Trip Report To King Power Duty Free Pattaya

[thaidiver]

Just went there yesterday. They're 2 for 1 specials on booze seem hard to beat, Two 1 liter bottles of Smirnoff for 1000 baht is a price that is hard to beat, so is there 1 liter bottle of Stoli for 570 baht. Don't know about all the other crap they sell, probably a rip-off for the most part.

[smedly]

I go to Korea two times a year for biz, and they have big duty free store right in heart of seoul shopping district, and their downtown duty free store as well as the one in the airport prices are the same.

I don't think King power in Pattaya is more expensive than the one in BKK airport, it is just overpriced everywhere, that is all. I think.

in the centre of pattaya rather than in an area thats designated as being between countries for passengers in transit and hence duty (tax) free of the host country?

so is it not highly unlikely that you will get any tax reductions similar to those found in duty free shopping areas found at airports/ports/border crossings etc?

king power is a fine eg of how corruption money and power work in thailand, they having a monopoly on airport trading here amonst other things and can set prices at whatever they feel like as there is no competition to speak of, open free trading does not exist here in thailand it is dictated by the corrupt and powerful, and on a smaller scale various streets etc in tourist areas are told what price to sell beer at - if they don't comply they will be run out of business by what ever means

only yesterday i was in a bar in ban chang (ban chang which has gone seriously downhill) the thai owner told me she has to charge a certain price for drink or she would be run out of business, the place has become a dump and rip off and is going downhill badly - reason idiot business owners getting greedy and pricing themselves out of the market and not allowing those that know this to run their own business as they wish ......................................ban chang u <deleted> youselves big time and this not just from me - many of my friends have stopped going there as it is overpriced and turning into a dump - not really the same situation as KP but similar in terms of monopolies in specific areas like airports and streets where pricefixing can be achieved by intimidation of all businesses in the area. Free trading is what trade is all about having the ability to compete at all levels and not being told by your competition "how to run your business under threat:

[jehricaholic]

good I have checked the forum , I was planned to buy something for my wife there;

She have seen a handbag there in Bangkok KP from brand OILLILI (england)

The problem is ;I can only pick this up in the airport !! so I have cancelled the deal

Anybody can tell me where to find OILLILI handbag brand in Bangkok or Pattaya ?

On the internet we can buy but only there ?

I have checked all the big shopping mauils in Bangkok . CentralWorld, Terminal 21 ......

any suggestions please

peter

off-topic... you need to start a new topic if you want any replies

[highchol]

airports / tax free shops fair to say are a rip off the world over.

just bought a bottle of whisky at Tesco supermarket in uk, £27, heathrow tax free price £ 48

i asume tesco dont sell at a loss!!

[lonewolf99]

All airports globally are a major rip off. Captive audience and customers. I was at Swampy last week - a frickin cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin 250 Baht...holy crap Batman. Not as bad as Istanbul I was 10 euros for a cup of mud and a rock hard lump of petrified wood that was supposed to be a croissant !!!

I was looking at Digital cameras in Schipol a few years back and the sales guy told me straight. Get on the train into town and buy it there for the real price not the "inflated" Duty Free price.

Duty free - utter <deleted>. as stated already - only brainless package deal tourists that are dragged/bussed from Wat to Temple from breakfast time to bedtime end up in these places basically being mugged for more money. If you cannot go on a holiday without someone leading you by the hand or a flag on a stick you deserve to be ripped off. Nuff said.

[toenail]

My main purchase is buying men's cologne at a duty free shop since it is so expensive in Thailand. Even at the "duty free" in BKK the cologne is still expensive compared to what I can buy at certain stores in the States. I have learned to buy my cologne on the last flight coming into BKK...cheaper than at Power King's rip off.

[tropo]

Over Priced Rip Off...

I have traveled through many airports and yet to find a duty free where the goods without the duty were cheaper than at shops outside the airport where duty was included.

I saved on Dior perfume at the airport duty free. It was about 10% cheaper than outside.

[tropo]

All airports globally are a major rip off. Captive audience and customers. I was at Swampy last week - a frickin cup of coffee and a blueberry muffin 250 Baht...holy crap Batman. Not as bad as Istanbul I was 10 euros for a cup of mud and a rock hard lump of petrified wood that was supposed to be a croissant !!!

You have to consider what rents these coffee shops and restaurants pay at major international airports?

