When duty free isn't.

[starky]

OK so I know the swampy rort, never buy anything duty free there as a certain company which has a monopoly charges like a wounded bull. I work offshore and left my watch at home and I fly directly to work so they had me stuffed. I bit the bullet and bought a mid range Gshock for 12000 baht "duty free". I knew the same watch in Oz would be a fair bit cheaper but there ya go. Looked on Lazada today same watch free delivery 8000 f#@!){ing baht. How can a lazada watch sold in Thailand be 4000 baht cheaper than "duty free".. Criminals.

[geriatrickid]

Not criminals. You were not forced  into the purchase. You purchased knowing the   likelihood of the price difference.

The reason the  costs of consumer items are higher at the airport are;

- The staffing costs are higher than regular shops. (Hours  open & wages)

- The rent is exceptionally high. The airport uses the rent to offset some of the costs of operating a large, modern airport 24/7. 

- There is a cost associated with the convenience and the fact that there is a monopoly.

 

 

[ezzra]

Any half witted traveler knows that " duty free " it's not what it used to be,

maybe it's duty free but the products are loaded with out goings and high

rental and royalties fees,

you should have bought a cheap couple of thousand baht watch

for the mean time to last you until you get your other watch at home...

[rak sa_ngop]

Booze seems to be the only thing (also maybe cigarettes) a bit cheaper DF than in the shops...a litre bottle for the price of a 3/4 litre in the shops. But perfumes etc are a more expensive. So the mark up must be HUGE as the Perfume Shop chain in the UK can sell many at half price and still pay UK high street rents and make a profit.

[gjoo888]

Duty free doesn't mean free from high mark-ups. Except for booze and smokes, I find that duty-free shops in most airports are a complete rip-off. There's a lot of truth to the old captive audience theory. 

[krabi local]

In the duty free at my local airport a bottle of Sangsom is 600 baht. In the local 7/11 it is less than 300 baht.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[gandalf12]

Items may well be duty free but they are not profit free. What is not charged for duty is made up in profit

[mamypoko]

Arrived last night - Jagermeister: Duty free: 999 baht/1000 ml    Tops: 1,245 baht/700 ml     California before tax 989 baht/1000 ml

[Capt Rob]

1 hour ago, gjoo888 said:

Duty free doesn't mean free from high mark-ups. Except for booze and smokes, I find that duty-free shops in most airports are a complete rip-off. There's a lot of truth to the old captive audience theory. 

I think you will find this to be a world wide practice over a considerable time Perfumes and liquor can be a little cheaper and also some items onboard a/c are worth considering but only if you need them!

[Suradit69]

7 hours ago, ezzra said:

maybe it's duty free but the products are loaded with out goings and high

rental and royalties fees,

Yes, exactly. Duty free simply means that import tax, duty,  isn't a part of the price. It doesn't mean the total price is a bargain compared to other places. 

[craigt3365]

I brought back 3 bottles from my trip to Egypt at the duty free shops. Way cheaper than the price in Swampy. It's a monopoly here. Corruption at it's worst.

[observer90210]

Even perfumes are not worth the duty free any more for those living in Europe....booze is not worth either and the identical JD - Gentleman Jack  whiskey costs less in the local hypermarkets .. only tobacco seems a good deal with duty free...

[pby92]

Need money for Leceister Football team

[Deez]

9 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Not criminals. You were not forced  into the purchase. You purchased knowing the   likelihood of the price difference.

The reason the  costs of consumer items are higher at the airport are;

- The staffing costs are higher than regular shops. (Hours  open & wages)

- The rent is exceptionally high. The airport uses the rent to offset some of the costs of operating a large, modern airport 24/7. 

- There is a cost associated with the convenience and the fact that there is a monopoly.

 

 

<deleted>. Most airports have duty free that are actually "duty free"   You can put lipstick on a mafioso but it is still a mafioso 

[Acharn]

Well, Lazada has great prices because it's a consortium of sellers, not a single seller. You have dozens of small entrepreneurs competing with each other. Kind of like the Sunday market at Chatuchak. I don't know where the software came from, but I love it. The search function in English is as good as Amazon's. My problem is it usually returns too many items that are nothing like what I wanted, but all of them do that. Secondly, I haven't flown since 1982, but even then everybody knew the "duty free" was a scam except, sometimes, for booze and cigarettes.

[garbolino]

I PAID ABOUT 4000 BAHT FOR G SHOCK WATCH FROM A SHOP IN HONG KONG !!!

