A Compendium of Thai Silk Shops on Instagram

This post was revised on July 5, 2020. All links are good.
Thai silk shops on Instagram
Instagram has many Thai silk shops that will post fabrics and prices.

This post is a compendium of Thai silk shops on Instagram (IG). You can use it as both an educational and buying resource for Thai silk.

I have selected 15 of the best Thai silk shops on IG with direct links to their profiles. I have also included a photo collage of their fabrics and a brief description of the shops. In the very last section I have included IG links to many more excellent Thai silk shops. While this compendium is fairly complete, it is not exhaustive.

Most of these silk shops will list the price of the bolt of silk they’re selling. This pricing info is a great way for you to begin understanding prices of Thai silk. (And why they don’t sell authentic Thai silk at tourist markets!) All the IG Thai silk accounts are in Thai-but don’t let that scare you away. Prices are easily discernible. Somewhere in the post you’ll see  “ราคา” followed by a four or five digit number. “ราคา”  (pronounced “raka”) means “price” and the following number is the price in baht. Example: “ราคา​ 2850 บาท” (The last word is baht and today it traded at 31.5/$1 US)

Almost all the IG silk shops communicate via LINE. When I’m in Thailand, I use LINE (a free app.) all the time to call people. I give Line IDs when possible. Don’t hesitate to contact them! That’s why they’re on IG. Many Thais speak English and if they can’t they’ll get someone who can.

So pursue this compendium and feel free to republish it (just link back to me!) Enjoy.

Khom Kham Thai Silk

Khom Kham Thai Silk
Mudmee silk fabrics from Khom Kham Thai Silk shop in Chonobot, Thailand.

@khomkham_thaisilk
www.khomkhamthaisilk.com
LINE ID: @thaisilk

Khom Kham Thai Silk is located in Chonobot, a small town near Kon Gan. (Exact directions are on their website.)  Chonobot is known for its mudmee silk and Khom Kham Thai Silk has an extensive and quality selection. Prices are generally between $100-$200 (US) for a 1.6 meter bolt of silk mudmee. Highly recommended.

If you’re not familiar with “mudmee” weaving, please read my blog post: Mudmee Fabric: A Cultural Treasure of Thailand.

Chanruennakha

Chanruennaka Silk Shop
Chanruennaka offers some of the finest silk sarongs in Thailand. The sarongs above retail for about $400/ea. (13,000 baht)

@chanruennakha
LINE ID: @chanruennakha

Chanruennakha is a high end women’s apparel shop located in the Fabric Market of Udon Thani. Their sarongs are some of the finest in all The Kingdom. Much of their apparel uses silk embroidery/weaving very similar to Praewa silk. (Read my post: Praewa Silk: The Queen of Thai Silks) Prices are displayed on all their Instagram listings.

VIP Thai Silk

VIP Thai Silk Shop in Nakon Sawan
Top quality Thai silk is the earmark of VIP Silk. Prices: Top left-5 yards/$600; Top Right-5 yards/$5,300 (Silk fit for the Royal Ct.); Bottom left-3 yards/$245.

@vipthaisilk
LINE ID: @vipthaisilk
www.vipthaisilk.com
Tel. 083-5649936

Located in Nakon Sawan (about 160 kilometers north of Bangkok), VIP Silk is a high-quality silk shop that specializes in brocaded silks from Lamphun, but they also have a good selection of mudmee silks from Isaan.  Some of their Lamphun silks are the finest quality available and the prices reflect that. They have an excellent website where you can shop their silk offerings.

Surin Thai Silk

Surin Thai Silk Shop
Surin Thai silk shop will offer both excellent mudmees and brocaded Thai silks.

@surin_thaisilk
LINE ID: arunwanp
Address: Moo 1, Tambon Ta-Sa-Wang; Surin

Surin Thai Silk Shop is located in Ban Ta-Sa-Wang, a very famous silk weaving village near Surin. (Surin is about a 6 hour drive from Bangkok.) You can click on their Facebook link via their IG profile and get detailed directions. Please read my blog post: “A Silk Safari to Ban Ta-Sa-Wan” for details and directions. The silk weaving villages that surround Surin are of course a treasure trove of Thai silks.

Cheonsa Silk

Cheonsa Thai Silk Shop
Cheonsa Silk Shop is one of many silk shops in Surin Province. Their mudmee fabrics are some of the finest in The Kingdom.

