I will be on holiday in bkk in april of 2007...am interested in saville row quality tailors for men's clothing...suits, sport jackets, dress shirts...have been through the process in Hong Kong and found the right kind of tailor, but there were many lower quality/lower price choices that had to be sorted through... Would welcome recommendations.

My wife got some very nice silk suits at a place called Chinese Tailor. They were recommended by the Marriott and she is very happy with their work. They're not the "4 suits for $99" type of tailor, but it sounds like you're more interested in quality anyhow.

Raja's Fashions (do a search on flyertalk or google for rave reviews) very near the JW Marriott

1/6 Sukhumvit Soi Nana 4 in Bangkok. (tell the taxi driver to take you to the Nana hotel -- it's right across the street)

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Nice article in this month's Conde Nast article includes Raja as well as his cousin's place (I think)

got one in Sukhumvit soi 8, just a few minutes walk from Raja's incase you dun like them. Crown Tailors. Had my suit done up from them and love their atmosphere and workmanship.

Check this thread...
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=412098

Two excellent Chinese tailor shops -- Ah Song very close to the Oriental Hotel and Burlington Tailors on Soi Ruam Rudee right behind the Conrad and Plaza Athinee Hotels. Excellent quality at both. Burlington more expensive.

The place in the Oriental did wonderful work...although it was quite expensive. Also, if staying there, it is wonderful just be able to walk down and be fitted. If your hotel has a tailor in it, I recommend using him (assuming that it appears to be a good tailor, of course).

The Oriental's place was Sartorial. It was an outbranch of another place (whose name I don't know).

Peninsula Hotel sent me to Premier on the second floor of the upscale shopping complex a block or so behind the Oriental Hotel. Good work and service. They also kept a record of all final measurements. This has allowed me to order more clothes, from home, that fit perfectly and arrive when promised.

Nice article in this month's Conde Nast article includes Raja as well as his cousin's place (I think)

I get my suits/shirts made here and more than satisfied with the quality. Emailed him the other day about the article. Bobby was quite excited to hear this and asked if I wouldn't mind mailing the US edition to him.

I get my suits/shirts made here and more than satisfied with the quality. Emailed him the other day about the article. Bobby was quite excited to hear this and asked if I wouldn't mind mailing the US edition to him.

I had the same question as the first poster and cautiously tried Raja's :-: after reading other posts. ^ I have gone back 4-5 times since first trying Raja's last November! (last week being the most recent). After 4 suits, one navy blazer, and about 35-40 shirts I don't think I'll get clothes anywhere else! Bobby and his dad Raja will know your name after the first time you walk in - great customer service. Other staff is great as well (I have a hard time deciding on shirt fabric to match suits, but they provide great help). Prices are certainly not as cheap as other local tailors BUT it is great quality and it's a great deal compared to getting a tailored suit in CAD or USA. My problem now is... I can't go through BKK without going there and getting clothes. :)

Soi 4 across from the Nana Hotel. Good luck.

yvrdude

Don't mean to be contrarian, but after more than 30 years traveling to and living (12 years) in Bangkok, would never spend money with Indian tailors like Rajah and Raja or others along Sukhumvit or just inside the busier sois there, compared to Chinese shops. And I have met both Bobby and his father. They are very warm individuals and good businessmen, but my opinion is based on over 20 years of high quality and price at Chinese places like Ah Song or Burlington, a bit more off the beaten path.

Of course it helps to speak some Thai or Taechew with Chinese tailors, level of English much lower than the Indians like Raja and Rajah. Still not all that much a problem.

How does Phuket tailoring compare to BKK? I know the Phuket guys all farm out the work. Is that how it is in BKK or is BKK more inhouse?

I didn't have time to get my stuff in BKK and without wanting to go home empty handed I bought 2 suits, 1 sports jacket, 4 shirts and they threw in 3 ties.

