Good Bye Bangkok Shopping

[think_too_mut]

Siam, emporium etc are just over priced stores selling the same stuff you can get as cheap elsewhere. I was surprised at first but hey ho ..........

It is a status thing and a$25 shirt their is about the same quality as on in the uk for a similar price

I don't believe that.

Same product, same price. Low end goods from Lotus can't be found at the Emporium or if they are, the price won't differ.

If you want it on the cheap, don't go to Emporium or similar.

For fun, I looked at baby prem at Lotus, it was 2500B. Playing with one hand, I dismantled it's wheel.

That would not happen with 32,000 baht prem (japanese import, same price as in Tokyo) at Emporium.

Another example: bought a Sony home entertainment center at Lotus, 19,990B, 4 years ago. A T-shirt that comes with it as a present was too big for me.

That exactly the same model, at Emporium, was same 19,990B and they had a t-shirt my size.

[OldAsiaHand]

Yes, that's my experience, too. That exactly same merchandise sells everywhere in Thailand for almost exactly the same price. There is very little pricing competition. A Sony TV of a particular model will almost always be the same price, to the baht, whether it's at the Emporium, or Central, or in a dingy shophouse. The comments in this thread to the contrary seem to me to reflect more social resentment and class bitterness than real retail pricing information.

Edited February 23, 2006 by OldAsiaHand

[The Coder]

Me too. The same (high) price everywhere with little fluctiation. I've had shops have the audacity to get a calculator out and offer a 50 baht discount on a 20K baht product, LOL. I've nearly given up on shopping around to find a good deal on something I want as I recognize there are rare exceptions. What I usually do now is check how outrageous a price is for something, then import it myself to save cost. I asked the lady selling sub-zero explain to me why I should buy from her when I can import *two* myself and save cost. She didn't have any in stock, just a brochure. She said she already knew I could do that at that price but explained I should buy from her "because we give you warranty". What a joke when you are talking about hundreds of thousands of baht.

People who believe so called rich people don't care about price are out of touch. Generally speaking the more someone is going to spend on something, the more important it becomes to get a good deal. There are two parts to being wealthy; the first is to have a lot coming in and the second is to limit what goes out. The idea that people are going to fly across the globe to Thailand to get ripped off on stuff for some kind of image thing just makes no sense to me. Who will be impressed to know you went to a shopping center in Thailand and paid an outrageous sum for something everyone else buys cheaper in their own city? I don't see it.

[zzap]

Well, it may be true that prices of top of the range products are no different in places such as the Emporium from anywhere else in Bangkok.

But get real, 'ordinary' household goods, a lot of clothing and almost all the accessories and bric-brac are double and triple the price of comparable products in markets and some other dep. stores.

I've always wondered who, except tourists who don't know their way around, would buy the stuff there.

Reminds me of an old joke:

Why did god invent yuppies? - someone must buy retail.

[think_too_mut]

Well, it may be true that prices of top of the range products are no different in places such as the Emporium from anywhere else in Bangkok.

The thing is, they stock mostly those products.

But get real, 'ordinary' household goods, a lot of clothing and almost all the accessories and bric-brac are double and triple the price of comparable products in markets and some other dep. stores.

What is a comparable product? A 150B polyester shirt that becomes transparent after 5 washings or a 4500B natural fabric no-iron shirt tested for 1000 washings. Get 5 of them and they will last u 5000weeks - in effect, life time. They are same price in BKK as in Tokyo, they actually prompted me to start this thread.

I've always wondered who, except tourists who don't know their way around, would buy the stuff there.

I have always wondered who, unless they live there or stay long term, would buy anything in Bangkok other than souvenirs.

For me, a suitcase full of paper/plastic cuttlery is all that I am finding cheaper and "comparable product" to what I have in Japan.

[zzap]

You've answered your own question, you don't live here, but in Japan.

Otherwise, I'd feel sorry for anybody who can't find more than paper/plastic cutlery to buy in Bangkok.