[ROBINPATTAYA]

I brought Davidoff Cool Water for my lady in BKK for thb1000.

At the airport Kings Duty Free, thb3300...............<deleted>

They are a joke, it's all about the impulse buying at the time.

[PoodMaiDai]

I would not step near King Power at the airport. They are infamous for setting up people for extortion scams. Also everything is over priced. It is an all around rip off.

You beat me to it.

Wonder how long before the Pattaya "mafia" boys worm in and ruin the place.

[smedly]

I would not step near King Power at the airport. They are infamous for setting up people for extortion scams. Also everything is over priced. It is an all around rip off.

You beat me to it.

Wonder how long before the Pattaya "mafia" boys worm in and ruin the place.

My point earlier, try buying one of the many now empty bars in Ban Chang and charging 60baht for a beer - you won't be in business very long, there are many areas around Pattaya that are the same, thank god for 7/11's and family marts throughout Thailand as they set a stake in the ground regarding prices for many things.

[Jayman]

Booze that you buy from the airport near the baggage carousels is significantly cheaper than anywhere in Pattaya. If you have a incoming ticket within a certain number of days are you still entitled to get that cheaper price at the duty free in Pattaya? That would be the only reason worth going there. Anyone that comes to visit I would just take the air ticket to king power and get the duty free booze.

I have heard some say that you buy the booze and must pick it up from the airport? Is there no way to leave with any booze no matter what ticket you are holding?

[tropo]

I brought Davidoff Cool Water for my lady in BKK for thb1000.

At the airport Kings Duty Free, thb3300...............<deleted>

They are a joke, it's all about the impulse buying at the time.

Surely you must have suspected it's fake?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The wife and I just returned from a trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia...

Looked around at the duty free shops in the airport there in PP while waiting... Ridiculously high prices for everything I looked at. Reminded me a lot of the King Power shops at Swampy Airport...

$25 U.S. for less than 1 lbs packages of Hershey's chocolates. You gotta be kidding!!!

However, while in PP, we went shopping at the regular grocery stores and returned with:

--750 ml bottle of Smirnoff flavored vodka... about $10 U.S.

--1 L bottle of Jose Cuervo Especial tequila...about $12 U.S.

Checked the same two products last night at my local Villa Market in BKK. Both priced above 700 baht... about $23 apiece...

Double the price in BKK vs. PP? Why???

[ARGUSEYE]

That list goes on and on!

A carton of Marlboros (no fake - the real thing) in Lucky's Supermarket in Phn Penh 9.50$

That carton at "Duty Free" Kingpower at BKK airport: 550 Baht!

[PattayaParent]

The wife and I just returned from a trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia...

Looked around at the duty free shops in the airport there in PP while waiting... Ridiculously high prices for everything I looked at. Reminded me a lot of the King Power shops at Swampy Airport...

$25 U.S. for less than 1 lbs packages of Hershey's chocolates. You gotta be kidding!!!

However, while in PP, we went shopping at the regular grocery stores and returned with:

--750 ml bottle of Smirnoff flavored vodka... about $10 U.S.

--1 L bottle of Jose Cuervo Especial tequila...about $12 U.S.

Checked the same two products last night at my local Villa Market in BKK. Both priced above 700 baht... about $23 apiece...

Double the price in BKK vs. PP? Why???

Higher taxes on alcohol in Thailand.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Perhaps the more correct answer would be, higher government import duties on imported beers, wines and other alcohol products.

They wouldn't want to provide any reasonably priced competition to the Thai beer industry, of course...

[JSixpack]

That list goes on and on!

A carton of Marlboros (no fake - the real thing) in Lucky's Supermarket in Phn Penh 9.50$

That carton at "Duty Free" Kingpower at BKK airport: 550 Baht!

Any cigars sold in Phn Penh?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

At the PP airport, I noticed mostly lots of chocolates, candies, some spirits and various other things... But I wasn't really looking about tobacco.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

There's an extended discussion of some price comparisons for beer and spirits between Phnom Penh and BKK... not duty free...just between regular public stores in the two cities.

[seadoo]

Went there the other night and asked the staff is it duty free - no VAT - they said yes Duty Free no VAT - so I asked them why do you need a big fancy VAT Refund counter if there is non VAT or Duty - funny how there English language skills suddenly went from good to Mai Kowjai.