Porked & busted: Thai woman nabbed for telling ‘pork’ pies 208 times

[rebecca mccorry]

I urgently need to speak to someone with experience buying wholesale fashion from bangkok and taking back into europe. I lived in thailand for years and have contact with the platinum fashion mall but i have no idea regards bring garments back into europe. Anyone want to get some chat started. lets go, keep well all xxx rebecca

[CharlieH]

Importing can be a minefield. Garments, material used, restricted or not, suitability, regulations. Then you have import duty, cost of shipment + cost of shipping multiply that by 20% then add VAT to the total. That's just for starters.

[meatboy]

i had been in the wholesale and retail side of it and like charlie says put all the exs.on paper first and dont forget thats only the start.unless your buying in 100's of dozens of one style no manuf.will entertain you.you would have to go to somewhere like baiyok tower.your best bet would be to sort someone who is an importer your end.we used to fill up 2x half suitcases with fashion items for resale and yes you can make a decent profit mind you that was in the late 80's-early 90's.we were only a small outfit so we did not have to register for vat,dont know what the threshold is now but you have that to consider.you can spend days looking in baiyok tower so go and have a look at whats on offer.

[jimmybkk]

Errrm... I'm assuming "suitcase" is trade talk for 20' container. Or are u saying (literally) that just one suitcase of clothes was very profitable?

[meatboy]

Errrm... I'm assuming "suitcase" is trade talk for 20' container. Or are u saying (literally) that just one suitcase of clothes was very profitable?

we used to buy the old dears flat packed blouses usually about 50, profit about £500 enough for one tkt.must not be tooooo greedy.

[davejones]

You'd be better off speaking to an import company in your home country, as they should know about all the regulations.

[MANICMINER]

i had been in the wholesale and retail side of it and like charlie says put all the exs.on paper first and dont forget thats only the start.unless your buying in 100's of dozens of one style no manuf.will entertain you.you would have to go to somewhere like baiyok tower.your best bet would be to sort someone who is an importer your end.we used to fill up 2x half suitcases with fashion items for resale and yes you can make a decent profit mind you that was in the late 80's-early 90's.we were only a small outfit so we did not have to register for vat,dont know what the threshold is now but you have that to consider.you can spend days looking in baiyok tower so go and have a look at whats on offer.

You are wrong that shops in Pratunam require you to order 100s in one style - that is the case with suppliers in China - because most Thais do not want that type of quantity, so most are happy to make garments for you in smaller quantities. maybe it's because you are a westerner that you are not getting the best terms, so you need to haggle harder. The best thing to do is to to buy all the stock you want yourself from each shop - take business cards from each one - then take it to the back of platinum mall (near the entrance to the car park), where there is a freight company, and you can send it to your home address. you do this a several times, in which time you will find out which items are the best sellers, and establish good relations with the shop owners. Once you establish good relationships and they see that you are a serious buyer, you will find that many will be happy to send you overseas, so you can then just order by email.

[MANICMINER]

Also, most of the shops in pratunam get their new stock in on saturdays and wednesdays, so if you want to check out new stock, go on those days. If you want to negotiate, then avoid those days, as the shops will be choc-a-bloc. You don't mention which country you are from, but the U.K has a very low import tax allowance, and Germany customs are incredibly thorough, and can be a real pain in the butt.

[UKJASE]

what is the cheapest rate of shipping you guys have found for back to the UK??

i think the best i have found has been a 1m * 1m * 1m box for about 8000B....... i think this has to be collected at the port though in the UK..... no door step delivery

i also saw DHL for 25 or was it 30kg for about 8000B too....... this was bangkok office to address in UK

there also seem to be a few competitive companies operating around JJ market.......

anyone know of any good current deals / companies for shipements of about this size??

[meatboy]

i had been in the wholesale and retail side of it and like charlie says put all the exs.on paper first and dont forget thats only the start.unless your buying in 100's of dozens of one style no manuf.will entertain you.you would have to go to somewhere like baiyok tower.your best bet would be to sort someone who is an importer your end.we used to fill up 2x half suitcases with fashion items for resale and yes you can make a decent profit mind you that was in the late 80's-early 90's.we were only a small outfit so we did not have to register for vat,dont know what the threshold is now but you have that to consider.you can spend days looking in baiyok tower so go and have a look at whats on offer.

