Area: Bang Chak
Bang Chak BTS station (E10) is a dense residential community with little to offer in terms of shopping and entertainment. There’s a few Chinese restaurants around the station, but most locals drop by the outdoor Bangchak Market for their daily food supplies and ready-to-eat meals.
You need to take the BTS to Bang Chak Station and then walk out exit 5 down Sukhumvit Soi 93 to reach the Jim Thompson Factory Outlet, around five minutes’ walk on the left hand side of the street.Jim Thompson is famous for reviving the silk industry for the international market but if you have ever been to the small shop near his house and museum you may have been disappointed by the cost of the goods there. Thankfully the Jim Thomspon Factory Outlet is on hand so you can take home plenty of beautiful silk goods. There are five floors at the factory, with three dedicated to silk and cotton fabrics by the metre, one floor dedicated to home furnishings like cushions, table runners and curtains. The most popular floor is accessories, where you can pick up silk toys for children, smart ties, clothing and picture frames. Getting there is easy.
Also near Bang Chak Skytrain Station but in the opposite direction is the Levi’s Factory Outlet. Located in a rather sombre building that looks a little worse for wear on the outside, the greeting in the shop isn’t much better. But if you are looking for some heavily discounted jeans, then there are plenty available here, with discounts of up to 60%. The small shop is filled with goods and there is a good range of sizes and colours – everything from stonewashed boyfriend jeans for girls to smart black straight cut jeans for gents. Although piles of jeans are the main draw here, there is also a good selection of shirts, tees, and even jackets if you want to attempt the double denim look. To get there use Exit 3 from Bang Chak Sky Train Station and walk along Sukhumvit for five minutes until you spot the red Levi’s Factory Outlet sign.
