Phuket Textiles Shopping Guide

Thai Silk

Thai silk is on the top of the best buy list in Thailand. Sold in a range of colours, and in various widths, lengths and thicknesses, or as ready-made products such as shirts, blouses, men's suits and ladies silk jackets, bedcovers and furnishings. Prices and quality vary greatly, but good quality silk is easily found at major shopping centres in tourist areas around the island and tailor shops at major hotels.

Andaman Trade Centre, on Srisoontorn Rd, Thalang (Tel: 076 272 304) has a large selection of silk sold by the metre, and around Phuket City there are a number of stores that sell good quality silk. Shinawatra Home Mart, opposite the entrance to the Boat Lagoon on Thepkasattri Rd, Koh Kaew, has a good selection of silks for sale.

Gems Gallery on the bypass road and the Jim Thompson (8 locations in Phuket), sell silk by the metre and ready-to-wear silk garments and accessories. If you're looking for something really exquisite, specialty shops like the Laguna Beach Resort's Banyan Tree Gift Galleries sell garments and squares of beautifully woven silks from all Thai regions and neighbouring countries.

In the night markets at Patong and other tourist areas around the island, mass produced squares of woven silk similar in size to a sarong are sold by street vendors at very cheap prices. Although they are not the best quality silks to be bought, they are very pretty and great for gifts to take home. Also available at most markets are imported Chinese silk garments, which are an inexpensive but great gift to take home.

Cotton

A specialty of Northern Thailand, you'll find a basic selection of patterns and clothing around Phuket. Broad weave cotton shirts, pants and skirts are the perfect antidote to hot weather, and often breathe better than closely woven, fine silk. Small items like tablecloths, napkins and cushion covers in natural, modern colours make wonderful inexpensive gifts. Cotton homeware products are found in many of the night markets in tourist areas, and in the department stores.

You can buy Thai cotton clothing at Baan Boran and other Thai local boutiques along Yaoworat Rd in Phuket City. Prices are slightly higher than you would pay in Bangkok or in the North, but the quality is good. The Jim Thompson silk boutique also stocks Thai cotton products at its 8 locations around the island.

Batik

The brilliant colours of Phuket's tropical surroundings can be captured and taken home in the form of a piece of batik made right here on the island. Sarongs, shirts, bags, pictures and light clothing decorated with patterns evoking themes and colours from the rainforest and sea are available at many small stores around Patong, Rawai and Phuket City. Try Phuket Batik at Vanich Plaza along Loungpho Rd, or Chai Batik and Batik House on Chaofa Rd, Phuket City.