The trendy young summer shopper in town and the trendy summer traveller from town are feeling the Bangkok blues as popular stores sourcing clothes from the Thai capital run dry and the flier cancellation count at Dum Dum rises with every tyre being burnt in Sukhumvit.

Take Vedika Agarwal or the Guptas from Jodhpur Park. If the 19-year-old college-goer is scrambling for an alternative to her trademark casual tees with cartoon graphics, the family of four is desperately seeking an alternative destination for their annual vacation.

“We have had to cancel our 10-day trip to four places in Thailand because of the trouble there. The kids, in particular, are crushed and we are in the process of working out an alternative plan for Malaysia or maybe Goa,” says techie Pritam Gupta, speaking for wife Sanjukta and children Dev, 10, and Devina, 8.

Searching for substitutes is the name of the summer game also for hundreds of retailers in Calcutta who rely on Bangkok for fashionable and pocket-friendly clothing as their regular trips to Thailand may not be so regular for a while.

“Most of what I sell is sourced from Thailand’s capital city and I am fast running out of stocks but cannot risk a trip to Bangkok now,” says the owner of HiChoice, a popular youth stop in New Market.

Another retailer in AC Market has four of his “passengers” (read couriers) stuck in Bangkok. “They have been there for a week and till they come back, I have called off all other visits. We may soon have to fall back on local purchases from Mumbai or Delhi,” says the man behind the counter at New Looks, a store in the second basement of AC Market.

So what does the trendy, pocket-conscious Calcuttan depend on Bangkok for to beat the heat?

“I usually buy my three-quarter pants or capris, bags and shoes from Metro Plaza,” says shopaholic Vineeta Frederick, who cannot look beyond Bangkok when it comes to “fashionable stuff at reasonable prices”.

While many are keeping a close eye on Bangkok, some are already busy making other plans. According to tour operators, Malaysia has quickly emerged as the preferred if-not-Bangkok option.

“For leisure tourists, it’s a cheap destination and also they get low-cost connectivity to popular destinations like Penang Lankawi and Bali,” says a tour operator. “Even conference venues are being shifted from Thailand to Malaysia,” he adds.

According to an official of Air Asia, the low-cost airline that started its direct operations between Calcutta and Kuala Lumpur last year, the average passenger load factor to Kuala Lumpur is “now 95 per cent, 60 per cent of which is leisure traffic” with a growing number of “corporate conference passengers”.

On the street fashion front, many retailers are building ties with alternative sourcing destinations. “Hong Kong is a good substitute for Bangkok. Korea is another good place to shop but the products there are quite expensive,” says Vicky Metharamani of Talking Threads in Metro Plaza. The retailer leaves for Hong Kong on Thursday.

But can Bangkok buys that define youth fashion in town — trendy casuals, chequered three-quarters, graphic tees and beady accessories — really be replaced with other sources?

“There is no substitute for Bangkok because Bangkok is the best when it comes to inexpensive yet trendy clothes. Hong Kong is more expensive and so Mumbai or Delhi may be the only option if the trouble in Bangkok persists,” says Irfan Elahi of Golden Colours at Metro Plaza.

Vicky of Talking Threads is more optimistic. “Hong Kong offers more party and club wear than casuals. So be prepared to find chiffons, elegant gowns and daring dresses on the racks soon.”

The tour operators are anything but optimistic. During the summer holidays, around 550 passengers leave Calcutta for Bangkok every day, 50 per cent of them being leisure tourists. “The average number of cancellations will be at least 30 per cent this summer,” warns Anil Punjabi, chairman (east) of the Travel Agents Federation of India.

“Travel agents in Bangkok told us on Monday not to send tourists to Bangkok as the trouble is spreading. We have cancelled around 30 bookings with many more in the pipeline,” says Pulak Bose of The Trans World.

Air India’s Calcutta-Bangkok flight carries 150 passengers on an average but on Sunday only 80 were on board.

“There are heavy bookings on flights to Singapore, Kathmandu, Delhi, Bangalore and Northeast destinations, instead,” says an official.