About Thai Fisherman Pants

A shop being set up in Thailand, for people who are not in Thailand.

What the pants actually are

Thai fisherman pants are the wrap-waist trousers worn by Thai fishermen at an earlier point in the country's history. A long tube of fabric at the waist is joined to two wider tubes for the legs.

You step in with one leg in each section, pull the waistband across your stomach so it sits tight and flat, tie the attached belt, then fold the top over to hide it. That is the whole method.

Because the waist wraps instead of buttoning, one pair covers a wide range of sizes. That is why they get worn for yoga, slept in as pyjamas, and picked up by nearly every backpacker who passes through Bangkok. There is a longer explanation, with a video of the wrap and fold, in our guide to what Thai fisherman pants are.

Why this shop exists

In Thailand they are easy. Any market will have a pile of them. They rarely cost more than about 150 baht a pair, and at a big market like Chatuchak you can pay less again if you buy five or more. Khao San Road, the seaside resorts and discount malls like MBK all sell them.

None of that helps if you live somewhere else. So the plan here is simple: buy them where they are made, and post them to people who are not in Thailand.

Cotton or rayon

Traditionally the pants were heavy, fairly rough cotton in blue or black. Cotton is still the version that lasts, and a good pair will stay with you for years. Rayon and silk versions exist, and they feel lighter, but they do not wear as well and they shrink noticeably in the wash.

Modern pairs come in almost any colour. We will say which fabric a pair is made from, every time, so you can pick knowing what you are getting.

Where we are up to

To be straight with you: there is nothing to buy here yet. The shop is built and the categories are ready, but the first range is still being put together. Nothing has gone on sale.

When stock arrives it will sit under Cotton Pants, Rayon Pants and Accessories. If you would like to know when that happens, send us a message and we will tell you.

How orders will be sent

Everything will post worldwide from Thailand. Delivery is $9, free on orders over $75, and every parcel is tracked. Returns are open for 14 days. Checkout runs through Stripe and PayPal.

Because parcels leave Thailand, how long they take depends a lot on where you are. See Shipping and Refunds & Returns for the full detail.

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