@cheonsa_silk
🆔 LINE : uoystar

Cheonsa Silk is another village silk shop located in Ban Ta-Sa-Wang, near the city of Surin.  This village shop will have excellent silk mudmee at excellent prices. (prices will start around 3k baht [$100] for 1.6 meters.) Just go to the village from Surin and ask for Cheonsa Silk. All of these local silk shops can take you where you can watch Thai silk being woven. Just ask.

Thai Silk Nannipa

Thai silk Nannipa Silk Store
Thai Silk Nannipa offers a great selection of local silk mudmee from the Kon Gan area.

@thaisilknannipa
LINE ID: thaisilkbyying
Tel. 085-000-2779

Thai Silk Nannipa is located in Kon Gan Province and sells excellent silk mudmee fabrics that are woven locally. Prices are included in all their Instagram posts. Kon Gan is in the heart of “mudmee country” in Isaan. These local shops will give you solid quality for the best price. You can contact them via Line for exact directions and hours.

Passa Silkwear

Passa Silk Wear
Passa Silk Wear designs contemporary Thai silk couture specializing in mudmee silks.

@passa.official
www.passasilkwear.com
Tel. (66) 81-551-4144 (Bangkok)
208/9 Cheangwattana Rd., Bangkok  10210

Passa Silkwear is a designer/dressmaker that specializes in mudmee and other Thai silk. Peruse their website (in English) and IG posts and you’ll agree this is an accomplished Thai silk couture house. All women need a go-to dressmaker and Passa Silkwear won’t disappoint. Click here to see a wonderful video Passa Silkwear made about their work. You’ll get an understanding for the handle (weight, drape & feel) of Thai silk when you watch this video.

Mai Thai Ngam Thai Silk

Mai Thai Silk Shop
Assorted silks for sale at Mai Thai Silk Shop. They’re in Chonobot, so of course they specialize in mudmee.

@maithaingamthaisilk
LINE ID: 0877676951
Tel. (66) 87-767-6951

This mudmee Thai silk business is located in Chonobot, near Kon Gan, and they also have a shop at the Bon Marche market in Bangkok. Great selection of mudmee silks at reasonable prices. Prices are included on all Instagram posts. Click here to see a short video of the owner showing off some bolts of silk mudmee.

Lamphun Thai Silk

Lamphun Thai Silk Shop
The finest brocaded silks are woven in Lamphun.

@thai_silk.lamphunmaithai
Tel: 089-635-1607
www.lamphunthaisilk.com

Lamphun silk weavers are known for their exquisite brocaded Thai silk. This area has been producing silk fine enough to be worn by the Royal Thai Court since the late 19th Century. Lamphun is about a 30 minute drive from Chiang Mai and a visit to Lamphun Thai Silk Shop would make a great day trip. You can get exact directions (map) from their IG page.

Pearmai Silk

Pearmai Silk shop in Surin, Thailand
Pearmai silk shop sells an array of different silks. Photos: Top left: mudmee sarong; Top Right: Mudmee scarf; Middle left: “Yok Dauk” silk; Bottom left: Dupioni silk

@pearmai_surin
ID LINE: @567nbmfi (มี@นะคะ)
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻bit.ly/2AoEf92

Pearmai Silk is located in Surin (by now you should realize that Surin is a hotbed of silk weaving). This silk shop of course not only sells mudmee silks, but also “yok dauk” (brocaded silk) and bolts of dupioni. The bottom left photo of coral dupioni sells for 900 baht/2 meters! Yes, that’s about $12 (US) a yard!!! This shop will offer you fair prices for quality Thai silk.

Uttama Thai Silk

Uttama Thai silk shop in Surin
Uttama Silks is a village shop right in the heart of Surin Province’s silk weaving villages.

@uttama_thaisilk
Location: Ban Sawai, Surin, Thailand  32000
Facebook Link
LINE ID: roe0453u

Uttama Silk is located very close to Surin in Ban Sawai. Detailed directions on their FB page. Their prices are very reasonable as you can get a very nice mudmee silk sarong starting around 3,000 bt. ($100 US). They also have silk scarves and other accessories. From here you can easily go on to Ban Ta-Sa-Wang-a very famous silk village.

Kumnaan Thai Silk

Kumnaan Thai Silk Shop in Bangkok
Kumnaan Silk Shop specializes in brocaded silks from Lamphun. Prices for the silk bolts above range in price from 6,000 bt-12,000 bt ($200-$400 US).

