Hi Ladies! Normally I hang out on the Chiang Mai forum, but I'm coming to Bangkok in a couple weeks and I though I could find a good swimsuit there. I'm a serious lap swimmer and I'm making do with a Speedo in Thai size XL. It's just a bit too small and chafes around my arms and shoulders. I had the same problem with the previous Thai suit, with different styling. XL is the biggest size I can find here in Chiang Mai.

I do like the Thai-style legs which are about 4 inches long. Makes for a more comfortable fit than the high-cut legs popular with western suitsuits.

I wear a U.S. size 10 or 12 and am amazed I can't find anything that fits. I really wish I'd invested in a couple good swimsuits for distance swimmers before I came here a couple years ago.

Any good ladies swimsuit sources in Bangkok?

Hi Nancy, while not a resident of Bangkok either I do like to shop! There is a pretty decent sports store in the newly reopenened Central World, its, cant recall the name its liek Sports World or something and had a good selection of suits there the last time I went (sadly before the fire, so can't verify its got the same content as before but it is open).

You might also try Siam Paragon dept store, its a huge store with a lot of selection of stuff, so can't imagine they wouldn't have swimsuits.

Ooh, I love an excuse to visit Siam Paragon and, of course, I MUST check out the newly reopened Central World. I wonder, though, if anyone has seen swimsuits larger than XL at those shops or any others lately?

I confess to not looking but i managed to get a sports bra there and I am definitely larger than the average thai woman when it comes to that!

Hi Nancy L,

I can recomend Central Chidlom. Big swimwear section in the sports section, and also a large range of sports bras and ladies that know which size you need.

They have very similar range to Paragon, a few hundred baht cheaper, and have larger sizes in many brands.

They have Speedo, Arena, Triumph, LeRoche and many others.

I got my mother a swimsuit there, and she is size 18 in Australia.

Still nice to look in Paragon.

Most swimsuits come with sarongs, skirts or shorts.

I love buying swimwear int Thailand, even if I am L or XL myself.

have fun

redfish

cant recall the name its liek Sports World or something

Super Sports

in most Central department stores, some with bigger selection than others

if you cant find it at Central World, then Central Chidlom would be a good bet

Thanks, ladies! Our Central Dept store here in Chiang Mai does have Super Sports, but the largest swimsuits they stock are XL. I'll definitely have a look in Bangkok. I know my jaw dropped the first time I saw Central Chidlom. Our Central branch here is definitely just a little "country" branch. The B2S at Central Chidlom has got to be bigger than our entire Central Dept store here.

If all else fails I use Swimoutlet.com in USA who says they can now ship to Thailand everything but Speedo brand stuff

http://www.swimoutlet.com/Articles.asp?ID=110#InternationalOrders

BTW I just use for gear: masks, paddles, etc. not clothing ... I have only used domestic in USA and pick-up on my annual trips.

Just returned to Chiang Mai from Bangkok. The new Central World is great and I had no trouble finding a new swimsuit at Super Sports in Central World. My goodness, that store is larger than the entire Central Dept. store here in Chiang Mai. They had a great selection of XXL swimsuits, plus Speedo suits in European sizes. The Speedo size L was W-A-Y too large for me -- a great feeling; a first for me here in Thailand.

I was so excited with the good selection of XXL suits at Super Sports Central World that I didn't check out other sizes beyond that.

A couple days later I visited the Emporium Dept. store and found their suitsuit dept to be smaller, but seeminly better stocked with larger size suitsuits. They had some in 4XL that really looked huge and no one on their staff treated me as some kind of whale, like they do here in Chiang Mai.

I'm sorry, but I didn't have time to fulfill my duty to check out Central Chidlom. That's a first for me; normally no trip to Bangkok is complete without a trip to Central Chitlom.

I ended up buying a Thai-produced swimsuit from Arena. Black with those little legs that the Thais love. Actually, they make for a comfortable suit. I did 1-1/2 hr of laps at the hotel pool without any chafing around the arms or legs. I'm happy! Thanks, ladies for the suggestions.

Great news and thanks for the update Nancy, always good to know where to shop! But I must say I am a tad disappointed you didn't complete your shopping rounds, how remiss of you!

Happy holidays and enjoy your laps!

(maybe that didn't come out quite right )

Yeah, I stayed out of the malls, for the most part. I go to Bangkok once or twice a year for Bumrungrad to check on a chronic condition. The check-up went so well this time that I decided to treat myself to a little botox! I sold the idea to Hubby by saying I'd stay out of the malls once I got my swimsuit, so the botox wouldn't be so much of a budget buster! Once again, he's grumbling (good naturedly) that we'd save money if he came along on my little excursions to Bangkok.

Ooh, no no, you NEVER take the husband/bf on Bangkok excursions. There is nothing worse than some grumpy man tagging along saying, "Are you really going to buy THAT?"

This thread is useless without pictures of lovely ladies in swimwear

Glad you got sorted Nancy

I'm a somewhat larger chap, maybe Central World will work for this whale, I'm fed up of swimming in my regular shorts although (provided you remember to remove phone and wallet) it does mean no problem finding somewhere to change.