Maybe shopping here just isn't your thing, fair enough.

[think_too_mut]

You've answered your own question, you don't live here, but in Japan.

Otherwise, I'd feel sorry for anybody who can't find more than paper/plastic cutlery to buy in Bangkok.

Really, what merchandise can you find in BKK that's worth dragging it back to the developed world?

Top silk goes for export already.

On the other hand, there is hardly anything that's not available in Thai (at least in bigger centres).

What I carry with me to BKK is a suitcase full of kids' toys and some Japanese sweets boxes for presents.

The only reason I buy the toys in Japan is that top shops in BKK are on unreliable supply, run out of products but orders are shipped in only quarterly.

[TokyoT]

I have two main problems with shopping in Thailand:

First is a supply issue – finding what I am looking for. This is typically a problem when I am looking for something on the high quality side of things. By high quality I do not mean a name brand ladies handbag. But more day to day type of goods that I am willing to pay more for to get something that will hold up to use. Seems too difficult to find things of this nature and when I do find them the selection is slim.

Second is price – Time and time again I find that I pay more in Thailand for quality goods than I would pay in the west or even in Japan. If you are looking for cheap junk that will wear out fast - shop Thailand. If you want quality goods that will last – shop before/after your come to Thailand.

Someone made a reference to suits.

I have had suits made in Thailand, China, Korea, Japan, and the US. Granted complete custom-made suits are less expensive in Thailand, China, and Korea. But I find custom altered suits, which end up fitting just as well and generally lasting longer at the same prices in the US. When buying suits in Thailand you are very rarely getting some kind of great deal. You generally get what you pay (lower price, low quality – higher price, higher quality). You soon find this out when visiting one of the shops advertising three suits and two shirts for low prices. You step into the shop and they point out the low quality materials that you can choose from for those low low prices. Then direct you attention to the higher quality materials that or course will cost you more – classic bait and switch.

[think_too_mut]

Someone made a reference to suits.

I have had suits made in Thailand, China, Korea, Japan, and the US. Granted complete custom-made suits are less expensive in Thailand, China, and Korea. But I find custom altered suits, which end up fitting just as well and generally lasting longer at the same prices in the US. When buying suits in Thailand you are very rarely getting some kind of great deal. You generally get what you pay (lower price, low quality – higher price, higher quality). You soon find this out when visiting one of the shops advertising three suits and two shirts for low prices. You step into the shop and they point out the low quality materials that you can choose from for those low low prices. Then direct you attention to the higher quality materials that or course will cost you more – classic bait and switch.

I posted it several times, whenever someone asks for tailors in BKK.

On my first visit to BKK, I was on business and had a suit on me. Nothing great, about 600US$ back in Oz.

Went to one of the "taylor of the year" shops and asked them to copy it.

They could - for 800US$.

How comes 200US$ more expensive than back home?

"We have to pay a lot for that fabric and import it".

So did the factory in Oz who made it of "imported Italian fabric" I said.

Just what the folks for 150US$ jacket, 3 trousers and 3 shirts are getting?

[steveromagnino]

I really doubt Siam Paragon can survive. All the major brand names like Channel, Hermes, LV, Gucci, Ferragamo, Versace ect all schedule to open in there. The major target of over 70% sales still target foreign tourists especially Japanese and other foreign customers.

First up, LV is definitely not opening in Paragon; the whole LVMH group is not there, only a franchisee operator Pucci.

My guess is their target there will be about 50% local, 50% foreign, but different tenants will vary.

Let's be clear about the tax and margins here. The price on average for luxury stuff is somewhere between 5 - 25% higher than Singapore or HK, and lower than Japan for the most part. This is data direct from some of the brands. The tax varies from as little as 5% for watches to around 40% for most of the apparel and leather stuff. The retailers and landlords have lobbied the govt for price parity; don't eliminate the tax, just get it to a level of regional parity. That hasn't happened, in part due to the oil price issue causing a deficit and in part due to the unpopularity of the move with the majority of voters (it is really seemingly giving a gift to the rich Thais). Of course, long term it means people don't fly abroad to buy blah blah blah; logic says to reduce it but at the moment it simply isn't going to happen.

