The History of Bangkok's Tailoring Families: Peninsula Bespoke Tailor, 1969 to Today

Bangkok became a tailoring city in the second half of the 20th century, as travellers, diplomats and business people arrived and wanted clothes made quickly and well. Many of the people who met that demand were tailors from Nepal and India who had trained in other Asian trading cities, especially Hong Kong.

These shops were usually family businesses. Skills, client lists and measurement books passed from parents to children, which is why many Bangkok tailors today describe themselves as second- or third-generation. Peninsula Bespoke Tailor is a direct example of that lineage.

Our founder, Mr Ram, left Nepal for Hong Kong in the 1950s to work in bespoke tailoring, at a time when Hong Kong was one of the most respected tailoring centres in Asia. He came to Thailand in 1967 as a master tailor, and in 1969 he opened his own shop on Charoen Krung Road, one of Bangkok's oldest streets.

No. Our name comes from Peninsula Plaza, where the shop traded for 35 years from 1987. Peninsula Bespoke Tailor is an independent family business and is not part of The Peninsula Bangkok hotel, although we are happy to visit guests there, as we do at any hotel in Bangkok.

• Continuity: the same family has run the business for over five decades, so there is someone accountable for your order.
• Records: we keep your measurements for 5 years, so you can reorder from home.
• Fittings over shortcuts: we take 30 body measurements and recommend fittings rather than rushing a garment out.
• Range: 1,000+ fabrics, including wool, cashmere, linen, cotton and silk from Italy, England and Australia.

Mr Ram's son, Tony Ram, runs the business as the second generation. The Silom showroom also houses Sona Collection by Peninsula Bespoke Tailor, a saree shop run by the family.