Hi, we are going to Thailand in April. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on purchasing a custom carved wooden door/gate. We will be beginning a landscaping project when we return and I thought a wooden gate (not necessarily looking for teak) carved in Thailand would be a great addition. Does anyone know if this is possible? Where would I look? Thank you!

You have to be VERY careful of the kind and quality of wood you buy in Thialand. When you get it home it usually dries out,and can crack or split. Their wood is in a very humid enviorment and even if it is "kilm" dried it will probably dry more here. Don't know where you live, but it may not be suitable for exterior ues if you are in the snow belt. Someone else may have more insite, but that is the advise a New England furniture maker told us. Shipping may cost you way more that the cost of the project.

i think it would be fun, even if it cracks... chiang mai would come quickly to mind or any of the woodworking shops in bkk...

We figured it was a long shot, but can't hurt to ask... right? We will also be in Chiang Mai. So, we'll bring our pictures and keep our eyes open. Thanks for the heads-up on the wood. Our biggest concern is ocean conditions, so we'll come armed with questions. Not looking to break the bank, just a fun kind of souv we hope would last a number of years with basic maintenance.

CM might be even a better place to look

Where do you live? If you live in a (relatively) warm climate, I would expect that you could by a well-made teak (or other durable outdoor wood) gate/door and have it last well. Cracking is a concern in indoor heated environments (like houses in the mid-west or northeast), and would likely be a concern in the desert. I live in Seattle and have teak and cedar outdoor furniture that stays outside year around and it has done fine - some of it is over 10 years old.

Remember that the shipping will likely cost far more than the door!

In Bangkok, there is a wood-working district right next to the Golden Mount. Doors are their bread-and-butter, but they're mostly the grand front entrance type. The garden gate type of stuff is found mostly on the outskirts of town. Chiang Mai is probably the better option, as there are places in town that might have something interesting.

Actually, the traditional Chiang Mai entry gate, with it's clay water pot, might be an interesting addition to any garden.

Thank you everyone for the help! I was concerned about shipping costs, sounds like that is valid. But, looking for door or gate will be something fun to do during our wanders. Love the idea of the Chiang Mai entry gate. Thanks! Kathie, we live in San Diego. Our biggest concerns are the direct sun and salt air.

THe main problem is assuring you are getting wood from a sustainable source - the provenance of timber, especially in the North is often fraught with deceit.

Teak is a very oily wood and has great outdoor resilience - but it does go gray.

Un-seasoned or improperly seasoned timber too quickly kiln dried is a problem and will result in warping and splitting - this is particularly a problem with paneled, or joined items or anything that has to fit into a precise space. However a garden gate should not present to much of a problem.

I don't know what regulations you will incur importing timber or timber products into the USA these days, but they used to be very stringent - largely because of the risk of importing non-indigenous parasites, weebles etc........our containers used to be fumigated.

I agree that you may only find teakwood available for outdoor items, and then you may not be comfortable with where and how it was forested. While it would be nice to have a memento of the trip, you may want to buy something at home from a certified sustainable supplier. You could however, purchase a spirit house in something other than teak, which are really lovely in gardens, either on a stand or sitting lower on the ground. You can go up to virtually any size, the larger ones will of course have to be shipped, increasing costs. (You can find spirit houses in the US as well so you might look now to get an idea of prices.) Thai celadon also would work well outdoors, either big pots for planters or a water feature (easy to fit a small pump inside) or a sculpture. The large bronze or copper drums used in the north by the Karen tribe (often called “rain drums”) can also be used outdoors, and they get a nice patina.

If you don’t already have it, get a copy of the Nancy Chandler maps for Bangkok and Chiang Mai, I am sure she can point you in the right direction for gates and other items, look at her website as well which has lots of info (and where you can order the latest editions of the maps), see http://www.nancychandler.net/

I actually think Bali is a better place for carved doors, window frames, etc. They are heavily carved and painted and will stand out in a garden. But you should be able to but Balinese-inspired wood items in the US as well.

You should be able to find most Thai items in the US as well, thereby saving shipping costs even at the price of not having an actual souvenir of the trip. (Here is where jewelery or silk works well, easy to pack!) Don't forget that if you ship it, you may have to pay US Customs duty on it, as anything you don't bring back with you in checked luggage or as a carry-on is not included in your US1600 per couple duty-free exemption. Some handicrafts are exempt from duty, even if shipped, but you would have to confirm this.

We did buy the Nancy Chandler maps, so will look when we get them. Although I'll probably scale back the idea of a gate due to customs/fees/shipping/sustainability issues, thank you so much for the ideas on what else might be fun to put in my garden!

Sawasdee OP

I have this link

http://www.thailandtradenet.com/

Hope it helps

Chokde

Is this the type of thing you are looking for?

http://www.vivaterra.com/pls/enetrix...3.2027030.page

ekscrunchy, I was looking for more of a gate with a custom type carving. Frankly, I'm not sure what I'm looking for exists without a whole lot of $$! But, thanks for trying. I liked the carving you show, it would make a nice garden hanging. Funny, you picked one of my favorite shopping sites!

becnsteve, We have made a couple of purchases at the:

Royal Thai Handicraft
240 Moo 6 Dongruay
Damnoensaduak
Ratchaburi, Thailand 70130
(66) 0-3225-3010-4 or
(66) 0-3225-3027

You will need a driver as it is over an hour from Bangkok out near the Floating Market.

We purchased a coffee table the first time and a custom made dining table with chairs something like seen here but with our own custom designs.

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/284...34221462lcerCT

You can take your dimensions for your gate and any design or ideas(pictures) you may have for the door and they will duplicate or make suggestions with their designs. They say the work will take about 6 months but I have had them take up to 8 before but I am very pleased with their workmanship and the finished products. Whatever you do bargain fiercely as they are used to dealing with farang. Also make sure you realize that the shipping is from port to port no matter what they tell you. You will have to make arraignments to get the item from the nearest port to your house by yourself.

Aloha!

Although I've only been to Thailand once so am far from any kind of expert, we did stop at the place hawaiiantraveler mentions - and if anyplace can do what you want, this one definitely could. They had an incredible selection of hand-carved furniture.