Factory Shopping Outlets in Thailand

Lotus Crystal, Royal Porcelain and Royal Bone China

Aug 26, 2009

Buy famous brands of glassware, bone china and cooking pots and pans at these three factory stores not far from Bangkok.

Factories making brand-name crystal stemware, aluminum cooking pans and bone china are among the tens of thousands of brand-name products that are made in Thailand and exported overseas. Unfortunately, not many have factory outlet shops. Here are three that do.

Lotus Crystal in Rayong

Founded in the early 1990s by a Swiss engineer, Lotus Crystal makes premium-quality lead crystal glasses, bowls and vases. Products are exported to Europe, Japan, Taiwan and the United States under such brand names as Mikasa, Calvin Klein, Darlington Crystal, Hadeland Glassverk and Kagami Crystal. Wine glasses and other stemware are mouth-blown by 160 top craftsmen.

Lotus has a showroom on 28/6 Soi Ruam Rudi, off Witthayu (Wireless) Road, in central Bangkok but better discounts can be had at its factory in the coastal industrial estate area of Rayong. The factory outlet is open weekdays, Thai holidays excepted. Rayong, which is packed with industrial estates, is a good three hours from Bangkok, beyond Pattaya. Lotus could also be a stop on the way to the island of Koh Chang.

A tour can be arranged by calling ahead. See examples of Lotus products on the Lotus website.

Lotus Crystal Factory Address:

Royal Bone China manufactures high quality china plates, bowls, cups, coffee sets and other tableware under its own names and for Japanese, U.S. and European brands. The Thai brands are Royal Bone China, Royal Porcelain, and Royal Fine China. Among the foreign brands are Noritake, Lifetime, Denby and Rosenthal Ritzenhoff. Designs range from classic to contemporary.

Royal Bone China is 45% bone ash, giving it a shiny, translucent quality. Tourists that can’t get out to the factory can shop at the many Royal Porcelain/Royal Bone China retail stores around Bangkok or from the online catalog. The stores are often in the flashier malls and in small shops close to upscale hotels.

The factory, located in the Kaeng Khoi Industrial Estate, is open Monday to Saturday, 8 am to 5 pm. While the drive from Bangkok only takes two or three hours, those wanting to stay overnight and see more of Saraburi Province often stay at the Saraburi Inn Hotel, also known as Saraburi Resort, in the provincial capital.

Royal Bone China/Royal Porcelain Factory Address:

Meyer Cookware in Sri Racha

Meyer Industries manufactures high-end aluminum cooking pots and pans. In Bangkok, Meyer cookware is found in Thai department stores, such as Central.

Its outlet store is open only for one week each year, usually in early December, 10 am to 6 pm. Call ahead to check for this year’s dates. It’s worth marking on one’s calendar because year after year, Thais and expatriate women’s clubs come to snap up cookware at prices as much as 70 percent below retail prices.

The factory is located in Laem Chabang Industrial estate in Sri Racha, along the Gulf of Siam coast on the way to Pattaya, and about two hours’ drive from Bangkok. From Pattaya, it’s only 15 minutes away.

Meyer Industries Address

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