrics to the factory and negotiate a price-it will be a slight mark-up above what the tailor shops pay the factory which will be about quarter of the price you would pay at the tailor shop.

4. The people at the factory will measure you in your old suit and make the necessary alterations

5. Go back for a fitting

6. Collect your suit

and get three suits for the price of one.

this is "outlet" Thai style.

Chokdee.

[deazoff]

Rajawongse on Sukhumvit Road no 130, near Soi 4 and the Landmark Hotel. www.dress-for-success.com

[marquess]

What about New Landmark Boutique on Soi 4 run by Alan (the father) and his son Lucky. I have been having trousers tailor made there for the last 9 years and have had an Austin Reed Jacket copied. They seem to know what they are doing. What recommended them to me was that on my first trip there, there was a Swedish customer who had been a customer there for ten years and said that he had no complaints and bought all his stuff there and took it back to Europe. I'm suprised they have not been mentioned before on this thread unless I have missed something. Just on the corner of Nana behind the police box.

[tharae]

New Royal Fashions, Soi 11 Sukhumvit Rd. Near Nana BTS. Have been going there for three years after recommendation. 10 suits, 12 shirts. Never had a bad garment yet.

[tolsti]

Go and see the man at on the 3rd/4th floor of Thaniya Plaza. Thai master tailor. A bit more expensive than most and allow a little longer. Result... simple quality and no glasses of cold water/coke/beer from some turban wearing ripoff merchant to make you feel special. Simply an expert in his trade. http://infinitailor.com/

Ps... just seen his website.... pretty rubbish.... just go and see the man!

Edited April 8, 2010 by tolsti

[robbie22]

If you want a great suit go to Dinos near Suk. 19 and ask for Peter you will not be dissapointed. There are 2 Dino stores on Suk the one you want is near the Asok Skytrain use the stairs and you are almost there. $300usd for suit and 2 pants cashmere wool no problem enjoy.

[scotsmarc]

Guys thanks for the responses. Ill deffo check out a few of the places. would like to have it narrowed down to one or 2 places before i go so as not to spend too much time getting fitted out while on holidays.

[chaimdan]

I am used to getting my shirts and suits in Hong Kong (Jantzen if anyone knows...)

Are any of these places mentioned above comparable to the quality of HK tailors?! or am I better off visiting there...?

[rgs2001uk]

I am used to getting my shirts and suits in Hong Kong (Jantzen if anyone knows...)

Are any of these places mentioned above comparable to the quality of HK tailors?! or am I better off visiting there...?

Stick to Hong Kong mate.

Never seen so many poorly dressed farang, a cheap suit is just that, cheap.

Poor quality material, badly cut and ill fitting suits not hanging right, stitching that aint worth a shit, cheapest buttons available that do nothing to enhance the suit, when was the last time you saw hand stitched lapels?

Bangkok choice of teachers, boiler room boys and those who dont know what a good suit should look like.

[Menty]

There are many good tailors here in Bangkok. There are also many not so good tailors. There is also a lot of great fabrics from pure wool suiting fabrics, to high grade blends. The key is sorting out the good from the bad. One thing that many people look for is "Cashmere" it is important to realise just how expensive cashmere is and that you can't buy a cashmere suit for 7,000thb!!!

[MRToMRT]

My understanding was that the "tailor shops" are, in the vast majority of cases, just material and measuring shops and the suits/shirts/et al are all made by the same few Thai factories that operate elsewhere in the city. Thats why the delivery to the shops are always tied together in the plastic bailer twine, and the shop never truely knows the exact delivery time - because the factory is supplying many so called "tailor shops"..

My off the peg suits are many times the quality of the suits I had made in Bangkok. Marks and Spencers for my trousers and shirts!

[Menty]

My understanding was that the "tailor shops" are, in the vast majority of cases, just material and measuring shops and the suits/shirts/et al are all made by the same few Thai factories that operate elsewhere in the city. Thats why the delivery to the shops are always tied together in the plastic bailer twine, and the shop never truely knows the exact delivery time - because the factory is supplying many so called "tailor shops"..

My off the peg suits are many times the quality of the suits I had made in Bangkok. Marks and Spencers for my trousers and shirts!

Most of the "tailor shops" in bangkok are just that, tailors shops. That doesn't mean the guy you meet at the door who measures you up and shows you the fabric etc is a tailor however they are shops offering tailored clothing which I guess means it's fair to call them tailors shops. They all work directly with tailors and in any good shop you will do some fittings with the actual tailor, this is mainly the case with the jacket tailoring.

The beauty of using a Bangkok tailor is that you can get a level of fit and personalisation that often an off the rack suit can't provide. Certainly you can get a cheap polyester suit that doesn't fit well, has been poorly finished and falls to bits in a few months. But on the flipside, you can purchase a quality fabric, finish and achieve a great level of fit and customization that you would struggle to get off an off the rack suit for a fraction of the price.

[darhut]

I am used to getting my shirts and suits in Hong Kong (Jantzen if anyone knows...)

Are any of these places mentioned above comparable to the quality of HK tailors?! or am I better off visiting there...?

Stick to Hong Kong mate.

Never seen so many poorly dressed farang, a cheap suit is just that, cheap.

Poor quality material, badly cut and ill fitting suits not hanging right, stitching that aint worth a shit, cheapest buttons available that do nothing to enhance the suit, when was the last time you saw hand stitched lapels?

Bangkok choice of teachers, boiler room boys and those who dont know what a good suit should look like.

rgs2001uk It sounds to me like you may well need one of those english? teachers. "stitching that aint worth a shit" what is this "aint"? Is it Queens english?

[Menty]

I am used to getting my shirts and suits in Hong Kong (Jantzen if anyone knows...)

Are any of these places mentioned above comparable to the quality of HK tailors?! or am I better off visiting there...?

Stick to Hong Kong mate.

Never seen so many poorly dressed farang, a cheap suit is just that, cheap.

Poor quality material, badly cut and ill fitting suits not hanging right, stitching that aint worth a shit, cheapest buttons available that do nothing to enhance the suit, when was the last time you saw hand stitched lapels?

Bangkok choice of teachers, boiler room boys and those who dont know what a good suit should look like.

Workmanship, quality and fabrics are very comparable to Hong Kong, the big difference is in price....Bangkok is much cheaper.