If you're going to be making a trip to Thailand, you probably already have in mind a few bargain of the century purchases you want to make while you're there, because let's face it, the Southeast Asian paradise is well known for our favorite goods at rock-bottom prices. And one of the common items that comes to mind is a nice fashionable suit.
Where you plan to travel will certainly figure the most in your purchasing decisions, but if you are going to make it up to the Northern mountain ranges, I highly suggest you hold off until then and buy a couple suits from a reputable Chiang Mai tailor.
Chiang Mai was once the cultural secret of Thailand, though how it ever stayed that way is a mystery since any local you talk to will tell you it is the number one place you have to see in Thailand. It's known to many as Thailand's cultural center, and though it is growing in popularity, it still lies off the beaten track.
While to most Thais, Chiang Mai is the epitome of everything the country stands for, to foreigners it is truly a shopper's paradise. The city came to be as a trading post where tribes from different regions of the mountain ranges came to sell their crafts and goods, and it maintains a reputation as a shopping mecca to this day.
With this history, Chiang Mai is also well known for very skilled craftsmen in about every kind of craft you can think of, and the great skills of the Chiang Mai tailor are no different. If you find the right shop, you will find some of the finest fabrics in the world at prices you could only find in Thailand and proud men who value their work like a Westerner can barely understand.
Take the time to stop in and get fitted, it is well worth it.
Not all Chiang Mai tailors are the same, however. One thing you will notice as soon as you step off the plane in Bangkok is that the country is over-flowing with tailors, just as with competitors in every industry. On Khao San Road, they swarm you in the street. "Suit, Sir? Suit, Sir?" the Indian men holler at every step, as if completely oblivious to the fact that you're wearing shorts and sandals while sporting a 3-day beard growth.
Things are a little mellower in the North, but you'll still find remnants of the same scene if you don't get off the tourist track. And you'll often find that if you buy a great-looking suit from these fly-by-night suit tailors who are just looking to make a quick buck that it will come apart within the first year if not within the first month.
But a Chiang Mai tailor worth their salt typically develops quite a following in the expat community, just like the tailors of old. Ask around. If you know some Thais who have the kind of money to wear suits, asking them for a referral is even better. Or, if you don't know where to start, get online and start Googling for some outside opinions.
The bottom line is do your research and unless you know suits well do not just walk in off the street. What if you don't have time to come to Thailand? You can still get high quality suits at rock bottom prices. Many Thai tailors develop such a loyal following in the expat community that word of their services drifts overseas to Europe, America, and Australia. So now, many make frequent trips abroad and visit cities to take measurements for groups of people.
All you have to do is let them know you want them to come to your city and how many people are interested, and they'll try to make arrangements for you. You may even get a free suit if you have enough people waiting when they get there.
Want to find out more about what constitutes a good Chiang Mai tailor? Do your research before you make your trip to Thailand or start looking into how you can get a solid professional tailor to come to your city and give you quality at a price the local businesses wouldn't dream of competing with. Go to http://www.ChiangMaiTailor.com to begin your search.
By James Druman
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