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Whether you're looking for fabric for a new outfit or curtains, or ready-made gift items for your loved ones at home, you'll be thrilled with the endless selection Bangkok has to offer. Everything from shimmering Thai silk and pure cottons to exotic batik sarongs are readily available at Pahurat Textile Market, Thailand's largest fabric market, and many other markets and mall outlets.
Unique in its own right, Pahurat or 'Little India' is not so little when it comes to variety. Cotton, chiffon, linen, satin, silk and velvet come in all sizes and colours. Even if you're not looking to buy fabric, Pahurat is still quite a feast for the eyes.
Thai Silk
Probably the most sought-after fabric by visitors from all over the world, Thai silk is celebrated for its outstanding quality, unique designs and affordability. It comes in an array of colours, patterns and plies, and is sold by the yard, or as ready-made clothing and souvenir items such as neckties, scarves, handkerchiefs, shawls, handbags, photo frames, bed covers and the likes. Also look out for the unique 'Mat Mee' Thai silk, a traditional tie-dyed silk from the Northeast of Thailand.
Silk is one of Thailand's great bargains. It can be found all over the city, but care must be taken that you are purchasing real silk and not synthetic fabric. Inexpensive silk items or articles of clothing marked 'Thai silk', like the neckties or scarves for sale at stalls along Sukhumvit and Silom Roads, is not the real thing. Hand-woven silk and cotton from different ethnic and tribal groups in Thailand are more in line with what you're looking for. It comes in a variety of patterns and styles that reflect the cultural and ethnic uniqueness of the people who make it. Although usually cheaper closer to where it was woven, Bangkok has the advantage of having selections available from all over the country.
Prices and quality do vary greatly, but generally good quality silk is easily found at Pahurat Textile Market and at most tailors. Silk gift items and similar products can also be obtained at Chatuchak / Weekend Market, Suan Lum Night Bazaar and many shopping outlets in malls.
Jim Thompson, the legendary American who is generally credited for making Thai silk so famous, disappeared in Malaysia in the 1960's and has never been seen since. His shops, a legacy from those early days, remain as popular as ever. You'll find them in many five-star hotels and upmarket malls. Jim Thompson's also has a factory outlet which sells exciting ranges of home furnishings. The original house where the American lived in Bangkok today houses a fine museum with priceless antiques and a wonderful perspective of a bygone era.
Batik
Originally worn by aristocrats and royalty in Indonesia, batik later made its name in other Southeast Asian countries, especially Thailand. The word batik conjures thoughts of exotic, oriental textiles, rich in colour and pattern. Depicting abstract portraits, ethnic designs, scenes of tropical islands and even cartoon characters, eye-catching batik cloth can be seen on almost any beach in the form of sarongs and is also used to make shirts, ties, scarves and even shoes. This versatile and durable textile is being applied to more areas everyday, like tablecloths, curtains, placemats and even picture frames.
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The method involves waxing the cloth to make it dye resistant, then dyeing an unwaxed portion in a chosen colour. The wax is then removed by plunging the fabric into boiling water, where it would melt and separate from the fibres. The fabric is then dried out completely, before repeating the whole procedure for each colour. Considering this time-consuming and intricate process, batik is an exceptionally high quality work of art.
Although more prevalent near the beaches around the country, batik products can also be found in Bangkok's popular markets and shopping malls. Some batik shops will often let you design and sometimes even let you do all the work yourself!
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