King Power not happy with talk of abolishing duty-free on arrival

[kingstonkid]

4 hours ago, RobU said:

I don't buy duty free l. I presume it means VAT and alcohol tax free. Carry on selling it but with all the taxes added. The sales may drop but those people desperate for alcohol on arrival will still buy it since the price should be no different to the retail shops in Thailand 

The challenge is not the products price as it is the loss in revenue from thais coming back into the country and wanting to buy duty free booze and cigarettes.  There's no way they will gain that income any other way and AOT Will lose money which means the government will have to bail them out also.

[ChipButty]

I've been through some airports in my life but I have never bought anything on arrival

[Stargeezr]

I find it strange that only King Power is at most airports in Thailand. I do see many brands being sold

but only one company? Really.

Most airports in other countries have many businesses and the prices are more reasonable.

  i will never underswtand the Asian attitude. Smiles only do so much, 

  

[Pouatchee]

On 12/1/2023 at 3:06 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Whenever going back to the UK... I buy online...  its usually always cheaper than any duty free.

 

Good to get advice from a cheap charlie about only good advice you are good for, how to be cheap

[richard_smith237]

18 minutes ago, Pouatchee said:

On 12/1/2023 at 11:06 AM, richard_smith237 said:

Whenever going back to the UK... I buy online...  its usually always cheaper than any duty free.

 

Good to get advice from a cheap charlie about only good advice you are good for, how to be cheap

 

Erm..  ok flower... outstanding input....

 

 

[BenStark]

7 hours ago, Stargeezr said:

I find it strange that only King Power is at most airports in Thailand. I do see many brands being sold

but only one company? Really.

 

That is the case in most airports worldwide, in fact there are companies that own the duty free exclusivity in 63 airports,

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-biggest-duty-free-companies-184348418.html

 

https://www.worlddutyfreejobs.com/about_wdf/our-business/

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, BenStark said:

 

That is the case in most airports worldwide, in fact there are companies that own the duty free exclusivity in 63 airports,

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-biggest-duty-free-companies-184348418.html

 

https://www.worlddutyfreejobs.com/about_wdf/our-business/

 

Its all a bit of a marketing sham really...  but everyone knows that anyway... 

 

Its useful enough when picking up a bottle of decent Whisky when returning back to Bangkok, as there usually a better range and much better prices than is offered in Bangkoks booze outlets such as Gourmet Market and Villa (booze sections). 

 

So heading South East (to Thailand) - I find it reasonable to pick something up at the Airport at Dubai or Doha.

However heading North West (to Europe) - I never do (from Thailand or a Middle East layover)

 

 

 

 

 

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I've been through some airports in my life but I have never bought anything on arrival

I often have on arrival into Thailand... not only about better variety and far cheaper prices, but availability. The selection of single malts at Riyadh is poor, pretty good in Dubai though. 

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I often have on arrival into Thailand... not only about better variety and far cheaper prices, but availability. The selection of single malts at Riyadh is poor, pretty good in Dubai though. 

 

Good point - the value of the Duty free really does depend upon where we are going to or coming from. 

 

As you mention - the prices at Duty free upon arrival at Suvarnabumi airport are better than domestic prices, so if the departing airport upon return to Thailand has very poor selection the King Power duty free does serve a purpose.

The same can be said when departing regarding availability at our destination country. 

 

The prices in Thailand itself are massively elevated which makes the massively elevated prices at Thai Duty free look better if stuck for choice elsewhere. 

 

 

[spidermike007]

Of course they are unhappy. Nobody likes their monopoly taken away. They were making a fortune. Yet, monopolies are the worst possible scenario for everyone involved, except the monopolist.

 

Back in 2019, King Power, which retains ownership of Leicester City club, offered 15.42 billion baht (£392.3 million) in yearly minimum guarantee of revenue without tax, topping the Lotte and Bangkok Airways consortium's 8.52 billion baht bid, AOT said.

[josephbloggs]

On 12/2/2023 at 7:45 AM, mikebell said:

They used to have a nice little side-line in shop-lifting accusations an hour before your flight was due to take off.  An English-speaking lawyer was provided to handle negotiations.

 

Yawn. Another AN myth. Seriously, do you guys just regurgitate everything you read on here? Do you never actually search independently to see if something is true? It really is a sad reflection of people that they just repost whatever fits their narrative without doing a jot of research.

A simple Google search will show you that the people in question were actually shoplifting. King Power released the CCTV footage and it it as clear as day - I have seen it.......when I was researching to see if the rumours were true at the time - like any reasonable, open minded, non prejudiced, person would do.

