Everything, it seems, that could be carried or rolled on two or four wheels has been looted -- from the beautiful silk carpet that once graced the foyer to the slot machines that lined the casino walls.

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In search of an umbrella, she ducked into a kimono shop and in a corner she discovered some beautiful earrings crafted from kimono silk scraps.

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Travel on this canal for designer (and knockoff) shopping at Siam Square and visit the Jim Thompson House, the beautiful teak museum home of an American silk trader, and other central Bangkok sites such as the Bo Bae wholesale clothing market or the hip Thonglor neighbourhood, full of boutiques and cafes.

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