Bangkok Post : Tailor-made: Avoiding the rip-offs

Two years ago, Deepak Dangmaneerat became fed up with the number of complaints he was hearing about tailor shops, so he started a website to highlight the problem.

His family migrated from India to Thailand about 40 years ago, and his father, now 66, opened a tailor shop in Sattahip catering mainly to US servicemen stationed in the region during the Vietnam War. After they left, his father opened one of the first tailor shops in Pattaya. When he retired, Mr Deepak's older brother took over the business, and he still runs it.

"I was in the business for a few years, but gave it up," said Mr Deepak. "There was too much competition and I couldn't compete on price. If I'd sold good quality clothes at a low price I would have lost money, and I wouldn't sell poor quality clothes at a low price, so I decided to quit and do something else. Now I own a kindergarten in Pattaya."

But Mr Deepak said he still has a love for the trade and can't stand to see bad tailors cheating customers, which is why he set up his website.

Mr Deepak tries to steer people towards tailors who won't cheat them: "I'm not a tailor anymore, but a facilitator who tries to help customers find the right tailor. When people contact me asking for advice, I give them the name of a good shop that will suit their needs. I also try to help if they have a problem with a tailor."

Mr Deepak said he receives four or five emails each day from people complaining about tailors, asking for his help or simply asking him to recommend a good tailor.

The most common complaints he hears are that clothes don't fit or fall apart, and the quality of the fabric and/or workmanship is bad.

"When I recommend a tailor on my website, I don't care if he is British, German, Indian or Thai. If his work is good and he delivers a good product at the right price, then I will recommend him," Mr Deepak said.

Asked why there are so many tailor shops in Pattaya and Bangkok, he replied: "The business used to be very lucrative. About 30 years ago, many people, especially Europeans, were keen on getting good quality suits made in Thailand because the prices were so reasonable.

"Back then you could get good fabrics and sell suits for a good price, so it was a very good business and this is why so many shops opened.

"It's not difficult to open a tailor shop, but it's not easy to acquire the expertise needed to be a tailor. You don't need much money, because you get fabric on credit. You can send the cloth to someone who will cut it, and make it up. You can start a business straight away provided you can pay the rent."

Mr Deepak said that there are fewer shops now because of the cut-throat competition. "There was a price war instead of a quality war, that led to many shops closing. This was two or three years ago, but it's still going on. Many shops closed in Pattaya. Walking Street, for example, used to be full of tailor shops, but now there are mainly bars there.

"Thirty years ago, you could sell suits for a good price, and the quality was very good. But as the number of shops increased, competition brought prices down, and with it the quality. The quality also suffered because many shops used tailors with little or no experience. Some were using bad lining material - even paper - so after a suit had been dry cleaned once or twice the jacket looked terrible.

"There are many tailors in Thailand that can deliver a good product, but you get what you pay for. There's a wide range in the price of fabrics. A good wool suit can cost from 10,000 to 50,000 baht," Mr Deepak said.

"If you go to a shop that has a short-term perspective, they want to deal with you only once and you could be in trouble. They're only looking for a one-off sale and aren't interested in return business.

"But there are shops that realise a satisfied customer will recommend his friends to them and maybe come back himself."

Mr Deepak gives this advice to potential customers: "When you enter a tailor shop, ask how long they have been in business.

"Longer is better. You should also examine work displayed in the shop, the lining of a jacket, the stitching and button holes - there should be no loose threads - and how the sleeves are attached - there shouldn't be many wrinkles on the sleeve."

Commenting on deals for suits, shirts and ties "for only US$199", Mr Deepak warned: "It can be done for that price, but it might not be good. It's a gimmick to bring in customers. Sometimes if you go for this type of deal, they'll show you a purple fabric and say: 'This is the colour your suit will be.'

Of course, if you want a different colour the price will be higher. And if you want a better lining or different buttons it will also cost more."

Asked whether it is possible to make a suit in nine hours, as advertised by some shops, Mr Deepak said: "I believe that there is a high probability that it won't fit, but some tailors could do it. It depends on their experience, but ideally there should be two fittings, and then it should take about three days to finish.

But he was pessimistic about the future of custom tailoring in Thailand, as you can now easily buy suits at department stores off the peg. They are well made from good quality fabrics, and come at a good price.

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