What does Bespoke mean on signs in Thailand?

It took me a while to figure this out.

Bespoke means made-to-order or custom rather than off-the-rack.

Bespoke is a common word in British English, but was dropped from the American English vocabulary long ago.

Countries that are non-English speaking generally use the British English vernacular, and so Thailand has adopted the word bespoke as opposed to the American “custom” or “tailor made.”

Bespoke often refers to clothing, and is used for signs for tailors in Bangkok and other cities in Thailand.

You’ll see references to “bespoke suits” or “bespoke tailors” all over Bangkok.

Signs like this one in the photo are common throughout the cities.

You’ll see lots of advice on the Internet about the best tailors and suits in Bangkok.

First, while you’re there, you definitely SHOULD get a suit or shirts made in Bangkok.

Man or woman, you’ll find excellent quality fabrics, fashionable cuts and high quality tailoring in Bangkok.

DON’T get taken by poor quality tailors though.

There are lots of bad tailors that do substandard work that you could get back home for the same price.

From the major sites like FlyerTalk and others, there are a few recommended choices for good quality tailoring in Bangkok.

Enlever ses Vetements Tailor in Bangkok

Enlever ses Vetements is run by a Thai-American named Louis.

He does EXCELLENT quality work and is quite fashionable in his cuts.

While his prices are a bit high ($500 for a high quality suit with a shirt) you’ll find no more stylish tailor in BKK.

Tramps Tailor in Bangkok

Tramps in OP Place behind The Oriental is known for high quality materials.

Crown Tailor in Bangkok

Crown Tailor in Sukhumvit Road Soi 8 is also known for very high quality suits in Bangkok.

Georges Tailor in Bangkok

Georges on Soi 13 off Sukhumit has good feedback for durable shirts.

Some lesser choices:

Mr Bobby Tailor in Bangkok

Mr Bobby at Raja’s is known for just average work. He caters to foreign tourists, but his prices are lower than the higher-quality tailors.

ANY of the tailors the tuk-tuk drivers take you to are probably poor quality.

They give kickbacks to the tuktuk drivers, so naturally the drivers could care less about quality.