Yes, you could pay to have the charges go away but that is usually the case in Thailand and it was nothing to do with KP. If you don't shoplift you don't get in to any trouble. And for the poster who says you literally cross the boundary of their shop with something in your hand and you get arrested, read my first paragraph again. Ridiculous.

[josephbloggs]

On 12/1/2023 at 8:48 PM, KhunLA said:

I hope so, people would save a lot of money IMHO 

 

Let's just ban shops, full stop. Imagine the savings!

If people want to buy something at a cost that they deem agreeable, what's the problem? Why would you want to ban it? Personally I would like the option.

Edited December 3, 2023 by josephbloggs

[connda]

I've never shopped in one of these "duty free" shops other than walking through out of curiosity.  Personally I didn't see much selection and I did see price tags for things that I know can be purchased much cheaper elsewhere.

What (items) are you supposedly getting a "duty free" discount on?  Who uses them and why?   

[Mavideol]

On 12/1/2023 at 12:05 PM, webfact said:

is a Finance Ministry proposal to turn Thailand into a “duty-free paradise”.

somebody will paying for it, there is an old saying  there is nothing for free may apply here  555

[Mavideol]

On 12/1/2023 at 1:57 PM, JoePai said:

Only goes to show how much money there is to be made in so called "duty-free"

enough to buy a football team (Leicester) in the Uk

 

It's a double post as Bangkok Barry already post about it

Edited December 3, 2023 by Mavideol

[liddelljohn]

Owner of king Power also owns  2000 acre estate  next to Windsor castle and has the biggest string of polo ponies in the world over 500 in training in UK alone  as well as 100 race horses  and 400 eventers and jumpers in development   seriously huge investments

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

 

Yawn. Another AN myth. Seriously, do you guys just regurgitate everything you read on here? Do you never actually search independently to see if something is true? It really is a sad reflection of people that they just repost whatever fits their narrative without doing a jot of research.
 

 

The scam received loads of publicity, both in Thailand and overseas. A small wrapped item was placed in the bag with a customers purchase, with the customer thinking it was a gift from the store. Then they were nabbed outside and, under fear of missing their flight, they paid a 'fine'. I believe they were told they would be taken to a police station away from the airport, to give them an extra incentive to 'settle the matter'.

 

It all went wrong when they scammed a Norwegian professor, who reported it widely after he returned home. And that led to a high-level investigation and 'change of policy'. Norwegians aren't as accepting of corruption as Thais. They get upset.

 

I can't imagine it was official KP policy, but rather an 'enterprising' staff member or two, in cooperation with Thailand's fine upstanding law enforcers.

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Bangkok Barry

[Photoguy21]

So the prices will come down? Duty free anywhere is a rip off.

[KhunLA]

55 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

 

Let's just ban shops, full stop. Imagine the savings!

If people want to buy something at a cost that they deem agreeable, what's the problem? Why would you want to ban it? Personally I would like the option.

Apparently you've never browsed through and saw their pricing.  Some have mentioned, along with the well publicized scam that ran for years.

 

To other post, yea, King Power folks are loaded with money.  King Power Mahanakhon is your obvious 'local' clue to that.

 

Mind boggling how some of the 'TH expert' are, well, a bit ignorant, but happy to chime in.

 

Have a nice day 

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

And for the poster who says you literally cross the boundary of their shop with something in your hand and you get arrested, read my first paragraph again. Ridiculous.

 

I recall a number of reports all around the time... in one (or was it two) of the examples, it was reported that the defence was that the alleged shop-lifters walked from one area of the duty-free to the next with an item in hand and were accused of shop lifting - it wasn't clear where the boundary of one shop ended and another started. 

 

There were a few cases at the time with some videos circulating of definite shop lifting with people putting things into their bags etc, but also, others charged for shop lifting for inadvertently exiting the boundary of the shop.

 

What strikes me as strange is that at the time there was a spate of accusation (mainly from Phuket Airport), and since then, there is no news of anyone shop lifting at an airport... possible reasons for that.

- There have been no more shop lifting cases.

- There has been shop lifting cases that haven't reached the media.

- Bad apples too eager to accuse innocents of shoplifting when they walk around duty free have been recognised and removed by AOT.

 

 

This was the BBC news report...    there were numerous reports of the scam at the time... 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8154497.stm

 

 

Smoke without fire and unfair accusations ????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by richard_smith237

[Dcheech]

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

Yawn. Another AN myth

 

In your mind, but for the rest of us, another scam to be wary of.

 

Used to buy Myer's Rum on arrival at less than 50 per cent what it would cost in Thailand, if you could find it . King Power quit stocking it. More, they have stopped letting you buy on arrival, they wrap it, seal in bag with tag, then take it on a domestic flight (even from Don Muang). 