@kumnaan_silk
LINE ID: princejames
Location: Ramindra, Bangkok

Kumnaan Thai Silk (aka Mika Couture) specializes in brocaded (yoke dauk) silks woven in Lamphun although they also carry a selection of mudmee silks. Lamphun silks are some of the most complicated (and expensive) weaves in the world of Thai silk. They’re easy to recognize with their pastel colors and intricate textures. If you can’t go on a fabric safari to Lamphun, the selection and prices at Kumnaan Thai silk are reasonable.

Muengmai Thai Silk

Muengmai Silk Shop in Chonobot, Thailand
Mudmee silks are the name of the game in Chonobot and Muengmai has excellent mudmee. The silk bolt at upper right costs 7,500 bt. (about $220 US)

@muegmai.thaisilk2016
LINE ID: muengmai2530
Tel. 094-5361752

Muengmai Thai Silk is located in downtown Chonobot, Kon Gan Province. If you follow my blog, you know I highly recommend Chonobot as the best place to shop for mudmee fabrics-either silk or cotton. This silk shop has excellent mudmee silks at competitive prices. Take a “fabric safari” to Chonobot-you won’t be disappointed.

Umboon Thai Silk

Umboon Thai silk shop
.Mudmee silk (aka ikat) has been woven in and around Surin for centuries. Umboon mudmee has brilliant colors and patterns.

@umboonthaisilk_
LINE ID: ddearii7
Tel. 094-304-7197

This silk shop is located in Surin and sells quality mudmee silks from the local area. You’ll need to contact them via Instagram or LINE for exact directions to their shop. Surin City and surrounding villages have dozens of silk shops. Mudmee silk has been woven in this area for centuries.

More Thai Silk IG Links…

@sombut_thaisilk  Located in Surin. LINE ID: @anz5500t
@thailandsurinsilk  Another very good silk shop in Surin
@korat_thaisilk
@miraclethaisilk  Located in Bangkok
@inyada_thaisilk  LINE Id: inyadathaisilk58  Tel. 064-175-3858
@ladathaisilk
@heuanpatai

Postscript…

You can find me on IG at @thaifabricblogger

7 comments

  1. I have beautiful items made from raw Thai silk. Pillows, Laptop bags, Purses, Makeup bags, etc. I would love to sell them at Wholesale prices. Do you of anyone that would be interested?

  2. Hi Jeff,

    Thank you for the comprehensive articles! Do you also have any Thai Woven Fabric (cotton etc) shops on IG to recommend?

    Thanks,
    Olivia

  3. One of the best blogs I have read in quite a while. Despite being in the textile trade as a sports garment manufacturer (Nylon & polyester, yikes!) there’s so much to learn about Thai silk. When I get back to Thailand I would love to visit Isaan and the villages and craftspeople you mention. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Jim

    PS Only one typo in this page, “Kumnaan Silk Shop specializes in brocaded silks from Lamphun. Prices for the silk bolts above range in price from 6,000 bt-12,000 bt ($200-$400 US).” Price twice?

  4. Hello,

    It would be nice to read about what kind of silk it is, in the classical fabric classification. I know silk as duchesse, satin, charmeuse, dupioni, shantung, organza, etc… Do these categories exist for thai silk?
    I think these fabrics are not fit for silk blouse for example.

    • Sa-wad-dee Mary Anne,

      Thanks for writing. Great question. I group Thai silk into 4 basic categories: 1. Plain weave; 2. Dupioni; 3. Brocaded; 4 Mudmee (Ikat). I wrote a very detailed tutorial about Thai silk called “Thai Silk in Thailand: A Buyer’s Guide”. This tutorial will explain in detail the different types of Thai silk. I use lots of photos to educate the reader. I’ve written lots of tutorials about Thai silk that you can find under the heading “The Thai Fabric Chronicles” or “Thai Fabrics”. My tutorials are to educate people about Thai silk so they’re knowledgeable about exactly what is authentic, handwoven Thai silk.

      Authentic Thai silk is almost always a heavy, rough textured fabric. It is not a soft, light fabric that we associate with Chinese habotai silk. Yes, Thai silk is used to make women’s blouses, especially formal blouses that are part of a coordinated outfit.

      Good luck on your journey into Thai silk.

      -Jeff

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 2 GB. You can upload: image, audio, video, document, spreadsheet, interactive, text, archive, code, other. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here