Tourism minister pushes for cuts in tariffs on branded products to boost tourist spending

[Nyezhov]

Attention Thai Government:

 

Speaking as an American, I can only say that there is NOT ONE, let me repeat that, NOT ONE "name brand" item that I can purchase here in Thailand that is not available to me cheaper in the USA.

[Misab]

4 hours ago, fruitman said:

Also beer-cheese-ham-electronics-tools and much more is so expensive in thailand. Thailand is not a holiday destination anymore for smart tourists.  Europe is so much better these days.

 

 

Wine loving tourist do not visit Thailand because they know wine here has about 400 % tax. Just imagine a bottle of god Amarone it will in Europe  cost about 8 – 900 baths, and here in Thailand the price is  4 – 5000 Bahts.

[Psychic]

3 hours ago, LNKDES1 said:

Or the gouging import duty on new cars, which would also bring down the cost of used vehicles as well. I just laugh at the pricing when I go back to the U.S. and see what's available new & used back there.

And some of that makes zero sense.

An electric vehicle in Canada with gov't. subsidy was about $35K. roughly B800K.

Nissan Leaf in Thailand B2 million.

 

You'd think charging an electric vehicle with solar energy would be something desirable.

[Pedrogaz]

I'm guessing that reducing tariffs will not bring down prices, merely increase profits for retailers. Same as airport duty free.

[Ron jeremy]

8 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Attention Thai Government:

 

Speaking as an American, I can only say that there is NOT ONE, let me repeat that, NOT ONE "name brand" item that I can purchase here in Thailand that is not available to me cheaper in the USA.

In Canada the same, prices for all not most name brand items, I'm speaking sports wear etc , is cheaper.

 

[happy chappie]

3 hours ago, dake333 said:

Why did you come to live here well?

To turn my big fortune into a small fortune.when I first came here I got 73b to the pound.when I retired brexit day I had moved all my savings here at an average of 52.5b to the pound and had a couple of properties already.its not just the exchange rate but inflation on most items don't got up 3-5% it's always 10-20%...now you can reply and say....well If you don't like it you can go home.

i have a nice bundle of pounds in my safe and my mission is to keep it that way and live off my income here even if it means sleeping on the floor and living on sticky rice.

its not really about what I've got it's more about what I'm not prepared to pay for.

i take it your happy to pay big prices for trash quality by you remark which is good as you can prop up the Thai economy but not me thanks.

[natway09]

Whatever this guy is drinking, I do not want any

How about going to see Immigration & see if they will streamline some of the entry & staying here restrictions,,, my 2 wealthy mates like to stay in big houses whilst they are here but the 

hassles put in their way so they now go to the Phillipines

[happy chappie]

20 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

I'm guessing that reducing tariffs will not bring down prices, merely increase profits for retailers. Same as airport duty free.

Your right there mate.if the pound went to 10b the importers and retailers would reap the profit with not one baht passed on to the consumer.

[sead]

Yes. We all come from around the world to Thailand to buy brand clothes. Sigh

[TSF]

5 hours ago, Orton Rd said:

How about dropping the gouging tax on wine and foreign beers? In Aldi Spain last week where a bottle of decent wine could be had for 85cents, just over 30 baht!

Friend of mine from UK was in Pattaya last week. She cracked the screen of her Samsung Galaxy phone a while ago, was quoted a price to replace it in London but figured it would be cheaper in Thailand...Wrong, at a shop in Harbor Mall she was quoted more than double the London quote.

[johnarth]

4 hours ago, LNKDES1 said:

Or the gouging import duty on new cars, which would also bring down the cost of used vehicles as well. I just laugh at the pricing when I go back to the U.S. and see what's available new & used back there.

yes the USA car prices are fantastic i look at them with tears in my eyes

[Parsve]

What a brilliant idea! How comes that no one have come to thought of that before?

"A marathon running event for new couples who want to spend their wedding or honeymoon in Thailand on Valentine’s day will also be held, he said."