You are wrong that shops in Pratunam require you to order 100s in one style - that is the case with suppliers in China - because most Thais do not want that type of quantity, so most are happy to make garments for you in smaller quantities. maybe it's because you are a westerner that you are not getting the best terms, so you need to haggle harder. The best thing to do is to to buy all the stock you want yourself from each shop - take business cards from each one - then take it to the back of platinum mall (near the entrance to the car park), where there is a freight company, and you can send it to your home address. you do this a several times, in which time you will find out which items are the best sellers, and establish good relations with the shop owners. Once you establish good relationships and they see that you are a serious buyer, you will find that many will be happy to send you overseas, so you can then just order by email.

you seem to have your knickers in a twist,i did not say you had to buy 100's of a style at pratunam,what i did say you best go to baiyok tower which is in the area,and me being a westerner did not make one iota because the wife done the buying,and we only used to buy a small quantity just to help with exs.the op never stated wether she wants big quantities,or she wants to wholesale or retail if she lives in the uk she would be better off buying at,newbury rd,manchester,commercial st,london,otherwise the exs.will kill the profits.

[MANICMINER]

i had been in the wholesale and retail side of it and like charlie says put all the exs.on paper first and dont forget thats only the start.unless your buying in 100's of dozens of one style no manuf.will entertain you.you would have to go to somewhere like baiyok tower.your best bet would be to sort someone who is an importer your end.we used to fill up 2x half suitcases with fashion items for resale and yes you can make a decent profit mind you that was in the late 80's-early 90's.we were only a small outfit so we did not have to register for vat,dont know what the threshold is now but you have that to consider.you can spend days looking in baiyok tower so go and have a look at whats on offer.

You are wrong that shops in Pratunam require you to order 100s in one style - that is the case with suppliers in China - because most Thais do not want that type of quantity, so most are happy to make garments for you in smaller quantities. maybe it's because you are a westerner that you are not getting the best terms, so you need to haggle harder. The best thing to do is to to buy all the stock you want yourself from each shop - take business cards from each one - then take it to the back of platinum mall (near the entrance to the car park), where there is a freight company, and you can send it to your home address. you do this a several times, in which time you will find out which items are the best sellers, and establish good relations with the shop owners. Once you establish good relationships and they see that you are a serious buyer, you will find that many will be happy to send you overseas, so you can then just order by email.

you seem to have your knickers in a twist,i did not say you had to buy 100's of a style at pratunam,what i did say you best go to baiyok tower which is in the area,and me being a westerner did not make one iota because the wife done the buying,and we only used to buy a small quantity just to help with exs.the op never stated wether she wants big quantities,or she wants to wholesale or retail if she lives in the uk she would be better off buying at,newbury rd,manchester,commercial st,london,otherwise the exs.will kill the profits.

If you read the OP, she specifically mentions platinum mall, which is in pratunam market. The fact that most shops in pratunam market, and throughout Thailand, will make orders less than 100 piece for you, makes your statement 'unless your buying in 100's of dozens of one style no manuf.will entertain you' look ridiculous.

[BKKdreaming]

i also saw DHL for 25 or was it 30kg for about 8000B too....... this was bangkok office to address in UK

I think UPS and Fed EX also have those boxes , before using check out what the fees are back in your home country , if the shipper charges a customs fee or not , and any other problems,

I have used them a couple times and never had a problem , there is a shop at Soi 7 and Sukhumvit that does it ( I think its Fed EX) and there are places also at the weekend market for all 3 companies and I think TnT also

[meatboy]

i had been in the wholesale and retail side of it and like charlie says put all the exs.on paper first and dont forget thats only the start.unless your buying in 100's of dozens of one style no manuf.will entertain you.you would have to go to somewhere like baiyok tower.your best bet would be to sort someone who is an importer your end.we used to fill up 2x half suitcases with fashion items for resale and yes you can make a decent profit mind you that was in the late 80's-early 90's.we were only a small outfit so we did not have to register for vat,dont know what the threshold is now but you have that to consider.you can spend days looking in baiyok tower so go and have a look at whats on offer.