I got fitted 3 times and they met my deadline in 3 days. The tailor he uses for jackets came to the store all 3 times. I asked for only the best fabric they had. Super 120 wool was it, the ties silk, the shirts a blend, and the blazer was made in "Silk" fabric. He showed me the silk that fuzzes up, but then he showed me the better stuff and he scrunched up and said, "No Wrinkles No Fuzz."

BTW I tried Rajas near Khao San Road, but he couldn't meet my, "at that point in the trip," tight deadline.

My Phuket guy wanted more $, but I bargained down to $500 flat (which included the fee from the guy that brought me in from the street which he said, "2%," when I asked him outside the store walking to the ATM). It doesn't sound like a good BKK deal, but compared to home it was a steal. Are monograms on shirts extra or is that part of the price? I got monograms 'included' in the price. It seemed he wasn't used to doing monograms very often. How much did I overpay? :cool:

500 dollars for all that i think is quite a decent deal, That works out to just under 20,000 baht for 2 suits, jacket and shirts and ties. Now all thats left is to see if the clothes are long lasting.

Pointeater -- The Chinese tailors I mention do their work on site in upper floor(s) of their traditional shophouses. Can't speak for others like Raja's or Rajah's.

Don't mean to be contrarian, but after more than 30 years traveling to and living (12 years) in Bangkok, would never spend money with Indian tailors like Rajah and Raja or others along Sukhumvit or just inside the busier sois there, compared to Chinese shops.

This echoes the opinions shared by Thais whom I work with. Also the opinion of my tailor Maxcoco at OP Place (who's a 2nd generation Teochew tailor). Their collective opinion was that the Indian shops are just salesmen who farm the work out to Chinese tailors. Disclaimer: their opinion, not mine.

Its apparent to me now that MOST tailors farm their work out. To Chinese or Thai tailors. The guy that owns the store I bought from basically told me that. He goes here for the jacket, here for the pants, here for the shirts, etc.

So what do most of these tailor shops have that the people that actually make the suits don't? Multilingual/English ability? Funds to open a store front? Both?

The guy I went to in Phuket was definitely middle eastern.

Nice article in this month's Conde Nast article includes Raja as well as his cousin's place (I think)

Indeed. Just read it the other day.

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/detail?articleId=10496

Its apparent to me now that MOST tailors farm their work out. To Chinese or Thai tailors. The guy that owns the store I bought from basically told me that. He goes here for the jacket, here for the pants, here for the shirts, etc.

So what do most of these tailor shops have that the people that actually make the suits don't? Multilingual/English ability? Funds to open a store front? Both?

The guy I went to in Phuket was definitely middle eastern.

You're exactly right "Multilingual/English ability? Funds to open a store front? Both?" - basically both of that and some do a great job at being a tailor while others just basically try to get money from us foreigners and sell us the .Sh*ttiest suit we've ever purchased in our life and never see us again. I'm telling you, its true. Some of the sikh tailors are amazing, but some, are the worst you could possibly find.

Pointeater -- The Chinese tailors I mention do their work on site in upper floor(s) of their traditional shophouses. Can't speak for others like Raja's or Rajah's.

The Raja's/Rajah's do not do their own work...it is all farmed out to low end sweat shops in shophouses where Thai families do all the work. All of the "Indian" suit places are cheaper and less quality (of the tailoring)...than the Chinese places mentioned, where the work is done on-site. Do yourself a favor if you want to look sharp...use a Chinese/Thai tailor.

I'll be in BKK one day and phuket for 2-3 days in late November. I'd like to pickup a suit or two and am looking for tips on best way to do it. Should I go in once to a BKK tailor, measure up and have them ship it to me? Since BKK is leg 1 and Phuket is last leg (8 days apart) I suppose I could measure in BKK and have it made in phuket if there are joined shops (recommendations welcomed!).

I've recently used Raja in London, got measured once in a hotel, paid £300 and got a mid range decent quality suit. I'm hoping to pay less and have a better fabric selection when there. Are my expectations fair?

Also if shipped back to London, do I pay that on top of the cost and not insure it to avoid customs? How does that all work? I'm not sure how Raja did it, but it was included in my £300 price.

Thanks!