Ban Na Kha fabric market — a practical guide
The biggest fabric market in northeastern Thailand, 16 km from our shop — and how to turn the fabric you find there into something made for you.
Udon Thani calls itself the capital of mi-khit cloth, and Ban Na Kha is where that reputation lives. A hundred-plus shops line the old Nong Khai road about 16 km north of the city, selling handwoven silk and cotton by the metre and ready-made — open daily, roughly 8:30 to 16:30. Locals buy lengths there and have them sewn up by a tailor near home. That last part is where we come in.
Three words to know before you go
- Mudmee (มัดหมี่) — ikat: the yarn is tie-dyed before weaving, giving softly feathered patterns. Good pieces have crisp, even motifs across the whole length.
- Khit (ขิด) — a supplementary-weft technique that raises geometric patterns you can feel with your fingertips. A signature of Isan weaving.
- Mi-khit (หมี่ขิด) — both techniques in one cloth: Udon Thani’s own signature. Buying it at Na Kha is buying the real local thing.
How many metres do you need?
Standard handwoven cloth is about 100 cm wide. If a shop offers 150 cm width, you need roughly a third less.
| Garment | Buy about |
|---|---|
| Pha sin (tube skirt), sewn up | 2 m |
| Woman’s blouse, elbow sleeves | 1.5–2 m |
| Men’s Thai formal shirt, short sleeves | 2 m |
| Men’s Thai formal shirt, long sleeves | 2.5 m |
| Dress / modern Thai dress | 3–3.5 m |
| Formal chut thai (blouse + sin) | 4 m |
| Suit jacket / blazer | 3 m |
Always buy half a metre extra — especially for large patterns that need matching. Handwoven cloth can rarely be re-bought later, so a little extra is good insurance.
Four things to check before paying
- Width — ask, or measure: 100 or 150 cm changes how much you need.
- Pattern direction — one-way patterns need extra length for matching.
- The hem border — on sin lengths, ask the seller to show which edge is the decorated tin sin, so it ends up at the hem, not the waist.
- Shrinkage — hand-dyed cotton should be washed before cutting. Tell us; we’ll handle it before sewing.
Then bring it to us
From the market it’s about 16 km back toward town on the Chiang Yuen side. We check the cloth, take your measurements, suggest a cut that suits the weave, and agree the price before we cut anything. Not sure a length is enough? Photograph it in the market and send it to us on LINE or WhatsApp with the width and metres — we answer fast.
Getting there
Ban Na Kha sits on Highway 2 (the Nong Khai road). Songthaews run from Udon Thani city; by car, park right at the market. In season, it combines well with a morning at the Red Lotus Sea.
Send a photo — free quote
Send a photo on LINE → we reply with a price → drop off, or we come to you
When your garment is ready, we always send a photo before you come to collect it.