You are wrong that shops in Pratunam require you to order 100s in one style - that is the case with suppliers in China - because most Thais do not want that type of quantity, so most are happy to make garments for you in smaller quantities. maybe it's because you are a westerner that you are not getting the best terms, so you need to haggle harder. The best thing to do is to to buy all the stock you want yourself from each shop - take business cards from each one - then take it to the back of platinum mall (near the entrance to the car park), where there is a freight company, and you can send it to your home address. you do this a several times, in which time you will find out which items are the best sellers, and establish good relations with the shop owners. Once you establish good relationships and they see that you are a serious buyer, you will find that many will be happy to send you overseas, so you can then just order by email.

you seem to have your knickers in a twist,i did not say you had to buy 100's of a style at pratunam,what i did say you best go to baiyok tower which is in the area,and me being a westerner did not make one iota because the wife done the buying,and we only used to buy a small quantity just to help with exs.the op never stated wether she wants big quantities,or she wants to wholesale or retail if she lives in the uk she would be better off buying at,newbury rd,manchester,commercial st,london,otherwise the exs.will kill the profits.

If you read the OP, she specifically mentions platinum mall, which is in pratunam market. The fact that most shops in pratunam market, and throughout Thailand, will make orders less than 100 piece for you, makes your statement 'unless your buying in 100's of dozens of one style no manuf.will entertain you' look ridiculous.

there is a diff.between manufacters and sweat shops.are you in the wholesale or retail trade i have been in both.

[dddave]

Problems an English partner and I ran into when we tried to do the same:

Sizes: European bodies and Thai bodies are not the same (thank God) and getting an efficiently salable assortment of sizes that fit average Europeans in specific styles is VERY difficult.

Materials: European countries are much fussier about accurate descriptions of materials used. Finding out exactly what your merchandise is made of can be really difficult because sometimes even the manufacturers don't really know.

Repeatability: You buy and ship some items that your customers love: Try to get more. "Sorry, lot finished, patterns gone, material no longer available", ect, ect....Or: "OK, but now 240 baht each, not 160"

People do it and some succeed, but it isn't easy.

[MANICMINER]

Problems an English partner and I ran into when we tried to do the same:

Sizes: European bodies and Thai bodies are not the same (thank God) and getting an efficiently salable assortment of sizes that fit average Europeans in specific styles is VERY difficult.

Materials: European countries are much fussier about accurate descriptions of materials used. Finding out exactly what your merchandise is made of can be really difficult because sometimes even the manufacturers don't really know.

Repeatability: You buy and ship some items that your customers love: Try to get more. "Sorry, lot finished, patterns gone, material no longer available", ect, ect....Or: "OK, but now 240 baht each, not 160"

People do it and some succeed, but it isn't easy.

Sizes: Most Thai garments are freesize and fit a western size XS and Small well. Depending on the cut and style of garments, most will stretch to fit a size Medium. For larger sizes, there are specific shops that sell Plus size clothing.

Material: When you have sold long enough, you know more or less what the garment is made of. If you need to know exact percentages, you can probably find out from the fabric suppliers - many of them in China town. But i have never been asked for exact percentages.

Repeatability: If an item sells well, you can go back and order more - most have factories and will make for you. If a fabric is unavailable, you can substitute for another. If they are charging you more for no good reason, then they are trying to rip you off, so just go to another shop. The big players in pratunam market have multiple shops, and have their own factories. They can reproduce garments for you from photos; it is even better if you have a sample for them to copy. If you do do this, tell them the design is yours and they cannot sell the item in their shop - if an item sells really well, it will stops others from easily copying you.

[MANICMINER]

Also, if you require larger sizes, and you make-to-order, they will make garments larger for you. you just pay a bit extra for the material.

[BKKdreaming]

where would you find patterns for Mens regular button down short sleeve shirts , something like a Hawaiian shirt , is there a pattern number I can buy at a sewing shop in the USA ?

but in large X-Large 2X-large and 3X large USA sizes

and with patterns will the Thais follow the pattern

Soarer

Edited September 5, 2012 by BKKdreaming

[MANICMINER]

where would you find patterns for Mens regular button down short sleeve shirts , something like a Hawaiian shirt , is there a pattern number I can buy at a sewing shop in the USA ?

but in large X-Large 2X-large and 3X large USA sizes

and with patterns will the Thais follow the pattern

Soarer

best thing to do is buy a shirt in the style that you like. make up a size chart with the exact chest dimensions that you want. give them both and they will cut the patterns for you, and then make the garments. the patterns they will keep, so you can order the same garments and sizes again, if you want more later. most of the shops do womens clothing, and finding a manufacturer will be harder, so you will need to do more leg work. you can also try bobay market.

[p_brownstone]

They can reproduce garments for you from photos; it is even better if you have a sample for them to copy. If you do do this, tell them the design is yours and they cannot sell the item in their shop - if an item sells really well, it will stops others from easily copying you.

