Thai Silk in Bangkok
 

Hi everyone. I'll be going to BKK in a few weeks and I was wondering where I could find the best deals on Thai Silk. I've heard that there are a lot of faux silk out there, is it true? How could I tell which ones are real?

Also, if you have any idea how much these things are on the average, please share the information. Many thanks. :D

There are a lot of silk stores in the Amarin Plaza which can be accessed directly from the skytrain walkway at Chitlom skytrain station in the heart of the city. It's right next to the Erawan shrine. And of course there's Jim Thompson...the king of silk...very high quality...The main store is on Surawong, but there's an outlet store in soi 93 off of Sukumvit Rd. Take the Sukumvit skytrain going east to the last stop...On Nut...and then take a taxi going east until you get to soi 93 and then LEFT for about a block. Have your hotel write down Sukumvit, soi 93 in Thai so that you can hand it to the taxi driver. Happy Travels!

Jim Thompson is la creme de la creme. Check out both the main store and the two outlet stores, the one Guen mentions on Soi 93 and one just a block away from the main store on Suriwong (this one only carries yard goods). The outlet stores have silk for about half off the regular price.

If you don't know anything about silk, you are best off to buy at a reputable store. The places where you will see fake sils are the markets.

you will save a ton of $$ at the JT outlets, esp. from the huge selection on soi 93, sukhumvit---but it is quite a ways out--take skytrain to on nut station and then a taxi the few remaining blocks....

sinwatra silk is another good place on soi 23, sukhumvit rd....they are a manufacturer and have a decent show room....

i would not buy in a market if i did not know what i was buying...

i think silk in the JT main store starts at about 520 B per meter (39")...2nd floor

thanks everyone for the quick replies. i might check the JT outlets out, it sounds promising.

any idea if i could buy fabric at Chatuchak.

thanks everyone for the quick replies. i might check the JT outlets out, it sounds promising.

any idea if i could buy fabric at Chatuchak? any fabric, like cotton.

thanks!

There is lots of fabrics at the weekend market and some of it good quality. Check the Nancy Chandler map for the location of the fabric inside the market.

Almeta is also WONDERFUL for Thai silk. It has literary hundreds of different colours. WWW.almeta.com for the address and details. The staff are very helpful.

I am curious as to what you all use the Thai silk for. I have not been too happy with the shirts I had made long ago, as the material is too stiff. Maybe I just had a bad tailor.. Do you use Thai silk for home furnishings, like pillow cases and curtains? I am just doing some advance planning for my visit next winter..!!

The raw silk or slubbed silk is too heavy and stiff for shirts. The problem may well have been the fabric you selected rather than the tailor.

I've used heavy Thai silk for upholstery. ANd the heavy silks are great for other home decor uses. Lighter weight and more finely woven silk is excellent for clothing.

Thanks, Kathie...I will look for the lighter weight sillk next time..

I use Chinese silk for blouses/shirts and Thai silk for sarongs or skirts. I buy a lot of Indonesian Tulis batik sarongs/shawls down in Singapore and they use Chinese silk for the shawls and Thai silk for the sarongs since sitting causes wear and tear. However, they use a Thai silk that's not as stiff as some you find in Thailand, but not as light as a lot of the Chinese silk. There are different types.

If you go to a store called Mudmee in Amarin Plaza at Chitlom skytrain station Bangkok, you will find hundreds of very nice and inexpensive ready-made silk clothes made of soft,non-stiff silk. I buy from them regularly. There are two Mudmee stores in that mall along with a branch of Naryaphand store that is the Thai crafts store. Also try my favorite place called Come Thai in the same shopping center...tons of ethnic fabrics...precut to use as table runners etc. That whole store is fabrics...if you have a little imagination then you can do very well in there. It's on the third floor(?) right across from the main escalator. I've been doing business there for years. Happy Travels!

Here is another vote for Almeta, just a great little shop. They do a lot of duvet covers and have a huge selection of fabrics. As noted the staff is very helpful. They do primarily custom work, they don’t have a lot of ready-mdae stuff, but will ship everything after the order is finished. They made me a reversible duvet cover as I loved two of their fabrics so much, and I am really happy with it. They have a good selection of pillow sizes and bolsters too. They have some table linens as well. They have some bathrobes and other small gift items as well.

Their shop is located a few blocks down Soi 23 on the right, just off Sukumvit near the Asoke stop on the Skytrain. It is an easy walk from the Skytrain stop, maybe 5-10 minutes.

I wear a lot of Thai silk. They make nice blouses and jackets.

I too plan to make them into jackets or maybe into a fullish skirt.

thanks everyone for the replies! i'm really taking notes, haha. :D keep them coming!

any idea about the average prices? i'd like to know if i'm getting a fair deal

Yes, Almeta silk shop is quite good. I've been there as it's near where I stay. Remember there are different types of Thai silk. It's not all the real stiff kind. You just need to shop around and go to many different places. Plus, I buy what I like whether or not it's Thai. I don't like the stiff kind of silk though. Happy Travels!

Great information..thanks! And happy travels to you, too!

Hi again everyone! One quick question; is Chatuchak market near the Jim Thompson outlet store in Surawong? I'm researching where my family could stay, and I'd love to be near both. I believe I've read from somewhere that they're pretty close, I just need to confirm.

Thanks again everyone for taking the time! :)

They're not close and staying near either will put you out of the normal areas. The skytrain can assist in getting to both of them.

they are not close at all, but nothing is close in bkk...

if your time is limited i would skip the weekend market...

the best jt outlet is on soi 93, sukhumvit rd....the one on suriwong has very little cloth in comparison...its quite small....the main jt store is also on suriwong at the corner with rama IV