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TIED TO THAILAND

from page 25

that way. The people on the bus
would be furious."
And, like most visitors to Thai-
land, the Bittkers found souvenirs
they never imagined they wanted
but couldn't leave the country with-
out, specifically a 500-pound, intri-
cately-carved teak chair from Chi-
ang Mai. "Jimmy fell in love with
it," his wife, Louise, a Birmingham
attorney, says with a shrug.
These days, Americans are get-
ting a lot of bang for their baht, the
battered Thai currency. If you're
bound for Thai-
land, check out
Chiang Mai's
numerous cottage
industry outlets
with artisans
demonstrating
their crafts, and
the famous Night
Market, where
Rolexes and other
designer knock-
offs share space
with authentic
goods from Thai--
land and else-
where in the
Golden Triangle.
In Bangkok,
explore the
Chatuchak Week-
end Market,
Narayana Phand
(a government-sponsored handi-
craft emporium), River City shop-
ping complex, hotel gift shops and
the numerous boutiques and ven-
dors across from the Shangri-La
and Oriental hotels. Bartering is
expected, and is even worth a try in
some of the larger stores.
Here's a list of some of the area's
best buys:

• Thai silk and cotton: Colorful,
top-quality items, with prices to
match, are showcased at Jim
Thompson's Thai Silk Company in
Bangkok, founded by an American
entrepreneur who revived the coun-
try's silk trade after World War II
and later disappeared in the
Malaysian jungle. Bargains on

handmade silk and cotton fashions
beckon at street stalls and markets.
Some tailors will visit hotel rooms
for custom fittings — just don't
rush into anything.

GWHERE YOU ALWAYS FIND THE PERFECT GIFT.

• Rubies and sapphires, in finished
jewelry and unset gems, sparkle
seductively, but do some homework
first and stick to reputable dealers.
The larger jewelry showrooms pick
up and return customers to their
hotels.

• Silver: best bets include ham-
mered temple
bowls and other
ornate objects;
jewelry, belt buck-
les and flatware.

• Jade, some
smuggled over the
mountains by ele-
phants from
Burma, glows in
myriad objects
and colors; the
Orchid Jade
showroom near
Doi Suthep in
Chiang Mai offers
a video/demon-
stration.

• Intricate wood
carvings and fur-
niture in teak
(increasingly rare) or less expensive
rosewood; also rattan.

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• Lacquerware accessories.

• Ceramics: Celadon, hand-thrown
pottery with a subtle sea-green
glaze, is a Thai original, while Ben-
jarong is a bright, five-color pottery
based on Chinese patterns.

• Umbrellas and fans are brightly
painted in the craft village of Bo-
Sang near Chiang Mai; also Sa-
paper, made from mulberry tree
bark.

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• Hilltribe clothing and handicrafts.

• Bronze: Larry Blau recommends
Leela Art Production in Bangkok
for high-quality statuary; check out
other shops for smaller items.

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