For a few, they have chosen to price at lower margins here, often for certain items, and this reduces the difference to less than the tax rate alone. For a few, like Zegna, they price regionally, and thus Thailand is VERY competitive for Zegna. For a few, they charge like wounded bulls.

So it is not the retailers that are getting rich; in fact many of the retailers are sick; in other cases the retailers are the brands themselves (.e.g. LV, CD, Fendi, Celine, Loewe, Zegna, Prada) and thus there is no 'middle man' when you buy at these stores you are buying from the parent company and if they choose to hire stupid, poorly trained staff and pay them peanuts, well then you end up with bad service. And some of them do.

Franchisees like Givenchy actually are the brand often singled out as being paticularly good for service. Actually, a light weight Givenchy suit is about 30 something thousand baht here, that is not bad pricing ctually.

What will happen to the luxury market here is a major issue and some now believe that the amount of area probably outstrips the demand for luxury, and it will be very interesting to see how paragon goes once the mass market mall centre world opens directly in front of them (from a roading perspective) and cuts off their traffic access to some degree.

My friends that work at Emporium/paragon tell me the merchandising mix is not quite the same as The Mall (also theirs) but the things that are the same are for the most part priced exactly the same. Don't compare apples to oranges.

For those who cannot find things to buy here, it is a question of taste. There are some brands here that are great and some that are not. There are some great products available in Pratunam and similar centres; however it often takes expertise and time to dig through to find them. Also, for non-Thais, the markets are not really set up to make it easy for foreigners to buy sometimes, and the inability of some foreigners to bargain means they pay more. Suits made here are an example; for $800USD you would be getting a VERY nice suit here; you could almost get a Zegna fabric suit and get it cut (the cloth is a major expensive part of the Zegna suit). For a lessor imported fabric you could probably get 2 really great suits; this is a good example that some people perhaps suffer at the hands of a person who does not care for their repeat business. negotiate, and you could probably get the price to 1/2 that at least.

To become a shopping hub, there are a number of key elements, of which price is one, and range another, and availability of recognised luxury brands a third. Locally developed fashion is important within the range aspect, and there are some strong local designers developing, but mostly for women, and mostly for Asians. Some of the designers here (and also in Korea which is probably the hot bed of Asian design at themoment) say they don't want anyone above a certain size wearing their stuff, and that's why they only make certain sizes. THis is bad news for some foreigners, but it is the right approach for at least some designers.

Thailand is on the way; the tax issue is important, but the reality is that people aren't ALL price conscious; let's not assume that everyone is like ourselves, and in general, Japanese can buy more product here at better prices than they can at home.

Let's bear in mind, for instance, that LV has a restriction on Japanese people and how much they can buy per person per year in Japan and in Paris. Furthermore, for non- Japanese in Japan, is it the case that you are eligible for tax refund so in fact you are getting a VERY good deal on luxury products which are carried in massive range?

For the most part, luxury products here are not aimed at foreigners from the west (except for Armani which is aimed at Russians for some reasons). The issue of what westerners think about this 'hub idea' is probably akin to what westerners think about 'Korean soap operas'. For now, the target is (or should be) regional; it isn't like Thailand is going to be able to go up against Paris and Oxford Street for a long time yet, if ever.

[Nordlys]

Thailand is on the way; the tax issue is important, but the reality is that people aren't ALL price conscious; let's not assume that everyone is like ourselves, and in general, Japanese can buy more product here at better prices than they can at home.

I don't agree with this. I am a Japanese resident in Bangkok and like I mentioned in earlier post, whatever the merchandise I can find in Thailand that I can also find in Japan is almost always more expensive in Thailand than in Japan. There are a few exceptions and can depend on the type of product it is. And I'm not talking about made-in-Japan imports.