 

That is just what new married couple have longing for all the time, to go to Thailand and run like doped chickens. They will come in hordes.  

[happy chappie]

I end got the answer.all farang entering Thailand must only bring 1 tshirt,1 pair of shorts and flip flops....oh and a fat wallet full of credit cards.that will boost tourists spending.

[madmitch]

I've always been convinced that the reason luxury goods are taxed so highly in Thailand is due to the fact that most high earners pay nowhere near the tax they should and it's a very good way of getting cash out of the "elites". I thought of this just this morning, when I saw a brand new red plate Bentley in the school car park. That's possibly around THB15m of tax in the Govenment's coffers!

[happy chappie]

4 minutes ago, johnarth said:

yes the USA car prices are fantastic i look at them with tears in my eyes

The uk is exactly the same you can get a nice used Bentley continental gt for the same price as a 4 yr old pick up.mercedes are super cheap.

[legend49]

as a supplement to the Eat, Shop and Spend scheme.

 

Who cares is a Thai only scheme.

[Yinn]

2 hours ago, dallen52 said:

Basic wines like Jacob's Creek are $8 in Australia. (160 baht)

Same wine in Thailand 700 baht.

That's $35. Australian. ????

Australian complain a lot because not have cheap wine in the thailand hotel. So much. Aussie really like cheap wine. 

 

If the thai go to Sydney, the jasmine rice is $3.5 for one plate. 70 baht! 

4 people 280 baht!  Just for the rice! Laab pig 3-400 baht! 

Thai people like cheap jasmine rice.

 

This is story is positive (I think). The guy say he want reduction the tax. Why complain?

 

In thailand the low wage worker not pay salary tax. But the rich pay luxury tax for euro cars, wine, brand name hand bag. I think it good way. The rich can pay because have money. The low wage people need the money to live.

 

IMO if you pay 100,000 baht for Louis Viuton bag is stupid, waste the money. For what? 

The thai joke about this people. “Louis Dingdong”

[overherebc]

8 minutes ago, happy chappie said:

The uk is exactly the same you can get a nice used Bentley continental gt for the same price as a 4 yr old pick up.mercedes are super cheap.

Here you go. 2014 60,000kilometres 6 months guarantee ( you can trust ) 

for 400,000 baht.

[Krisptron]

2 hours ago, dallen52 said:

Basic wines like Jacob's Creek are $8 in Australia. (160 baht)

Same wine in Thailand 700 baht.

That's $35. Australian. ????

Not just wine. Vodka, Whisky. All food imports. Small block of cheese 195 baht for 200g. 

[Boatfreak]

Is Wine a luxury good? About time to bring down that price. 

[Nyezhov]

4 minutes ago, Yinn said:

Australian complain a lot because not have cheap wine in the thailand hotel. So much. Aussie really like cheap wine. 

 

If the thai go to Sydney, the jasmine rice is $3.5 for one plate. 70 baht! 

4 people 280 baht!  Just for the rice! Laab pig 3-400 baht! 

Thai people like cheap jasmine rice.

 

This is story is positive (I think). The guy say he want reduction the tax. Why complain?

 

In thailand the low wage worker not pay salary tax. But the rich pay luxury tax for euro cars, wine, brand name hand bag. I think it good way. The rich can pay because have money. The low wage people need the money to live.

 

IMO if you pay 100,000 baht for Louis Viuton bag is stupid, waste the money. For what? 

The thai joke about this people. “Louis Dingdong”

I personally believe in Luxury taxes, appropriately applied. Let the Yacht dealers scream.

[CGW]

4 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

It's the most expensive gnat's p!ss in the world

The stuff I can afford is! ????

[Boatfreak]

2 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

I personally believe in Luxury taxes, appropriately applied. Let the Yacht dealers scream.

