stonebear1

Hi Fodorites -

My wife and I leave for a 3 week trip to Thailand March 13th... all hotels, flights, etc are set... 9 days in Bangkok, 6 in Chiang Mai, 4 in Pattaya (with a 2 day "side trip" to Siem Reap, Cambodia.)

I know several people who (they or their spouses)are originally from Thailand and they have told me that as much as I like to shop to "take some extra empty suitcases"!!! Especially looking for things like "tropical" clothing. My wife and I (mid 50's) cruise a lot and love the casual / colorful styles. We also have 3 grown sons who love to wear and collect "Aloha"/Camp shirts/ "Tommy Bahama" type shirts...(I say "type" shirts because we are not "name brand" people! I love to shop while traveling... love to barter/negotiate... love to get a "good deal". I have been told repeatedly not to think in terms of U.S. pricing and compare prices to here.... that if I do that I will pay way too much!!!

We are staying at the Radissison in BKK and at the Orchid in Chiang Mai and at "The Cliffs" in Pattaya.... any ideas as to specific places to shop near these locations... what one should expect to pay there, quality to expect for price, what other things to shop for, etc.

Many thanks,

stonebear1

Sameera_Anand

Def plan to go to The Jim Thompson factory outlet at Sukhumvit, Soi 93 in Bangkok. JT is one of Thailand's most famous local brands and u and your wife will get an amazing range of clothes (incl tees for your boys) at great prices - 50-60% lower than the JT shops in the city which are already cheap by US standards. It is a bit out of the way as it is at one end of Skmvt but well worth the trip IMO.

twoaussies

Silk shirts and ladies outfits in the market in Chiang Mai are really reasonable. For your wife I would suggest wearing a swimsuit under her clothing when shopping. That way she can easily try on pants and tops in modesty. Definitely try on, as sizes are different from the U.S. Take cash, credit cards are hard to bargain with, and not used in markets.

rhkkmk

first of all, you do not need to take extra suitcases with you...they are available all over the place in thailand for practically nothing....better to get one to fit what you have purchased...and it will be a ton of stuff....

we do a lot of custom made clothes...they are very reasonable and available all over...don't fall for the come ons however---6 shirts, 2 suits and 7 pairs of pants for $129, made in 3 hours....insist on at least 2-3 fittings and take your time...

lots of the redi-made closthes are not for the western figure...you have to try everything on...no exceptions...take your kids exact measurements with you and take a tape measure with you to avoid disappointment....

cotton and silk are quite cheap...wool is reasonable, but the quality is not the greatest...

jewerly is fabulous...custom made or ready made also....we prefer custom...it takes a while so order in bkk and pick-up before you leave to go home...leave a day or two at the end of your trip in case there are problems that need to be adjusted...

my current favorites are: thai stone jewerly, in lobby of nanna hotel, soi 4 sukumvit road....don't be off put by how terrible the hotel is...the shop does great work...i see amporn, a middle aged woman...she speaks english..

at the marriott resort and spa mall we like jack at monet sarto II on the second level overlooking the parking lot for custom clothing...excellent english

for silk my wife likes: js thai silk, ground level , river city shopping center, next to the sheraton orchid, near the info booth...small shop...ask for ms yai...good english..excellent quality all made on premises...

jim thompson is excellent, but pricey...very nice stuff...make sure you visit their main store on suriwong, and also the discount stores...great cafe for lunch in main store...

have a ball and spend spend spend

stonebear1

Hi rhkkmk, two aussies and Sameera...

Thanks for all the great info... exactly what I'm looking for gt

stonebear1