Thai tourism revolution: Duty-free ditch and booze bonanza

[cracker1]

2 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Would it be a good idea to scrap duty free booze sales at departure so that around 300 litres of inflammable liquids in the overhead lockers, and their weight, are not carried on the aeroplane. 

Each passenger is allowed only 1 litre of spirit anyway. Saving about a tenner.

1 Litre coming in but no limit going out !

[spidermike007]

Until they start making some real sacrifices nothing of any substance is going to change.

 

Drop the luxury taxes

drop the taxes on fine wine drop the taxes on liquor drop the taxes on imported cars

 

don't eliminate them, just reduce them to a reasonable level. That's what smart men would do. 

[bamnutsak]

I prefer to buy on arrival, no need to schlepp bottles on/off the plane.

 

Savings at King Power Duty-Free on Arrival compared to shops in town, for items I'm familiar with (Single Malt) is ~ 45 - 50 %

 

Arrived Tuesday HND-BKK, purchased Glenlivet 15 Year - 1L, 3,700 THB (QR Code) in the baggage claim area; price in town is 4,000 THB for 700 ml.

 

Still waited 20 ish more minutes for my bag.

 

We all assign acceptable values for purchases, well some anyway. For me, buying duty-free on arrival represents a significant value over LOCAL purchase.

 

 

[Bday Prang]

I didn't even know duty free was available in arrivals, I never spend money in airports if I can help it , so i guess that's hardly surprising

I always wonder what kind of people buy things like Rolex watches and I phones etc in airports.   Surely even the super rich have access to proper shops and online shopping? 

One of life's mysteries 

 

I'd ban it all if it was up to me including all carry on luggage, just think how much quicker boarding would be.  But but what about those with babies, ?

I'd put a stop to them too, or at least have them restricted to separate flights

[Surasak]

29 minutes ago, Confuscious said:

 

So, you assume that they have "brains"?
Wrong assumption .....

Oh! Come on. There is at least one brain cell working round the clock, but it very exhausted. And today wasn't Lavaron Sangsnit's turn to get a visit.

[IamNoone88]

And this is the most revolutionary idea that the Ministry of Finance could come up with?

[MadMac]

The braindead are at it again. People will just buy at departure what they are going to buy anyways and money will be spend outside Thailand. Clever move indeed 

[KannikaP]

8 minutes ago, cracker1 said:

1 Litre coming in but no limit going out !

Doooh, what goes OUT of Thailand must go IN somewhere else. 

[StayinThailand2much]

Cunning plan! Especially as imported wines and spirits are so "affordable" (and the wine they import is what no-one else wanted), and the local stuff is undrinkable too. I'd like to thank Thailand here for keeping me away from alcohol while I'm in Thailand, which gives me the opportunity to spend more on quality wines and beers whenever I'm abroad...

[Phil1964]

The UK suspended the tax breaks for foreign tourists reclaiming their VAT, (20%), a few years back. Now all the big stores and retailers are lobbying government to restore the benefit as unsurprisingly foreign tourist shopping spend is down, and data suggests it has moved to other European countries where the tourist can reclaim tax / duty.

[sherwood]

Yes Sir!! Another cunning plan to help the economy.

Talk about dumb, oh well not my problem.

Struth 

[Paul Henry]

I don't know if I've missed something will the local downtown stores reduce the prices or is it the dumb tourist will pay more?

[DJ54]

Another nutty day in the neighborhood…. With all the proposed taxes on income and land farm land (article linked in the full article. .looks like they want to bend everyone over the stump… no matter your nationality… ….  

[parallelman]

2 hours ago, Clarkey611 said:

I buy my Duty Free at London Hethrow, wherethere is a large saving in comparison to King Power (and all the other Asian nations).

Is the cost in travel the same?

[Cabradelmar]

Every recent idea to squeeze more money out of tourist revolves around sell them more booze. LOL. Anyway, buy your duty free at your departure point/on-board, and as long as you don't change planes, you still get duty free booze into Thailand. My guess is if anyone did their homework on duty free spend on booze by arriving passengers at Thailand's international airports, that it's mostly locals returning from abroad. Hopefully this plan gets pitched into the rubbish bin where it belongs. What next, dual pricing of booze at 7-11/Lotus for foreigners. LOL.

