King Power and Coconuts :-)

[The Big Mango]

So as most of the expats here will know its opened up for buisiness in the last day or two ( chalong , not Kathu ) .

Coconuts are availiable at the bargain price of 135thb , which of course will go down well after your 320thb tom yam in what could be best described as a small central/tesco type food hall section.

Anyone else noticed any other duty free bargains availiable there ? :-)

[bearpolar]

its open? I've only seen one car get in, a mercedes that lives close by the next light after PTT going north with "premium" plates and the worst driving skills in the country

[LivinginKata]

It's a duty free shop. Why on earth would any of us local expats ever want to go there ????

[Somtamnication]

LOL. Unreal.

[mikebell]

Keep looking over your shoulder for store 'detectives'.

[The Big Mango]

It's a duty free shop. Why on earth would any of us local expats ever want to go there ????

Lol , duty free it is not i can assure you , I went because of curiosity.

Your not missing anything , so yeah your right , why bother.

[TheCruncher]

It's a duty free shop. Why on earth would any of us local expats ever want to go there ????

I don't think the OP is aimed at local expats directly, but more to point out another tourist trap, which may concern friends of those local expats

[Valentine]

Surely it is nothing more than a monolith to fleece the captive Chinese hordes. Same as the one next to 2 Heroines in the final stages of construction. I am sure Bukis will be much the same although at least there the small traders might have a chance if they can afford the space.

[huuwi]

Surely it is nothing more than a monolith to fleece the captive Chinese hordes. Same as the one next to 2 Heroines in the final stages of construction. I am sure Bukis will be much the same although at least there the small traders might have a chance if they can afford the space.

at 135 baht for a coconut they sure can afford the space.

[Kaalle]

I saw a bunch of koreans walking merrily along the highway on their way there yesterday.

Edited December 6, 2015 by Kaalle

[The Big Mango]

Had a good look around last week with mrs bm.

They have two colour stickers on the items for sale , that range from a bag of candy , cigerettes ( interestingly Benson and Hedges were on sale ) to high end watches etc ( the most expensive one I noticed was close to a million baht ).

White and blue ,

All items with the white stickers are for export only and once brought only delivered to bkk airports.

The blue ones can be brought and taken from the store ( tax paid ).

Quite amused that even a bag of candy skittles are only availiable for export .

The pricing from what I noticed with a few exceptions are what most of us would guess anyways , definately not duty free as there more expensive than you can buy from stores selling the equvilant duty paid.

No surprise there then

[pistachios]

I don't get the business model. First, why would anyone buy stuff there where you can go to another shopping mall and get it cheaper? Second, I thought the new tourists in Phuket where the chinese and that they were so stingy that they didn't spend anything on the island except giant packs of instant noodles or seaweed. Who are they targeting exactly?

[The Big Mango]

When I was there it was swarming with the chinese , I saw only a handfull of white faces , but looking at the counters seemed as if they were buying ,

Its full of only high end stores , rolex , mont blanc , Bvgaria , etc etc and some of the prices , well run into the hundreds of thousands per item , clothing again all high end , make up too .

Someone must be spending and spending big.

[GiantFan]

Import duty / VAT makes luxury items around 20% higher in China.

[Shot]

Raise your hand if you would buy an Omega or Rolex at any shop in Thailand?

There is a reason why Apple doesn't have any authorized dealers in Thailand.

[bearpolar]

you gotta remember that theres a lot of nouveau riche thai from consutrction companies in phuket.

Those nouveaux riche only buy stuff if its overpriced: house, cars, clothes and accessories.

Central is too low for them, now they finaly have a place to fake a smile for 30secs per day while taking selfies and overpay in peace

[federicoP]

I have been yesterday to take a look to King's Power, only chinese tourist groups inside :-)

But beside Bulgari and Christian Dior, I saw that they are selling also more common items like Levi's and Lacoste.

Does anybody know about their prices compared to Central and other shops ?

[bearpolar]

I have been yesterday to take a look to King's Power, only chinese tourist groups inside :-)

But beside Bulgari and Christian Dior, I saw that they are selling also more common items like Levi's and Lacoste.

Does anybody know about their prices compared to Central and other shops ?

Anything thats 5% cheaper you will need to get back when you leave the country, so nothing

[DrDave]

I don't get the business model. First, why would anyone buy stuff there where you can go to another shopping mall and get it cheaper? Second, I thought the new tourists in Phuket where the chinese and that they were so stingy that they didn't spend anything on the island except giant packs of instant noodles or seaweed. Who are they targeting exactly?

Two reasons they shop there, I think.

One - there's a perception of "cheap price" whenever the venue is labeled as "duty free" or outlet. Many times, the customers have no idea what the local market price is for the same goods, and thus are unknowingly fleeced.

Two - many of the Chinese tour packages are actually "shopping trips". There's a great deal of pressure put on the group participants to buy something at these venues, and being captive, they typically aren't given the opportunity to buy elsewhere.