Bangkok is one of the better cities in Asia for fabric shopping, but the good shops are scattered across half a dozen neighbourhoods and the experience is uneven. Here are the ten places we send clients to most often, from the dedicated fabric shops to the big Chinatown markets, ranked roughly from easiest-to-visit to most rewarding-if-you-have-time.
In Bangkok the best fabric shop is the one that matches what you came for, not the one with the longest aisle.
Map of all fabric shops
Ten places we send clients most often, plus our atelier on Rama 4. Tap a numbered pin to jump to that shop.
Pins 1-10 match the list below. Pin 11 is LALEDA, where you can skip the market loop and choose from our swatch books instead.
1. Brooke's Fabrics
On Thonglor (Sukhumvit 55), tucked among Bangkok's pricier restaurants. Despite the address, prices here are very reasonable. Brooke's carries good imported linens, Japanese-style tweeds, and a wide range of dress fabrics in varied colour stories for both casual and formal pieces. The staff actually know their stock, which is rarer than it should be.
Location: 125, 32 Thong Lo Rd, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, 10110
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2. Fabricity
On Songwat Road, near the river and Chinatown. Family-owned with a century-old textile pedigree, but the operation feels modern. Their specialty is printing on 100% rayon, including on-demand digital prints if you arrive with a custom pattern. Bolts cover organic cottons, linens, Thai silks, rayons, and contemporary microfibers, with options that run from breathable cloth for tropical wear to more formal weights.
Location: 469 Song Wat Rd, Chakkrawat, Samphanthawong (Nearby the river and China Town)
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3. Hieng Yoo Huat
Right at the Asok/Sukhumvit intersection, a one-minute walk from BTS Asok, which makes it one of the most convenient stops on this list. Stock leans toward low-to-medium prices on local and imported cloth, mostly straightforward colours and designs. Worth visiting specifically for tweeds and heavier-weight fabrics, which they always seem to have in stock.
Location: 354 Sukhumvit Road, Asok intersection
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4. Jim Thompson Outlet (and the Jim Thompson HQ)
Jim Thompson silk needs no introduction in Bangkok, but at the flagship store fabrics often run 5,000 THB per metre or more. The factory outlet on Soi Sukhumvit 93 carries many of the same bolts at a fraction of that. Selection includes lightweight silks for kimonos and dresses, plus heavier weights suited to blazers and structured pieces. Worth the trip out of the central area if silk is what you're after.
Location: 153 Soi Sukhumvit 93, Khet Khlong Toei, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, 10110
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5. ChinaWorld
Five floors of fabric shops under one roof, just past Chinatown. The mall is made up of dozens of small independent vendors, each with their own specialty and pricing, so it pays to walk the whole thing before buying. You'll find cotton, silk, linen, wool, and most things in between. Block out half a day at minimum; it's the kind of place you'll want to come back to once you know the layout.
Location: 677 Chakkraphet Road, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, 10200
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6. Gandhi / Cynosure Fabrics
On the ground floor of ChinaWorld. Gandhi / Cynosure is mainly imported Italian silks (with chiffons and other dress cloths alongside). Good bolts can run 5,000 THB per metre and up. We send clients here for European silk for evening or wedding gowns, not for Thai silk. Feel weight and drape before you buy.
Location: Gandhi fabric shops can be found on the ground floor of the ChinaWorld building.
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7. Nirand Textiles / Fabric Plus
On Phahurat Road, in the heart of the textile district, an easy add-on if you're already walking over from Pahurat or Old Siam Plaza. A general-purpose store with affordable cottons and polyesters in plain and colourful patterns. Best for casual projects and everyday dressmaking rather than formal pieces.
Location: 237 Phahurat Road, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, 10200
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8. The Old Siam Plaza
A short walk from ChinaWorld in the Yaowarat area. Old Siam houses several fabric shops, but the reason to come is traditional Thai textiles: handwoven silks and cottons with patterns you won't find at the more contemporary stores. If you're working on a wedding dress with traditional Thai elements, this is the first stop.
Location: Find The Old Siam Plaza at Yaowarat area near Chinatown, just around the corner from the ChinaWorld Mall.
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9. Pahurat (Little India)
Bangkok's Indian fabric quarter, a few minutes on foot from ChinaWorld. Pahurat is the place for lace, beaded and sequined cloth, sari silks, and bridal fabric by the metre, often at prices the upmarket shops can't match. If you're planning an evening gown or a wedding dress with a lot of surface detail, start here.
Location: Phahurat Road and the small lanes around it, near Old Siam in Phra Nakhon. Nearest station: MRT Sam Yot, about a five-minute walk.
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10. Sampeng Lane (Soi Wanit 1)
A narrow wholesale lane in Chinatown packed with trims, ribbons, buttons, zips, and accessories, plus runs of inexpensive fabric. It's chaotic and mostly cash, but unbeatable for finishing touches and for anyone buying in quantity. Go early, before the lane fills up.
Location: Soi Wanit 1 (Sampeng Lane), Samphanthawong, between Ratchawong and Chakrawat. Nearest station: MRT Wat Mangkon.
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Or skip the trip: thousands of fabrics to choose from at the atelier
If you'd rather not spend a day in Chinatown, we have thousands of fabrics to choose from at our atelier on Sukhumvit, through swatch books and bunches. That includes branded mills like Zegna, Holland & Sherry, Fox Brothers, and Drago, plus premium cloth from local, Italian, UK, and Scottish sources.
Most of these grades aren't sold at the shops listed above. They're either branded or sourced directly from mills. Once you've chosen, our team can take it from there with tailoring your design. If you want a starting point, our shorter list of dressmaking fabrics we recommend covers what we use for everyday and semi-formal pieces.
