Peter’s suits beckon Lanka’s elite

Amidst the stack of clothing material surrounded by racks, holding rows of new suits or dresses lay a large, thick album on a table that tells the story. Pasted page after page are the visiting cards of a sizeable coterie of Sri Lanka’s movers and shakers – politicians, bureaucrats, businesspersons, top military men, lawyers, journalists, doctors, company directors, executives and what have you?

A one-time refugee from then war torn Vietnam sought the safety of neighbouring Thailand, to become the owner of a highly successful fashion house. His suits, national dress, safari suits, dresses among others have become the magnet for a cross section of Sri Lankan VIPs.

A visit to Peter Clothiers, located on the shopping arcade at the Ambassador Hotel in the heart of Bangkok’s Sukumvit Road, seems a habit judging by the hundreds of visiting cards from Sri Lankans from many walks of life. It seems akin to the wealthy and fashion conscious in Europe rushing to London’s Saville Row – the epitome of haute couture. However, in Thailand, the price seems right for the Lankan elite.

Earlier, these visiting cards remained beneath the glass top of a large table inside a larger shop at the Ambassador Hotel entrance. This left one with the inevitable impression that it was a tailoring house only for Sri Lankans. However, the hotel, located in Bangkok’s legendary commercial district with its shopping and entertainment venues, is undergoing a multi million-dollar face-lift. Hence, Peter Clothiers had moved to the arcade inside.

Peter Chatlaney (56) is the son of a leading tailor in Saigon, the former capital of Vietnam. “My father died of a heart attack when I was 48 years. I ran L. Lalchand Limited, our tailoring establishment located in the Tax Building that was well known among the American troops in Vietnam,” says Chatlaney. Customers and friends call him Peter.

“Most of our customers then,” said Peter “were American officers and soldiers.” Payday for the American troops was the most important day for our business. “They would come to collect the clothes for which they had placed orders and made advance payments earlier. There were sad moments too. Some of them don’t turn up and we learnt they had died in action,” he said. “On such occasions we always gifted the clothes stitched, mostly suits, shirts and trousers to the Red Cross. They in turn give it to charity. I did not think it right to sell it to others to recover our loss,” he added.

Peter’s connections with the US troops held him in good stead when Saigon, the capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) fell to the Communists or the People’s Army of Vietnam on April 30, 1975. He was fortunate to be among those evacuated by American troops.“I arrived in Bangkok with a pant and a shirt inside a small brief case. I had a few dollars and had to begin life with it,” said Peter. He was lucky to find a job as a helper in a tailor shop located at Windsor Hotel in Bangkok’s Soi 20. “I was helped by US Army officers. They stayed at this hotel during periods of rest and recreation. They knew the tailoring establishment owner well,” he pointed out. Peter worked there and saved enough money to start his own tailoring house at Raja Hotel also in Bangkok. In 1979, he moved to Ambassador Hotel, Bangkok’s leading hotel in the 1980s, with the help of friends who found him a shop. Peter, who hails from Pune in Maharashtra in India, succeeded in having a friend to come and assist him from his country. Eighteen years later, the friend left him and opened his own tailoring establishment. Then his clients were from Europe and Scandinavian countries. They usually stayed at the Ambassador Hotel.

How did he develop his vast client base of Sri Lankans and become their favourite? “Thanks to SriLankan Airlines,” said Peter. The crew stayed at the Ambassador Hotel. “After they got to know me, crew members introduced a number of Sri Lankans to my shop,” he declared. He tailors uniforms for Sri Lankan Airlines cabin crew. Though the crew no longer use Ambassador, they are to return there shortly. At present, the pilots use the neighbouring Amari Boulevard and the crew stay at Royal Benja Hotel further away.

Peter, a fluent speaker of Thai, said, “I have not spent any money on advertising. My success has come with the news of my reputation spread by word of mouth.” Asked what the secret of his success was, he responded “my ability to interact with my customers and develop a personal relationship. I pay heed to their personal detail to their satisfaction.” As he said those words, a client from Canada arrived. He ordered 70,000 Thai Baht (or over Rs. 210,000) worth of suits, trousers and shirts.

Though his orders are out of the ordinary, one of Peter’s long standing customers is Anura Bandaranaike. His visiting cards are many, when he was MP, Speaker of Parliament, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Tourism among them. In October, this year, Peter received a call from Colombo. It was Minister Bandaranaike telling him that he would drop by on his return journey from an official visit to China. The National Heritage Minister checked into the Sheraton Hotel some distance away. From there he drove to Ambassador Hotel for yet another engagement with Peter.

Many of Mr. Bandaranaike’s Cabinet colleagues have left their visiting cards behind. They include Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Keheliya Rambukwella, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Dallas Allahapperuma and Chamal Rajapaksa. Retired military top brass include General Denis Perera, Major General Kapila Hendavitharana, now Chief of National Intelligence (CNI), former Commander of the Army and now Ambassador to Brazil, General Shantha Kottegoda and former Police Chief, Indra de Silva. For obvious reasons, the names of serving military officers are not mentioned. The catalogue of other names is also too long to be listed.

Following on the footsteps of his father is Peter’s son, Chinthu Chatulani (28). He has just ended a tour of Switzerland and United Kingdom where he canvassed orders mostly for suits. “I took the measurements and the customer’s requirements according to their tastes. The suits are being made. Once they are ready, they will be despatched by courier,” he said.

Chinthu maintains a database of all customers at Peter Clothiers. One can phone or e-mail quoting their previous order number and the clothes will be ready for collection upon arrival.Expatriate Indians run almost the entirety of Thailand’s tailoring establishments. “But I have avoided the temptation to become a Thai national and draw the various tax benefits. I value my Indian passport,” said Peter. However, his son Chinthu, also a fluent Thai speaker, has opted for Thai citizenship.

For a man who came from Vietnam to Thailand with just a few dollars, a trouser and shirt in a brief case, Peter has done well. He has 18 employees in his fashion house and tailoring warehouse. He has his own house and owns two more. His daughter is a flight attendant at Emirates Airlines. “I have no regrets. I am happy with what god has given me,” says Peter.“Though I have never been to Sri Lanka, I hope I will go there one day. I will have so many to call on,” he boasts about his Sri Lankan clientele.