Thai Silk in Bangkok
Thai silk is perhaps the most famous of all Thai products and enjoys a world-wide reputation for its quality and stunning beauty. Obtainable in a huge range of colours, thicknesses, length and price-range, Thailand has more than enough silk to entice even the pickiest of shoppers.
The silk here in Bangkok is used for everything from haute couture dresses to curtains and table-cloths. As well as small tailors and shops specialising in all the various uses for silk, there are also huge retailers able to supply large quantities of silk at bargain prices.
When mentioning Thailand and silk, one simply has to refer to the legendary Jim Thompson. Born in 1906, James Harrison Wilson Thompson arrived in Asia as part of the U.S army in the 1940s. After the war had finished, Jim Thompson stayed on in Bangkok and gradually came to call it home. He had a vital role in re-establishing the silk trade which had floundered in years past.
He was wowed by the quality and workmanship which went into Thailand’s silk and vowed to bring it back to the position which it so richly deserved. With his natural flair for design and marketing, Jim Thompson almost single-handedly revived the demand for Thai silk around the world.
Today, his house proves one of the biggest draws for visitors to Bangkok. Its amazing construction and beauty made it the ‘place to be seen’ during the 1950s and 60s. As well as the house, the area also contains a large shop in which guests can purchase a huge range of silk, all of the highest possible quality.
Thai silk is considered among the best in the world, due to the higher fibre ply, quality of weave and rich hues – a result of the coarser silk being able to withstand stronger dyeing. Although most fabric nowadays is woven on a mechanised loom, making the process far more efficient and consequently the end product cheaper, much of the silk of Thai origin is still woven by traditional hand methods, and for this the Thais are incredibly patient and skilled with their hands, producing an end product that has a very subtly superior feel. There is also quite a complex method of preparing the silk and dyeing it.
How to recognise real Thai silk
There are several methods for determining if a product is made from real silkworm silk and the most obvious method is burning. Real silk burns like hair, giving off an acrid smell, while synthetic, so called ‘Chinese’ silk produces a hard, plastic-like residue which continues to burn on its own.
Not everyone will let you take a lighter to a 2,000 baht silk tunic, however. So the sheen test is another common test, and genuine silk is noted for its two-tone appearance as you move the garment in the light. This is because two different shades of silk are used in the warp and weft on the loom. A further method is to look for imperfection; real silk has thread breaks resulting in tiny bumps in the fabric, while Chinese silk comprises of one long continuous strand.
The Shinawatra Company, probably the largest rivals for the Jim Thompson operation, has various outlets around the city. Design Thai is another up and coming company specializing in silk produce. There are also other various places around Bangkok where a discerning buyer can find silk produce of the highest quality. There are many tailors who will happily make you a custom made silk suit, shirt, dress or skirt. Some of these enjoy great reputation, some rather less so. It is always best to go on the recommendations of friends or good hotels when considering visiting a tailor, however, some of the most notable names include Patrick’s Fashion Way, Alexandra Thai Silk Company and Julie Thai Cotton and Silk.
Silk is widely available at the markets and street side vendors but discerning buyers will prefer the quality and assurance from proper retailers, despite the price hike. If you are travelling North to Chiang Mai then you’ll do well to save your silk shopping for the prices are much cheaper there and the tailors just as good. Most of the actual silk however is farmed and produced on the Khorat plains in the Northeast.