[think_too_mut]

Furthermore, for non- Japanese in Japan, is it the case that you are eligible for tax refund so in fact you are getting a VERY good deal on luxury products which are carried in massive range?

If the question was for me, I never buy "luxury" products. Only good quality things that bear no tags or signs or they are inside and not visible.

Tax refund - I heard 5% but never bothered.

When not in a suit, I'm in jeans, shorts and surfie clothes (they do have a logo, over the chest and on the back).

That's another point: a "factory outlet" in Pattaya, on the Sukhumvit, next to Lotus, has a Quiksilver shop. In that "discounted" store, things are more expensive than in Australia.

Quiksilver manufactures many of their wares in Thailand and the factory outlet should reflect that.

No, everything is more expensive, up to 50%. Even more expensive than in Japan.

Perhaps, they think, the sign "factory outlet" would numb people's mind, especially if the customers are from Europe or cold weather places and have no reference point.

[Nordlys]

Tax refund - I heard 5% but never bothered.

And there aren't many duty-free shops in Japan anyway. And if there is, like in Thailand, they aren't at all cheap enough compared to shops for locals to be bothered with.

[steveromagnino]

Tax refund - I heard 5% but never bothered.

And there aren't many duty-free shops in Japan anyway. And if there is, like in Thailand, they aren't at all cheap enough compared to shops for locals to be bothered with.

Actually, duty free is not the same as cheaper.

e.g. the most expensive duty free store in the world (apparently according the an expert in the field....) is London.

Now this seems so counter intuitive. But apparently across a basket of goods it is true; they have massive sales per person and they do clever promotions comparing prices, but other than the loss leaders, they carry pretty big margins and sell based on convenience and mind set of travellers.

Regarding Quiksilver, yep, that is a relatively expensive brand here. If you go to the Export Shop in the same mall, you can often find stuff there extra cheap. There are other stores, Quiksilver is just one. Overall though, I've always thought factory outlet stores were much the same as duty free worldwide, mostly perception and not much better value for money than anywhere else. For brand name stuff, there are better places to buy it 'factory outlet style'. For a brand like Lacoste, I'd say you would be hard pressed to find many places cheaper around the world than here.

Regarding Japan vs. Thailand, I guess not having spent significant time there, we have to agree to disagree. My comments are simply based on the pricing information i get from the big luxury retail houses, and their own internal pricing strategy. It is certainly not universal, and there will be exceptions.

You are however saying that almost everything is cheaper there than here... since I don't know what products (and I don't doubt your info), let's agree to disagree on this; it isn't the strategy of luxury retailers operating directly here, and I am not willing to comment on the non-luxury category which i know nothing about really.

[skylar]

That's another point: a "factory outlet" in Pattaya, on the Sukhumvit, next to Lotus, has a Quiksilver shop. In that "discounted" store, things are more expensive than in Australia.

Quiksilver manufactures many of their wares in Thailand and the factory outlet should reflect that.

I was in Central Chidlom last year and I was gobsmacked by the high prices of the Quiksilver and Mambo stuff there. The situation reminds me of Carabao's "Made In Thailand" song.

[BKKGuitar]

Monday last week I went shopping to Siam Paragon and Emporium.

Business shirts and Jim Thompson ties were same price as Brooks Brothers in Tokyo and they did not have the non-iron version (but they were selling to me an unknown brand at the same price, with "wrinkle free" tag).

Jim Thompson ties are down to a satang same price as Brooks Brothers, being back in design and current fashion about 2 years behind BB.

Then, if that is so, I decided to buy nothing and get it all in Tokyo. Yesterday I bought my 5 shirts and ties. However, the shop assistant made a mistake and the sleeves are 1/2 inch longer than what I need. It will be replaced, over the phone and the shop will send someone to do it.

I'm wondering what would have happened had I spent 4K baht per shirt in BKK and they don't fit?

