Wongwian Yai (meaning ‘Big Circle’ in Thai) is a roundabout in Thonburi, the old capital of Thailand. Wongwian Yai used to be a major business center before Bangkok became the capital. Nearby Charoenrat Road is famous as the center of leather goods shops in Thailand. There are specialty shops with supplies for shoe-making and purse-making. This area is just over the river from Bangkok across the Taksin Bridge (Sathorn Bridge). If you walk out exit 3 from the Wongwian Yai skytrain station and head down Soi Krung Thon Buri 1 also known as Soi Salapi, you’ll see the leather shops.

The shops have awls, wooden yardsticks, wax, die-cut tools, mallets, silver pens for writing on leather, vinyl, canvas, zippers by the roll, purse handles, chains, snaps, buckles and of course leather.

There is a shop called Laser Gallery which will laser-cut material such as leather, acrylic, wood, cloth, and plastic. You can bring acrylic sheets not more than 3 mm thick and they will cut it in shapes to your specifications. Open 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday. This might be the only place around where you can buy a fish skin made into leather.

After walking down Soi Salapi, turn right on Charoenrat Road and there are fabric shops selling sequin covered fabric which would make a very nice dressy evening gown or dance apparel, such as Pravitrungroj. Also lots of purse handles including wooden and leather ones. Well worth a trip. There were a few tourists too! Open Monday through Saturday 8:30 am to 7:00 pm.