Yacht dealers can easily demonstrate that the income from yachts (repairs, equipment, spending,etc,..) far outweigh the eventual increased taxes

 

[Nyezhov]

1 minute ago, Boatfreak said:

Yacht dealers can easily demonstrate that the income from yachts (repairs, equipment, spending,etc,..) far outweigh the eventual increased taxes

 

Yeah well stick another point on for every yacht over a million. Or bury it in the registration fees like they do in some jusrisdictions. Costs you more to register a 100 large car in AK than it does a 10 large one.

[BobbyL]

Branded goods are not cheap here.  A huge percentage of branded products in the UK, US and Europe are considerably cheaper than Thailand. Tourists will not come here and spend lots of money just because their Gucci bag or iPhone is cheaper to buy here. 

[Ketyo]

He's right about this. About reducing tariffs on imports. But not just on luxury brands at 30%. It should be on all imports. Including the cheese, wine and other imported food, drink and manufactures that have become stupidly expensive.

 

They maintain high import tariffs to protect local producers (of brands and cheese and wine and such etc.... hmmm). And developing countries rely on customs tariffs for much of their income because their tax systems are usually incompetent at raising taxes. Thailand is moving beyond this stage and should raise taxes by more sophisticated and less distorting means.

 

And, in Thailand now high import tariffs are contributing to the balance of payments surplus and the strong Baht. If they cut the unnecessary and distorting tariffs, imports into Thailand would rise, Thais would spend more at home, it would stimulate domestic consumption and moreover, the Thai baht would fall to reasonable levels (as more Baht would be used to buy foreign currency for imports)... which would help exporters and the tourist sector.

 

So why don't they do it? Because the government are military control dudes, not economists. 

Edited October 7, 2019 by Ketyo
correction

[spiekerjozef]

5 hours ago, upena said:

NOT 38.2 million tourists. 38.2 million ARRIVALS. Big difference

38.1 mln were denied entry at the bkk airports

[overherebc]

26 minutes ago, Yinn said:

Australian complain a lot because not have cheap wine in the thailand hotel. So much. Aussie really like cheap wine. 

 

If the thai go to Sydney, the jasmine rice is $3.5 for one plate. 70 baht! 

4 people 280 baht!  Just for the rice! Laab pig 3-400 baht! 

Thai people like cheap jasmine rice.

 

This is story is positive (I think). The guy say he want reduction the tax. Why complain?

 

In thailand the low wage worker not pay salary tax. But the rich pay luxury tax for euro cars, wine, brand name hand bag. I think it good way. The rich can pay because have money. The low wage people need the money to live.

 

IMO if you pay 100,000 baht for Louis Viuton bag is stupid, waste the money. For what? 

The thai joke about this people. “Louis Dingdong”

Restaurant prices are always high. Do you expect the restaurant owner to do all at cost?  In UK, USA and AUS' people expect to pay more in a nice restaurant, or are you comparing it to a roadside  plastic seat and table that get washed only if it rains.

Edited October 7, 2019 by overherebc

[Nyezhov]

11 minutes ago, Ketyo said:

He's right about this. About reducing tariffs on imports. But not just on luxury brands at 30%. It should be on all imports. Including the cheese, wine and other imported food and drink that has become stupidly expensive.

I agree with that, except as to wine. They should raise the tariffs and duties on wine, since drinking the stuff is a socially abhorrent habit prevalent among the privilidged elite who, by their actions, are crushing the legitimate aspriations of the people. Think about it, the first thing that some aspiring poltical starlet does as he vampirically sucks the blood of the striving masses by selling out to the mad dog jack booted thugs of capitalism is that he goes out and starts buying "wine".

 

Think about what wine represents: elitist snobbery and exploitation. You want alcoholic grape juice? Then drink your local Plonk. If its good enough for the Poilus, its good enough for you. Other than that, pay your extra duties as punishment for your sins.

 

The foregoing doesnt apply to Aussie wine, because thats not quality stuff. 

Edited October 7, 2019 by Nyezhov

[trainman34014]

No Thai with a Brain buys their Luxury Goods in Thailand and that is just one of the reasons they love the Baht when it is as high as it is now; great for overseas shopping trips and bringing back everything they want half price !