[DipStick]

9 minutes ago, garbolino said:

I PAID ABOUT 4000 BAHT FOR G SHOCK WATCH FROM A SHOP IN HONG KONG !!!

And knowing Hong Kong as I do, you were probably ripped off.

[bbpbbp]

There is NOTHING that is cheaper at these shops... Anybody flying regularly should know it !

 

 

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

10 hours ago, rak sa_ngop said:

Booze seems to be the only thing (also maybe cigarettes) a bit cheaper DF than in the shops...a litre bottle for the price of a 3/4 litre in the shops. But perfumes etc are a more expensive. So the mark up must be HUGE as the Perfume Shop chain in the UK can sell many at half price and still pay UK high street rents and make a profit.

Cigs are half the price in 7/eleven...

[observer90210]

Just now, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Cigs are half the price in 7/eleven...

half price in compared to Europe or to the Duty Free???

[observer90210]

3 hours ago, DipStick said:

And knowing Hong Kong as I do, you were probably ripped off.

when you fly over to HK from BKK which airline would you recommend that is not to expensive?  As I am always looking for nearby places every 60 days to quit Thailand ...And which reliable shops are worthy to buy those lovely useless electronic gadgets et other similar stuff?  Any hassles with Thai customs when you get back? And which good chinese restaurants (that don't serve dogs or snakes in the dishes) in HK? And last question if I may, which hotel would be nice not to far from the centre and the good (and naughty) entertainment venues? Thanks for your feedback.

[titanio82]

Apple iPad, list price 499€, Dixons €479, Duty Free Amsterdam € 484.... booze, sigs and perfume, the latter when on special offer, are cheaper than highstreet prices.

[starky]

6 hours ago, bbpbbp said:

There is NOTHING that is cheaper at these shops... Anybody flying regularly should know it !

 

 

Oh I was well aware and knew overseas would certainly cheaper just a little surprised I could have got in Thailand for 4000 baht cheaper. 

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

5 hours ago, observer90210 said:

half price in compared to Europe or to the Duty Free???

Duty Free at the airport. Cigs have gone up here, but still cheaper at 7/eleven than DF.

About a third of what they cost in the UK.

Cheaper if you buy the right brand that you can't get at DF.

If you have some better info let me know?

DF in Dubai is better, or was better, but I need an update on that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[samsensam]

 

haha, i thought everyone knew that 'duty free' shops at airports are a scam. maybe not.

[smccolley]

7 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Cigs are half the price in 7/eleven...

The one thing worth getting in Swampy is the Dunhill smokes. They are 730 a carton, compared to 1250 a carton for marlboros in 7/11. Better smokes and better price.

 

[Namrevlis]

I've traveled extensively around the world and used to shop at the duty free shops, primarily to get my permitted allotment of alcoholic drinks. Over the years I've seen the prices steadily rise to the point of now being double the prices in American liquor stores. Of course, in some countries taxes are so high  that airport prices may seem attractive. I still come out of those stores with the clear feeling that, although the prices may be "duty free" they are very far from "profit free." In addition, a brief conversation with the store manager often shows how rude and arrogant they can be. My feeling now is that nobody should ever buy anything at all from any duty free shop. 

[sandyf]

16 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

I brought back 3 bottles from my trip to Egypt at the duty free shops. Way cheaper than the price in Swampy. It's a monopoly here. Corruption at it's worst.

That may depend on what you buy. I do not smoke so not really into tobacco prices. A friend of mine who comes here regularly smokes Golden Virginia and he says that BKK is the best price he has ever come across. I usually take some back to the UK for him but have seen that jump from 1400 to 1700 for a twin pack in the last 18 months.

[rickudon]

Haven't used duty free at an airport since the 20th century! The only times they were cheaper was when they have buy one, get one half price or similar offers - useless for a single traveller when you can only import one bottle!

 

Bare in mind if not on a direct flight duty free often not allowed through security for the next leg of the flight .....

 

Anyway, my baggage is a struggle to carry anyway, what with onward travel, so loading yourself down with duty free just makes it harder. Occasionally if i have a bit of space in my checked luggage i will buy a bottle of something before leaving home which is hard to get in Thailand or attracts premium prices - but that is maybe once every 3 years.

[geriatrickid]

16 hours ago, Deez said:

<deleted>. Most airports have duty free that are actually "duty free"   You can put lipstick on a mafioso but it is still a mafioso 

Which airports? As has been pointed out in the thread, the  prices at DF around the modern airport  world are annoyingly similar. In the past 5 years, I haven't seen much of difference in DF  costs  between 15+ major airports and BKK. I found the prices in some EU airports higher.