Bangkok Tailors

I%26#39;m in Bangkok between Xmas and NY and am looking to buy a couple of suits whilst I%26#39;m there. Can anyone on here suggest some decent tailors and also give me an idea on their prices.

Many thanks.

Bangkok Tailors

Raja%26#39;s Fashions on Sukhumvit Soi 4 is the best place my husband has found in our eight years-plus of living here. It%26#39;s named Raja%26#39;s after Raja Gulati, the founder and the father of Bobby Gulati (often mistakenly referred to as Bobby Raja by people who don%26#39;t know that Raja was his dad, not Bobby%26#39;s last name), who now runs the place -- although Old Man Raja (I say with affection) still reports to the shop most of the time to observe how his son manages everything and to chat with all of his loyal, long-time customers.

Raja%26#39;s is so popular and respected that many unscrupulous tailors try to steer potential clients -- usually short-time tourists who have heard vaguely about the legendary ';Raja%26#39;s'; or his son Bobby -- their way by dubbing their shops Bobby%26#39;s or Rajawongse or similar. Sometimes the tourists protest, ';But I heard it was on Soi 4?'; And the tailor says, ';Oh yes, but we have moved to this new location.'; Please do not be fooled, or you will pay by buying inferior shirts and suits!

Raja%26#39;s is next to Nana Plaze on Sukhumvit Soi 4, also known as Soi Nana. The shopfront is small and unassuming, but once inside you will be treated warmly and welcomed with a cold beverage. You%26#39;ll see the photos on the walls of their loyal customers from throughout the years, including Bill Clinton, John Kerrey, various U.S. Ambassadors, and many folks from the British Embassy and other embassies, not to mention captains of industry. Bobby becomes friendly with all of his customers, including my father, who regularly orders new jackets and even silk pyjamas to be sent to him in the States! (My mum thinks he likes feeling exotic by saying ';my Bangkok tailor'; to his mates, LOL.)

I%26#39;ve no idea how much the suits cost but I%26#39;ll check with my husband or dad and try to remember to post it here. I do know that Bobby%26#39;s staff can turn them around really quickly!

Bangkok Tailors

Thanks for such a quick and thorough response!

If the suits are good enough for your husband and dad then they sound good enough for me. (Perhaps I%26#39;ll avoid the silk pyjamas though! Hee hee).

Thanks especially for the heads-up up on the rivals imitating the shop sign!

Will definitely give this shop a go!

Thanks again!

Do these taylors also make shirts? Myself and my husband are going to Bangkok next week and my husband would like to pick up a few taylor made shirts. Do you know how much we should expect to pay for these?

Hey, I%26#39;m happy to pass on hard-earned info. :)

Hubby says a suit with top of the line fabric runs at about US$225 but if he gets two or three extra pairs of trousers rather than just one pair of trousers to go with the jacket, the price rises as high as US$300. You can feel confident bargaining if Bobby first quotes you a price much higher than $225, but hubby says that he%26#39;s never gotten a lower price than $225 so that appears to be the cut-off. Casual dress shirts used to be four for US$100, but he hasn%26#39;t ordered those in a couple years because he found a guy he likes even better for shirts in Singapore, so the price may have gone up since hubby%26#39;s last time for shirts.

Sometimes with larger orders Bobby will throw in an extra shirt or tie to sweeten the deal (probably everyone does that).

There ARE other good tailors, to be sure, but as far as English-speaking ones who are very well-versed in Western expectations for style and quality, and as far as fellows in the Sukhumvit corridor, the real Raja%26#39;s stands out. (My friend%26#39;s husband profiled Bobby for an issue of Men%26#39;s Vogue before the magazine folded; maybe you can find it via Google.)

I hope you have a fun trip!

JINJ, I just saw your post! If you will stop in Singapore also, I will post hubby%26#39;s tailor info for shirts down there. Otherwise, Raja%26#39;s shirts are very nice and definitely cheaper than anything bespoke with nice cloth outside of Asia. (My husband just prefers the wider selection of fabrics that his Singapore tailor offers.)

Hi,

I%26#39;ll second the vote for Raja%26#39;s on Soi 4.. He%26#39;s quite popular with the American ex-patriot community in town and he also does quite a bit of business with several of the larger western diplomatic posts as well..

To be fair, he%26#39;s not the cheapest in town, and that there are several other well known and reputable tailors. I%26#39;ve used Raja%26#39;s for five years now and have had nothing but excellent experiences and still have most of the garments he made for me back when I first arrived in town.

I buy my suits (always three piece) from him as well as my dress shirts. Do be sure that you have an idea of what you want from your finished goods, as he can make it virtually any way you like it...

Before you chose any tailor, I can suggest you ask to see a sample garment- suit, shirt or both-- that is ready for customer pick-up to see first-hand what the fit and finish looks like.

Travel Safe,

Quality are all the same; they send all to the same sweat shops that has been doing famous rounds in the forum about the workmanship.

I have always like a smaller shop since the price are cheaper and quality and service better. I am happy with the workmanship at Starwood tailors and will visit their again. Its not that famous with the diplomats etc but there are many satisfied customers at this shop.

Hi;

Raja%26#39;s on soi4 is just around the corner of Sukhumvit road . I stay at the M.S. and knowing this shop . I used MS. Taylor for my suit and have good experience with them in term of quality and prices.

At 10,000baht , Raja%26#39;s is a good taylor and well known within expat

people in the lower soi Sukhumvit. I may try this shop the next visit

Bangkok for a change