[BritScot]

3 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Would it be a good idea to scrap duty free booze sales at departure so that around 300 litres of inflammable liquids in the overhead lockers, and their weight, are not carried on the aeroplane. 

Each passenger is allowed only 1 litre of spirit anyway. Saving about a tenner.

I don't know what cheap malt you are buying in litre bottles as most decent malts I drink only come in 70cl and my favourite malt your lucky to buy any bigger than 50cl "Scapa". Oh Santa has got me a 25 year old malt Glenfiddich for my collection and yes all 70cl. Wish Santa new about Scapa Web site as I would have been happy with 50cl.

[worgeordie]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

But what about duty-free giant King Power? Fear not, as Lavaron assured that the behemoth is on board

No way , that's got to be a porkie ,give up a money earner just like that ,

 

 

regards worgeordie

[kcpattaya]

How <deleted> STUPID are you to even CONSIDER an idea like this???
If the Finance Ministry is managed by the same empty-headed, it is NOT looking good.

[Thumbs]

People will buy locally instead of duty free shop on arrival….. what utter rubbish, Thailand cant even buy alcohol unless it’s between 11am and 2pm or 5pm and midnight

 

get this sorted first then your big plan might make more sense 

[ChipButty]

Have you seen the price of a bottle of wine in a 5 star hotel in Thailand? 

 

Me and the wife went out for a meal in Chalong, nice place right on the water, 180 baht for a bottle of chang, a little shop in my soi is 60 baht, maybe if they stopped that nonsense people would buy more, 

[Mr Meeseeks]

2 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Silly boy.

Tourists will buy their duty free at departures where they start their journey.

I never buy at arrivals.

 

Which will only benefit other point of departure airports and certainly not Thai domestic retailers.

 

I buy my whisky in Malaysia, I am there every month anyway, and I normally buy decent single malts from local supermarkets unless I am pushed for time, in which case I pick one up at KLIA. 

[Felt 35]

Considering this Alcohol (who.int) and this Years Of Life Lost Due To Alcohol Consumption In Thai Adults - Movendi International it seems the "tourism revolution" in Thailand is on the right track  

 

Felt 

[proton]

3 hours ago, Clarkey611 said:

I buy my Duty Free at London Hethrow, wherethere is a large saving in comparison to King Power (and all the other Asian nations).

 

Last time I pointed out at Heathrow Duty Free, so called, that the Bombay Saph Gin I was looking at was cheaper in Sainsburies, the assistant laughed and said he knew. Gin is usually the best buy, not much else

[Chris Daley]

So glad I don't drink.  Can laugh at all the losers on here.

[Chongalulu]

17 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Have you seen the price of a bottle of wine in a 5 star hotel in Thailand? 

 

Me and the wife went out for a meal in Chalong, nice place right on the water, 180 baht for a bottle of chang, a little shop in my soi is 60 baht, maybe if they stopped that nonsense people would buy more, 

The overheads in a 5 star hotel are just a tad higher than the mama and papa shop in the local soi, just as everywhere else in the world. ”My wife and I ”,as do others wot speak proper ,understand that .. 😜

[Megasin1]

Well...the only sensible interpretation of this rediculous pronouncement is that the economy is tanking and things will be getting much worse soon.

[ChipButty]

25 minutes ago, Chongalulu said:

The overheads in a 5 star hotel are just a tad higher than the mama and papa shop in the local soi, just as everywhere else in the world. ”My wife and I ”,as do others wot speak proper ,understand that .. 😜

I'm not as smart as you

[Mickboy]

These clowns really wrack their brains out over a $ don't they.

[Train]

On our last return trip from Singapore, duty free was a disappointment.  Our wine purchase was 50 baht less than what could be purchased at Makro or Central.  No 300% savings.  Gotta pay for a soccer team somehow.

[sambum]

And here was stupid me  thinking from the photo that they were going to scrap the stupid "no alcohol to be sold between 2pm and 5pm" law, so that Xmas /New Year tourists (and all other customers!) could purchase booze with their groceries at any time!