King Power Again

[PattayaParent]

I thought the king power shoplifting incident last year proved that king power right- i saw the video my self that showed those people shoplifting. ??

Never let the truth get in the way of a good thread!

[wileycoyote]

If it is true,yet another black mark again Thailand ,in a catastrophic year for Thai Tourism

[richard_smith237]

The problem as I understood it was that the open plan layout of many of the shops in King Power lead to people being accused of steeling when they are just ambling around the shop with something in their hand.

Then there was the scam where something additional was dropped in the bag on payment, the purchaser through it was a freebee, when apprehended they have no receipt for the extra item.

At the Airport with my wife (and in fact at any shop - i.e. power mall in Paragon) when we want something we ask the staff to take it to the counter so we are not walking around with it. That is quite normal here. So perhaps there is something cultural in the way that when the staff see us walking around with a bottle of perfume in our hands and go into a different area they over react, either innocently or knowingly that they might get a little kick back.

Sometimes I think I would quite enjoy the opportunity to get caught in a scam like this and see exactly how much of a stink I could cause for those involved.

[apetley]

Sometimes I think I would quite enjoy the opportunity to get caught in a scam like this and see exactly how much of a stink I could cause for those involved.

Next time your flying out of Swampy pick up a bottle of something nice in the Channel shop, wander over to the nearby handbag emporium before you've paid for the smelly stuff and let us know how you get on.

[Donnyboy]

i just avoid setting foot in the place, no problem

[spongeman]

Duty free shops normally mean shops that are cheaper than down town.

Except Thailand.

[smokie36]

Duty free shops normally mean shops that are cheaper than down town.

Except Thailand.

King Power are still waiting on their first delivery of Marlboro Lights....so funny they still have cards saying they have run out.

Oh really? What a surprise!

[PattayaParent]

Duty free shops normally mean shops that are cheaper than down town.

Except Thailand.

And Heathrow.

[Daewoo]

Duty free shops normally mean shops that are cheaper than down town.

Except Thailand.

And Heathrow.

And Sydney (except grog (alcohol) and maybe smokes (don't know 'cause I am not stupid ))

[torrenova]

The problem as I understood it was that the open plan layout of many of the shops in King Power lead to people being accused of steeling when they are just ambling around the shop with something in their hand.

Then there was the scam where something additional was dropped in the bag on payment, the purchaser through it was a freebee, when apprehended they have no receipt for the extra item.

At the Airport with my wife (and in fact at any shop - i.e. power mall in Paragon) when we want something we ask the staff to take it to the counter so we are not walking around with it. That is quite normal here. So perhaps there is something cultural in the way that when the staff see us walking around with a bottle of perfume in our hands and go into a different area they over react, either innocently or knowingly that they might get a little kick back.

Sometimes I think I would quite enjoy the opportunity to get caught in a scam like this and see exactly how much of a stink I could cause for those involved.

I bought some perfume in Singapore one time, a couple of bottles and they gave me a few things "free". I didn't think about it there.

I am not sure how I would react if I was accused in Bangkok. I don't think I would play along for a second no matter what attempts to get me to make me sign something or pay huge bribes. I would never steal and would know I was innocent but I do not trust them as far as I could thrown them.

[tuky]

Out of curiosity, I have always wondered how you know if a place is downtown or not?

Whats the difference between downtown and uptown? is it by the compass or???

I hear the term a lot but it doesn't mean anything to me.

Is it just an American term?

[tonywebster]

I was at swampy recently and bought a small bottle of water for 15 baht and stood waiting for my receipt, they didn't want to give one (this is in one of the shops, not restaurants). I told them in view of recent incidents I want a receipt as I did not want to be accused of shoplifting. They took my passport and gave me a receipt.

I wonder how many other things they don't give receipt for? magazines? newspapers? Mints?

[Carmine6]

Out of curiosity, I have always wondered how you know if a place is downtown or not?

Whats the difference between downtown and uptown? is it by the compass or???

I hear the term a lot but it doesn't mean anything to me.

Is it just an American term?

I never really thought of it as an American term, but maybe it is.

Downtown is a general term. Usually the business or civic center of a city. So downtown Los Angeles is the place with the tallest buildings around the civic center. Downtown Bankgok to me would be centered around the Silom to lower Suk area, although someone could just as well say downtown meaning anywhere in a much larger area around there. "I have go to the convention center downtown tomorrow." "The airport train will go to downtown Bangkok." It could also mean the area around the Grand Palace.

Uptown is usually a more specific location. There is no uptown Los Angeles, or uptown San Francisco. However there's an uptown in NY and uptown Chicago. The ones I'm aware of usually have a history as a more upscale part of town, and seem to generally be in the northern parts. I would guess it was a more common term historically and now is generally a specific neighborhood or area of a city. Size also comes into play with uptown. I've never heard uptown used in any place other than a very large city, while downtown is used for even small towns.

