Bangkok's high-society rent-a-shoppers

Noppanuch Thongpakdi has helped upstart politicians, picky socialites and members of Thailand’s royal family look fashionable. And, if you want, she’ll help you find an awesome pair of pants too.

Mostly utilized by well-heeled Thais, Bangkok’s personal shoppers are available for free to anyone who needs a little shopping guidance.

At Siam Paragon, you can cruise the sale rack with Chalisa Viravan, who’s worked as stylist for Elle Magazine. At Central Chidlom mall, Professor Varintra Chantracharoen, author of “Knowing Fashion,” can tell you if those slacks make you look fat.

And at Gaysorn, perhaps Bangkok’s most upscale mall, Noppanuch will guide you through a world of Louis Vuitton and Thai fashionista haunts. She also knows where all the sales are and, given the sickly economy, there are plenty of them, she says.

“My clients could be stylish, self-made tycoons. They could be university grads,” Noppanuch says. “I even had a teacher come down from Ubon Ratchatani just to shop with me.”

Shopping is a diplomatic affair

Deemed a “lifestyle consultant” by Gaysorn, Noppanuch says her title may be overreaching a bit. “It’s still just shopping. Not self-help.”

Noppanuch, who speaks English with a twist of London posh, has a way of gently evaluating a customer’s taste in clothing. If their fingertips linger on a certain piece of clothing while shopping, she knows it’s caught their eye.

Noppanuch is also incredibly disarming. Her best training, she says, came from her years as a diplomat’s wife in Washington D.C.

“As the spouse, you’re obliged to receive the visiting VIP,” she says. Her first experiences as a personal shopper involved taking foreign dignitaries shopping through D.C.’s upscale Georgetown district.

At nearby Siam Paragon, a more sprawling and fast-paced mall, the team of personal shoppers are identified by their ties to fashion and high society.

“We have names that Thai people recognize,” said Mantharat Kasempaiphan, a manager at Siam Paragon. “This is never their main job. They all have other occupations.”

The team of three to four shoppers, which rotates regularly, is comprised of stylists, designers and importers of brand-name clothiers such as Emporio Armani.

Scoring a few hours with a personal shopper requires showing up to Siam Paragon’s “Platinum Club” and filling out an application, which asks for details on body measurements and favorite clothing lines. (Paragon also shares its team with the Emporium mall.)

Not the usual fashionable suspects

Most people who want personal shoppers aren’t hyper chic types, said Sitala Sipachitt of the Central Chidlom’s personal shopping team. “The customers are usually not yet old, but not so young either,” she said. “They’re just busy people who don’t have time to shop or keep up with the latest fashions.”

Customers seeking shopping experts are mostly female and mostly 30-plus: old enough to have disposable cash but still fashion conscious.

“I get a lot of women who say, ‘I need a new look,’” says Noppanuch, who has also contributed to the magazine Marie Claire Thailand. She even had one businesswoman who wanted to make the transition into politics and adopt a less-sexy, more formal wardrobe.

Still, Noppanuch insists she’s probably even more valuable to guys who want to permanently give up on shopping. Hate picking out ties? Dreading that wedding gift purchase? She’ll serve as your shopping proxy.

“They can just say, ‘I need a wedding gift,’ then come by to pick it up,” she said. “Some of my very loyal customers are guys who hate thinking about shopping.”

shop with an expert

Gaysorn
999 Ploenchit Road, BTS: Chidlom
tel +66 (0)2 656 1177

Siam Paragon
991/1 Rama I Road, BTS: Siam
tel +66 (0)2 610 8107

Central Chidlom
1027 Ploenchit Rd, BTS: Chidlom
tel +66 (0)2 793 7000

Emporium
622 Sukhumvit Road, BTS: Phrom Phong
+66 (0)2 269 1000 ext 1336