[KhunLA]

KP even has a duty free shop at the mall near Victory Monument, which only allows purchases with CH PPs. or so reported in one of their reviews of:

"My partner is Chinese passport holder. They gave 200baht daily to him, free taxi, free buffet.. the staff said “no foreign passport, only for Chinese”

 

Was actually thinking about popping in, since down the way from my daughter.  Hoping to see if the had PHRAYARUM, since impossible to find, as made for export only.  Thought if anyone would have they might ... oh well.

Edited December 3, 2023 by KhunLA

[josephbloggs]

59 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Apparently you've never browsed through and saw their pricing.  Some have mentioned, along with the well publicized scam that ran for years.

 

To other post, yea, King Power folks are loaded with money.  King Power Mahanakhon is your obvious 'local' clue to that.

 

Mind boggling how some of the 'TH expert' are, well, a bit ignorant, but happy to chime in.

 

Have a nice day 

 

Yes I have browsed their pricing and no, I generally don't buy from there. Their prices are slightly cheaper than a normal shop for booze, but hardly anything in it. I have a couple of times bought on arrival for convenience, not to save money.

Yes, they are very rich, not disputing that. Yes, the monopoly is stupid, I already said that, there should be competition, although as another poster reported it is not uncommon in the aviation retail world.

Not sure where the ignorance comment comes from. I was merely contending your comment to ban them in arrivals to help people save money was a bit silly. People don't need you to make their decisions on what to spend their money on.

Edited December 3, 2023 by josephbloggs
Typo

[josephbloggs]

32 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I recall a number of reports all around the time... in one (or was it two) of the examples, it was reported that the defence was that the alleged shop-lifters walked from one area of the duty-free to the next with an item in hand and were accused of shop lifting - it wasn't clear where the boundary of one shop ended and another started. 

 

There were a few cases at the time with some videos circulating of definite shop lifting with people putting things into their bags etc, but also, others charged for shop lifting for inadvertently exiting the boundary of the shop.

 

What strikes me as strange is that at the time there was a spate of accusation (mainly from Phuket Airport), and since then, there is no news of anyone shop lifting at an airport... possible reasons for that.

- There have been no more shop lifting cases.

- There has been shop lifting cases that haven't reached the media.

- Bad apples too eager to accuse innocents of shoplifting when they walk around duty free have been recognised and removed by AOT.

 

 

This was the BBC news report...    there were numerous reports of the scam at the time... 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8154497.stm

 

 

Smoke without fire and unfair accusations ????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I remember the reports, and no doubt "Tony" is a shady character and there is clear bribery at play when people get detained (there's something about that name and shadiness). But I also never saw any real evidence - I only saw the CCTV that clearly showed people shoplifting.

Not saying it didn't happen, only that people jump on these bandwagons without doing any research. My research was very much inconclusive and in many cases the rumours were proven false.

[ChipButty]

49 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

 

Yeah, I remember the reports, and no doubt "Tony" is a shady character and there is clear bribery at play when people get detained (there's something about that name and shadiness). But I also never saw any real evidence - I only saw the CCTV that clearly showed people shoplifting.

Not saying it didn't happen, only that people jump on these bandwagons without doing any research. My research was very much inconclusive and in many cases the rumours were proven false.

I met that slimy little runt "Tony" I used to live in Sukhumvit soi 2, he used to hang about in different places where farang go, 

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

I met that slimy little runt "Tony" I used to live in Sukhumvit soi 2, he used to hang about in different places where farang go, 

 

Is that runt with an "r"?

Met a few Tonies in my time, horrible little leeches who think they are untouchable.

[josephbloggs]

On 12/2/2023 at 11:14 AM, ChipButty said:

I've been through some airports in my life but I have never bought anything on arrival

 

Thanks for sharing.

[ChipButty]

21 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

 

Is that runt with an "r"?

Met a few Tonies in my time, horrible little leeches who think they are untouchable.

Thats correct, I thought it was strange at the time, 

[bignok]

Duty free is a scam. Products are always more expensive.

[bamnutsak]

Cabinet to consider liquor cost cuts, reduce airport duty-free shops

 

The Finance Ministry will on Tuesday propose to Cabinet new measures to suspend duty-free shops in the Arrivals section of all airports, as well as to reduce taxes on alcoholic beverages.

These measures are aimed at stimulating tourism and domestic spending, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Lavaron Sangsnit said on Monday.

 

“When we suspend arrivals duty-free shops, it will enable Thai and foreign tourists to spend domestically instead of spending at duty-free shops,” he said, adding that domestic shops will benefit from this measure.

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/policies/40033904