There is nothing cheaper there, no reason to spend same money, lose on exchange rate, drag it back home and be left in cold if something is not right.

For now, Bangkok, keep what you know the best: sell OTOP dried fruits at the airport for presents back home.

You don't *buy* anything in Paragon and Emporium except eventually a snack to sit and enjoy. You go there to walk around and enjoy the AC and people-watching and atmosphere... There are amazing bargains/deals to be found all over the city, even in malls (MBK, Platinum...)

What about the duty-free store? What a rip-off. Seems everything is more expensive there.

[jdinasia]

Again ... overall the folks shopping at the places like Paragon and Emporium are (imho) status seekers! So what? Nothing wrong with that!

As far as the best silks going for export ... try Ban Sai ... I sent some great stuff home from there recently!

[dafni]

i m so confused .thailand has many non original clothes with the lebel of big brands i ve read somewhere on internet that some levis that they re original and at a good price .Its true? Also how can i found out? And also if stores with europe brands are no too cheap like diesel prada burberry or they have the same price with europe. So what kind of shopping is the best there. i m going for two monthes i m not interested to shop too much but the things that i ll buy to be of good quality. All this malls that you wrote about are from the originaly brands

I ll be waiting your awnser, thank you

[TRIPxCORE]

So what kind of shopping is the best there. i m going for two monthes i m not interested to shop too much but the things that i ll buy to be of good quality. All this malls that you wrote about are from the originaly brands

I ll be waiting your awnser, thank you

The best kind of shopping in Thailand is for the counterfeited items, especially clothes and computer software. Mass transit throughout BKK is cheap. Most restaurants or eating establishments are cheap. Going to see a movie and buying popcorn and soda is really cheap, compared to my country. If you are coming here for the first time and want some cheap shopping, go to the Mah Boon Krong center where you can buy almost anything and also look into Pantip Plaza for electronics.

[bkkmadness]

I think Fortune Town is offering better prices than Pantip for many electrical and computer goods these days.

[Nordlys]

I just got myself a Toshiba air purifier at Power Buy in Siam Paragon last month. A new model with bigger capacity for a room up to 42M2 has been released so I was thinking of getting another one for my living/dining room. This model is sold in Thailand for 21,000 Baht. As I was searching on internet hoping to find some review of this product, I came upon some Japanese site that sells the exact same model, for as low as 6,500 Baht. Less than 1/3 the price in Thailand! And from what I understand reading the reviews on Japanese site, it seems all Toshiba air purifier sold in Japan are manufactured in Thailand. One I bought at Siam Paragon came with a filter that says in Japanese "Made in Thailand".

Why is it more expensive buying it in the country of the manufacturing origin?? I understand different market forces for different countries, but more than 3 times as much as the price in much more affluent country than LOS??? If anything the distribution cost should be much cheaper in Thailand than in Japan, not to mention cost of shipping from Thailand!

I also bought a 6GB micro drive (as a digital camera media) in Japan last December for 6,000 Baht, which is also made in Thailand by HGST (Hitachi global storage technology) at a plant in Prachinburi. Last time I saw a micro drive sold in Thailand it was at 8,000 Baht for 4GB (at Pantip). Why is it like this in Thailand??? Does anybody have a good explanation to this? Unlikes cars, I don't think there's excise tax on home appliances.

Edited March 9, 2006 by Nordlys

[steveromagnino]

i m so confused .thailand has many non original clothes with the lebel of big brands i ve read somewhere on internet that some levis that they re original and at a good price .Its true? Also how can i found out? And also if stores with europe brands are no too cheap like diesel prada burberry or they have the same price with europe. So what kind of shopping is the best there. i m going for two monthes i m not interested to shop too much but the things that i ll buy to be of good quality. All this malls that you wrote about are from the originaly brands

I ll be waiting your awnser, thank you

Well you will not find prada and burberry in factory outlets that I know of.

