Bangkok Shopping: Buying Leather

Bangkok is a good place to buy leather goods. Not only do you get a wide range of different leathers here (including common ostrich, shark, stingray, alligator, snake, calf, lamb, sea snake and more and so on). But you also have excellent craftsmen and -women here who know how to handle it and produce high-quality leather products.

Many of our clients come to Bangkok to buy leather. One of the most popular shops is called Tony Leather – and it’s true that they have quality goods. However, they are not one of our favorites, mainly for two reasons: you can get considerably superior quality for the same price in other places if you know where to shop, and second: they are so popular that they seem to care very little about individual customer satisfaction.

Whereas other shops go out of their way to provide the customer with the products they want, we repeatedly witnessed how the staff there was rather indifferent and uncooperative. However, let’s not get all these stories out. If you need good quality and don’t mind paying more, Tony leather is still a good address.

If you have a little more time on hand, there are other places though. The Chaoroen Krung Road has many leather supply stores, and some of them really good, both in terms of quality and the value that you get for your money. Plus, the service is friendly and attentive.

You can also find several vendors who sell leather goods in Bangkok’s famous weekend market, the Chatuchak market (also known as Jatujak market or JJ market). This one is located at the BTS station Mo Chit, and you can go there Saturday and Sunday. Best time to go from 10 am – 4 pm. However, be prepared for a labyrinth – there are literally thousands of vendors and stalls, and it can be challenging to find your way around there.

Smaller local markets that cater mainly to Thais often do not have leather goods, or only a very limited selection. This is mainly because of the lack of purchasing power – the people who frequent these markets are budget-conscious, and prefer to buy cheap imitation leather that looks like real than spend more money on genuine leather.

You can also find leather goods in shopping malls, but for high prices.

An exception are some stalls in the Platinum mall in Pratunam, where you can also buy leather wholesale.

Whether you want bags, wallets, shoes, boots, accessories, leatherwear, you find it all.

You can also get custom-made leather goods, including fancy things like golf bags, briefcases, leather wine cases and so on. And of course: a leather case for your iPhone 😉

If you want to go on a shopping spree during your Bangkok sightseeing trip, or need a local shopping assistant who can help you to locate the best sources for your needs, as always, feel free to contact us with your requests.