We will be staying at the Pathumwan Princess Hotel (spelling??) near the MBK shopping centre. How easy or difficult is it to get to the Cotton House from there?

Take the skytrain to the end of the south line which will be the Saphan Taksin stop. Then hop on the river taxi boat which will costs a few cents and go one stop to the Oriental stop. You'll see the Oriental hotel. Walk straight along the street that you'll be on when you get off at the Oriental pier...it runs along the side of the Oriental Hotel which will be on your left... and then PASS the Oriental hotel and when you come to the first street, you'll see a colonial-style building to your left. It's called Oriental Place(OP). Cotton House is inside there on the first floor. The seamstress is Da. I had my clothes made there last month. You don't have to go and pick them up when they're finished. I had mine sent over to me at the Four Seasons because I didn't want to go all the way back across town to pick them up. I got a knock on my door at the FS and there they were...hand delivered to me without charge. You'll need to have at least two fittings though and I would give her at least 4 days to do an order. I stayed at the Oriental for one night so right after arriving at the Oriental I went over to her to tell her what I needed to be made and I took some old clothes for her to copy.I had my measurements done then. Then on day two right before checking out of the Oriental, I went for the second fitting so that I wouldn't have to cross town just to do that since I was moving over to the Four Seasons for the rest of my trip. So, once I left the area I didn't have to go way back over there to pick up my clothes. Happy Travels!

Guenmai, thank you very much for your help.

guen has given the exact directions...you can just also ask anyone for OP place....it is not a big building...along oriental lane, which is the road you come off the pier onto, there are a number of nice shops: thai home stores (a hoot to visit---sort of old bangkok)--look at their cotton robes and shirts....lim silversmith has several stores and their stuff is very nice sterling silver at reasonable prices...this area is a silver center...if you go out onto new road you will see tons of silver shops...
just in back of op place is tongue thai restaurant which is a really good small restaurant for thai food for lunch or dinner....

the other way to get easily to cotton house is to take a taxi to the oriental hotel....you might do it the first time to get your bearings...

You might also want to schedule a fitting for late afternoon and then have dinner in the area-- the Oriental itself has several outstanding and reasonably priced restaurants as well as some pricy ones and there are other good restaurants in the area. You could also have high tea at the author's lounge of the Oriental.

One other hint- from the Taksin station, go to the pier on the left and catch the Oriental Hotel ferry. It's free and from the Oriental just head out the back (front?, non-riverside!) and you'll see signs for Oriental place.
The ferry comes every few minutes and they won't ask if you're staying there or anything.

I really recommend two fittings beyond your original order. The first fitting will be more for size, the second time it will either be done, or you can fine tune the details. On some blouses I had made in August, they put the wrong pockets and I didn't see that till they were delivered to my hotel just before I was to leave BKK. Not a big deal, but if I'd had time, I'd have gotten it corrected.

Have a great time Robmac! Happy Travels!

oriental ferry is about every half hour and was never on time in may/june of this year...

If I were you, I'd just jump on the public river taxi unless the Oriental one gets there first. The Oriental one will have a yellow flag waving on the back of it. It also goes up to the River City shopping mall. Happy Travels!

Bob-- I've been taking the Oriental ferry for 20 years and never knew or cared what their schedule was. I only know I have never waited more than about 15 minutes during the high season and then only if I just missed one. Usually one came within 19 minutes of my needed it. It definitely could be less frequent during the low season.

Oops-- I meant usualy one came within 10 minutes. But as I said I can well imagine it being less frequent in May or June.

gloria but you really meant 19 minutes... freudian...

i was very surprised this last visit on the change in the oriental boats...i too have used them for years and this year they were sort of run down and a bit untidy....the woman driver both times i used it was not friendly or nice like all the other hotel boat people are....i was frankly surprised...there also was no assistance for my wife and the other ladies embarking or disembarking which also surprised me... maybe they all were feeling badly from drinking the yellow water....

just joking gloria...sit down and stop yelling at me...hahaha

seriously we did wait 30 minutes each time even after the guard at the pier called them on the radio...

Rob-- when you go to Cotton House say hi to everyone from Gloria Friedman,

Gloria--we will be sure to mention your name.