And of course, since this is Thailand, they will respect your prohibition!

Patrick

[MANICMINER]

They can reproduce garments for you from photos; it is even better if you have a sample for them to copy. If you do do this, tell them the design is yours and they cannot sell the item in their shop - if an item sells really well, it will stops others from easily copying you.

And of course, since this is Thailand, they will respect your prohibition!

Patrick

Yes, i have done this on numerous occasions. At the end of the day, they want your repeat business. And you are the buyer, so should dictate terms - it's your cash. Copying of garments in pratunam is widespread, so you need to take measures.

[Time Traveller]

I have a factory in Bangladesh that can make ready made garments. Please msg me if you want the contact details.

We have a number of customers in Europe that we manufacture and ship to.

[meatboy]

dont you just love these posters who urgently need some advice,21 surgestions and advice and not one reply.

[planetdannii]

Sorry to piggy back this thread

But I'm about to .....

I do this 1-2 times a year on quite a small scale (200kg shipped airmail through an agent in uk who does the garment codes and VAT workings & I pay when contacted a week later)

I actually struggle with sizes, does anyone have any advice for Uk sizes 14 up please? I'd still like fashionable stuff of course, does it exist in Bangkok? happy with Thai fashions (platinum mall is great, JJ too)

Thanx folk xx

[meatboy]

Sorry to piggy back this thread

But I'm about to .....

I do this 1-2 times a year on quite a small scale (200kg shipped airmail through an agent in uk who does the garment codes and VAT workings & I pay when contacted a week later)

I actually struggle with sizes, does anyone have any advice for Uk sizes 14 up please? I'd still like fashionable stuff of course, does it exist in Bangkok? happy with Thai fashions (platinum mall is great, JJ too)

Thanx folk xx

i used to sell large sizes from 16-30 but always had problems getting supliers in the uk,never seen any over here,i will see if i can remember any contacts and will post later.

[MANICMINER]

Sorry to piggy back this thread

But I'm about to .....

I do this 1-2 times a year on quite a small scale (200kg shipped airmail through an agent in uk who does the garment codes and VAT workings & I pay when contacted a week later)

I actually struggle with sizes, does anyone have any advice for Uk sizes 14 up please? I'd still like fashionable stuff of course, does it exist in Bangkok? happy with Thai fashions (platinum mall is great, JJ too)

Thanx folk xx

There are many shops in pratnam and bobay that specifically do plus sizes, which will fit a uk size 16+. The largest is on the second level of the Krung Thong complex - just across the walkway from platinum mall - and it is very popular with larger girls. i will get their business card today and post the details. If the styles are not to your liking, many shops will make their styles larger for you, if you order in larger quantities.

[planetdannii]

Thanx guys, i'll check Krung Thong complex out when I arrive late next week, that's somewhere Iv'e only really walked through rather than shopped.

Unfortunately I don't buy in bulk on 1 particular item, I buy about 2-3 identical items, I like my shop to be a bit of treasure trove with not too many of the same item you see, but the downs side to this means I can't have the made up as it's not worth their while. I will often buy 20+items with 1 shop but a mix of items.

.

I will def ask random Thai folk where they get their clothes though, if I pluck up the courage

In the past I found the plus size (16 up) items in Platinum Mall often were not very fashionable, unless I was looking in the wrong places (I usually go round the whole place though)

x

[MANICMINER]

Thanx guys, i'll check Krung Thong complex out when I arrive late next week, that's somewhere Iv'e only really walked through rather than shopped.

Unfortunately I don't buy in bulk on 1 particular item, I buy about 2-3 identical items, I like my shop to be a bit of treasure trove with not too many of the same item you see, but the downs side to this means I can't have the made up as it's not worth their while. I will often buy 20+items with 1 shop but a mix of items.

.

I will def ask random Thai folk where they get their clothes though, if I pluck up the courage

In the past I found the plus size (16 up) items in Platinum Mall often were not very fashionable, unless I was looking in the wrong places (I usually go round the whole place though)

x

The shop i was talking about is called FitFat. They have new stock on a regular basis, so it is worth checking in regularly.

[planetdannii]

Thank you ManicMinor, FitFat will be my first stop next Friday

You're a star.

x

[Fgis]

If it's to resell without paying too much tax better send small partcels to Europe not to be in customs radar...

Ask Personal shopper bangkok, good an cheap service,