Try 'Export Shop' which is located in most malls... you will have to go through stacks and stacks and sometimes the logos are crossed out, removed or stamped irregular, but plenty of legit samples and seconds in that store and well cheap; not much different in price to copies.

AFAIK they are the samples made for quality control/overruns/seconds etc.

Levis I got there were 300b; not bad not bad and not the ugly style of levis like there is in my home country.

[britainmal]

'buadhai' Note to kyb789: I spent 26 years working on Saipan. During that time I never bought a pair of trousers or a dress shirt on-island -- I did all my shopping in either the US or Thailand.

Mr. Buahhai:

Why did you not shop in Saipan? Isn't Saipan part of the USA?

[cclub75]

I also bought a 6GB micro drive (as a digital camera media) in Japan last December for 6,000 Baht, which is also made in Thailand by HGST (Hitachi global storage technology) at a plant in Prachinburi. Last time I saw a micro drive sold in Thailand it was at 8,000 Baht for 4GB (at Pantip). Why is it like this in Thailand??? Does anybody have a good explanation to this? Unlikes cars, I don't think there's excise tax on home appliances.

Easy : it's a volume issue.

Thailand = small market = small volume = higher prices.

As I wrote before, computer stuff are cheaper (from low to medium range) in Europe, even with a VAT of almost 20 %.

We could say : it's completly insane. All this stuff is manufactured in China (mainland or taiwan), costs of transportation are higher, taxes are higher etc... But at the end, the market is larger and competition stronger, compare to Thailand.

Let's talk about LCD TV screens, which are the new hot topic. It is said that this year in Europe, the sales of LCD/Plasma screens will for the first time outperform the sales of classic TV.

In Thailand it's still a "niche" market. Who can afford to pay 150 000 THB for a LCD screen ? Small market. And as noticed, there is no competition here : all the large LCD (Sony, LG etc.) are quoted exactly the same price in different outlets.

[think_too_mut]

Let's talk about LCD TV screens, which are the new hot topic. It is said that this year in Europe, the sales of LCD/Plasma screens will for the first time outperform the sales of classic TV.

Europe, old dame with poor reflexes.

Nothing other than LCD TVs is available in the 8 storey electronics shop in my neigbourhood at Shinjuku.

Tube TVs have disappeared for 2 years now from market in Japan and Korea.

[jdinasia]

zzz didn't this topic die ages ago?

[Sunderland]

ignorance is bliss..lol

If you want to buy something/anything at a good price in Bangkok the last place you want to go is Siam Paragon and Emporium... lol

Yeah?

Where do you go for a good product? Chatuchak market?

Actually there are some good deals at Jatujak Market and sales in Central. But if you need crappy labels on your clothes then I agree you are better going to Tokyo, Paris, London or New York. hel_l! Why not just stay at home and avoid the Bangkok barbarians

[TRIPxCORE]

LCD TV's are very expensive in Thailand, like most electronics. Regularly 100,000 baht and up. I bought a 37 inch LCD TV here in America for only $1,000 USD or 40,000 baht. LCD's have a very exclusive market in Thailand, thats for sure.

[Nordlys]

Right. My friend just bought Sony's S series 40 inch LCD TV here for 119,000 Baht (wide XGA resolution, no HDMI terminal). And I think the V series at the same 40 inch size (wide XGA, 2 HDMI terminals) is sold here for 149,000 Baht. Where I come from, upper grade model with full high definition resolution (1,920 X 1,080 pixels, 2 HDMI terminals) that's not yet available in Thailand can be purchased for less than the price of lower-end S series in Thailand (around 115,000 Baht). 40 inch S series sold at 119,000 Baht in Thailand is sold for around 75,000 Baht where I come from.

[toyicebear]

ignorance is bliss..lol

If you want to buy something/anything at a good price in Bangkok the last place you want to go is Siam Paragon and Emporium... lol

Yeah?

Where do you go for a good product? Chatuchak market?

LOL....sorry.been away for some time...but just the idea...Chatuchaqk..cracks me up..