The businesses that seem most prevalent in Bangkok are the massage parlors, coming in a very close second are the tailor shops. Take a walk down Sukhumvit Rd. and you'll see the Urban Retreat Spa followed by a tailor shop, then another massage, maybe a 7-11, a restaurant, then another tailor shop... you get it! It's ridiculous! They like to stand out in front of their shops and call out at you, as if to say "Here I am... The tailor you've been looking for all along!"
With all the competition the prices are reasonable and the quality is very good. That goes for all the goods and services that flood the market here... bootlegged movies and software and knock-offs of every kind; shoes and purses being my favorite!
So it's a little baffling when you walk into a tailor shop with about a dozen customers milling about, trying on their new threads, or having their measurement taken... sipping on a beer and chatting it up with other customers. What is it that makes the world famous Raja's Fashions the most popular tailor in Bangkok? I'm going to say it's your name... That's right, your name. It has a special ring to it, well, at least to you anyway. And when people remember your name it makes you feel kind of important. Remember that People, because that is, IMHO, that one little special X-factor that distinguishes this particular tailor from all the others in Bangkok.
The ringleader of this crazy show, Bobby Gulati, never forgets a name! When you walk into his shop you are immediately greeted by your first name and offered something to drink. When you become his customer your name and measurements go into The Book. In conversation with his customers, either in his shop or from the Embassy, the fact that he can remember your name, no matter how long it’s been since he has seen you, is the one thing that impresses people most. It’s what they remember about Bobby from Raja’s and it’s what keeps them coming back and referring others to him.