[tuky]

Thanks mate. I still dont really understand it, or how one would know where downtown is.

I grew up in (or rather 20 Km from) a small town in country Australia, downtown for us was the whole town.

I am off down town to the pub. But that was really more a lazy way of saying I am going down to the town for some refreshments.

Downtown...I have often wondered...

Thanks all the same.

[PattayaParent]

Downtown as defined by Tony Hatch

When you're alone, and life is making you lonely

You can always go

Downtown

When you've got worries, all the noise and hurry

Seems to help, I know

Downtown

Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city,

Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty

How can you lose? The lights are much brighter there...

You can forget all your troubles; forget all your cares, and go

Downtown -- things will be great when you're

Downtown -- you'll find a place for sure

Downtown -- everything's waiting for you

Downtown .... Downtown...

Don't hang around, and let your problems surround you,

There are movie shows

Downtown

Maybe you know some little places to go to

Where they never close

Downtown

Just listen to the rhythm of a gentle Bossa Nova

You'll be dancing with 'em too before the night is over,

Happy again...

The lights are much brighter there,

You can forget all your troubles; forget all your cares, and go

Downtown -- where all the lights are bright

Downtown -- waiting for you tonight

Downtown -- you're gonna be all right now...

Downtown...Downtown...Downtown...

Downtown!

Downtown!

And you may find somebody kind to help and understand you;

Someone who is just like you and needs a gentle hand to

Guide them along...

So maybe I'll see you there,

We can forget all our troubles; forget all our cares, and go

Downtown -- things will be great when you're

Downtown -- don't wait a minute more

Downtown -- everything's waiting for you...

Downtown...Downtown

Downtown...Downtown

Downtown...Downtown

Downtown...Downtown

Downtown...Downtown (fade)

[salty]

Nice to hear from you Petula.

[Spee]

Out of curiosity, I have always wondered how you know if a place is downtown or not?

Whats the difference between downtown and uptown? is it by the compass or???

I hear the term a lot but it doesn't mean anything to me.

Is it just an American term?

However there's an uptown in NY and uptown Chicago.

Actually ... "downtown" Chicago is known as "The Loop" because of the rectangular enclosed path of the overhead train tracks (The El, short for Elevated). Then there is the south side, the north side and the near north (just north of the Chicago river) ... and so on.

Uptown, downtown came from Manhattan New York City. Downtown is the lower end of Manhattan (Battery Park, Wall Street, etc.), roughly anything below about 25th. Midtown is the mid part of Manhattan (Times Square, Broadway, etc.), about 30th to about 60th. Uptown is the upper end of Manhattan (Central Park, Upper West Side, Upper East Side, etc.), 70th and on up to the edge of Harlem.

But we digress ... Some complete stranger rushes up behind me in a security controlled area of an airport and requests assistance to get through immigration?? No thanks. I say, I don't know what your problem is pal, but don't drag me into the middle of it.

[Robroy]

Golden rule at SVP: avoid King Power

[WarpSpeed]

Thanks mate. I still dont really understand it, or how one would know where downtown is.

I grew up in (or rather 20 Km from) a small town in country Australia, downtown for us was the whole town.

I am off down town to the pub. But that was really more a lazy way of saying I am going down to the town for some refreshments.

Downtown...I have often wondered...

Thanks all the same.

Yeah for me it's more about going from rural to the city with the city being considered down town and up town being out towards the burbs from inside the city..

[WarpSpeed]

It was never King Power "employees" that was the problem, it was King Power "security contractors" and the police which was/is a separate private contractor and yes, their open floor plan was/is also a large part of the confusion issue for many but they have tried to address both issues.... And it is doubtful they were chasing this guy without good cause..

[mdechgan]

King Power are still waiting on their first delivery of Marlboro Lights....so funny they still have cards saying they have run out.

Oh really? What a surprise!

There is a reason Philip Morris refuses to sell the King Power.

One could speculate.

[PattayaParent]

King Power are still waiting on their first delivery of Marlboro Lights....so funny they still have cards saying they have run out.

Oh really? What a surprise!

There is a reason Philip Morris refuses to sell the King Power.

One could speculate.

I very much doubt that Phillip Morris distribute direct to point of sales retailers.

More likely they distribute to a single point importer / wholesaler who then sells on to the point of sale retailers.

[angiud]

Come back from my holiday, I got the usual special, priced 18/24 years old whiskies, impossible to find in the rest of Thailand, and for a convenient price.

[sokal]

Sounds like it's business as usual at King Power. These staff must sit around all day waiting to pounce like perched vultures waiting for a victim.

