What $100 Buys In… Bangkok

Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 12:00 AM | Subscribe to the magazine

$29 Pillow sham Jim Thompson, once an intelligence officer, revived the Thai silk industry in the 1940s. His former home is now a museum that sells silk linens and clothing. 6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama 1 Rd., 011-66/2-216-7368.
$18 Frame Red, yellow, and green long-tail fishing boats navigate the canals around Bangkok. Striped frames like this one are made from retired vessels. Paragon Department Store, 991/1 Rama 1 Rd., 011-66/2-690-1000.
$1 Condom Cabbages & Condoms is a trendy restaurant with its own brand of prophylactics; part of the proceeds goes to HIV prevention. 8 Sukhumvit Rd., Soi 12, 011-66/2-229-4611.
$13 Notebook The city's legendary Oriental hotel sells notepads with renderings of past guests. 48 Oriental Ave., 011-66/2-659-9000.
$8 Polo shirt Each Monday, many Thais wear shirts with the royal insignia to show their loyalty to the king, who was born on a Monday. Phufa, 124 Sukhumvit Rd., Soi 7, 011-66/2-655-6242.
$13 Bowl Benjarong porcelain was once exclusively made for the royal court. Each piece is hand painted with five shades of enamel. Benja, 176/1 Sukhumvit Rd., 011-66/2-255-4773.
$11 Cake server In the province of Ayutthaya, metalsmiths have been forging cutlery for more than three centuries. N&Y, located across from the Oriental hotel, stocks platters, ladles, and more. 11 Chartered Bank Ln., 011-66/2-233-0903.