When I feel like taking a walk on the wild side, I go into King Power duty free. But seriously, I think everyone who has trouble at these places is guilty.

The last time I was there, I tried to provoke an incident by picking up stuff and looking at it and putting it back. It didn't work, the staff just let me do whatever.

[PattayaParent]

Come back from my holiday, I got the usual special, priced 18/24 years old whiskies, impossible to find in the rest of Thailand, and for a convenient price.

Did you notice if they're still cheaper in arrivals than in departures?

I forgot to look last time.

[ExpatJ]

Sounds like it's business as usual at King Power. These staff must sit around all day waiting to pounce like perched vultures waiting for a victim.

When I feel like taking a walk on the wild side, I go into King Power duty free. But seriously, I think everyone who has trouble at these places is guilty.

The last time I was there, I tried to provoke an incident by picking up stuff and looking at it and putting it back. It didn't work, the staff just let me do whatever.

You mean king power is a regular shop like any other and not a giant conspiracy? Lets not kid ourselves!

I am convinced that king power are out to get us, when im in the airport i even avoid looking at the shop, I literally avert my eyes. I also run or sprint past their shops at the same time- better to be safe than sorry.

[wolf5370]

For what it's worth I have travelled the world extensively over the years and never found anything I could not get downtown cheaper,

So please tell us where you buy your bottles of Black or Chivas cheaper downtown than in the airport.

Edit: In Thailand.

On the bridge at MaeSai (the walk over duty free - not KP). They even do Johny Walkers Blue Label!

[wolf5370]

When that couple were caught and extorted by the Thai police, Sri Lankan illegal and KP security staff, a lot of other worms slipped from the can. The British press (who took up the story for obvious reasons) found people languishing in jail, and back in Blighty that had caughed up, that confirmed these scams. There were the free gift (not on the receipt) scam, the extra item in the bag scam and the wrong item rang up scam. Too many corraborative stories IMO 0 smoke and fire and all that. Of course when the video (and the strange things they did afterwards) proved them to be guilty, it killed off the whole story. I still advise people not to even browse KP at the airports. I can always find things cheaper here - even better duty free places (see above) for good whiskies etc.

Someone mentioned Heathrow as expensive - Heathrow (and Gatwick) have a standing rule with retailers that all items must be priced no more expensive than their average highstreet stores - as most retailers are chain companies, this works. In the duty free sections you may end up paying as much as outside even without the tax, but still fairer than most airports I've been too - especially in Europe. In Germany once I was charged £12 for two cans of coke and a black coffee at a coffee stall (not a swanky coffee shop) - this was about 15 years ago too when the pound was worth something.

[ExpatJ]

When that couple were caught and extorted by the Thai police, Sri Lankan illegal and KP security staff, a lot of other worms slipped from the can. The British press (who took up the story for obvious reasons) found people languishing in jail, and back in Blighty that had caughed up, that confirmed these scams. There were the free gift (not on the receipt) scam, the extra item in the bag scam and the wrong item rang up scam. Too many corraborative stories IMO 0 smoke and fire and all that. Of course when the video (and the strange things they did afterwards) proved them to be guilty, it killed off the whole story. I still advise people not to even browse KP at the airports. I can always find things cheaper here - even better duty free places (see above) for good whiskies etc.

Someone mentioned Heathrow as expensive - Heathrow (and Gatwick) have a standing rule with retailers that all items must be priced no more expensive than their average highstreet stores - as most retailers are chain companies, this works. In the duty free sections you may end up paying as much as outside even without the tax, but still fairer than most airports I've been too - especially in Europe. In Germany once I was charged £12 for two cans of coke and a black coffee at a coffee stall (not a swanky coffee shop) - this was about 15 years ago too when the pound was worth something.

Well, even though the video proved that those customers were in fact shop lifting- im afraid its too late for facts to be relevant in this case. King power is clearly scamming people. I advise people upon seeing a king power store 1) close eyes tightly 2) run past the store FAST. Or even better once through immigration, lock yourself in a toilet cubicle, cover your ears and say 'lalalalalala' outloud until they announce the last call for your flight, then run FAST to your gate and board the plane (avoiding eye contact with king power staff). Remember, better to be safe than sorry.

[cat5]

Not soon enough, shame can't get a whole host of stores in there.

^ I liked Don Muang better even for duty free shopping. Forget the flash stuff and make it open to the 99% of us who just might want to buy a cheap ipod or camera or a decent bookshop....how about a pub even....a decent restaurant....internet shop...(in absence of free wifi in itself ridiculous)....or even just close them altogether and provide more adequate seating.

Anything would be an improvement on King Power.

7-11 (at normal 7-11 prices) would be VERY nice!