Duty Free Prices at Suvarnabhumi

[Terry]

Just a couple of examples of the 'duty free' cons

'My Passport' 1Tb USB external hard drive at the airport THB 6,200 - needless to say - told them where to poke it
In Hua Hin THB 4,300 for same model

Champagne

Now - I know that a sparkling Chardonnay is almost just as good - but for that special occasion the odd bottle or 5 of the gassy falling down water is good for the soul.
And yes I know that the duty placed on imported wines in Thailand is horrendous - but

Veuve Clicquot non vintage - which I am quite partial to

Around THB 4,300 in Villa
Around THB 2,700 at Swampypoom
Around THB 1,900 (equivalent) in the local ma & pa shop 5 minutes from my apartment in Hanoi...........
Guess where I buy it

Anyone else notice some of the stupid duty free prices at Swampy ??

[Dannie Boy]

Just a couple of examples of the 'duty free' cons

'My Passport' 1Tb USB external hard drive at the airport THB 6,200 - needless to say - told them where to poke it
In Hua Hin THB 4,300 for same model

Champagne

Now - I know that a sparkling Chardonnay is almost just as good - but for that special occasion the odd bottle or 5 of the gassy falling down water is good for the soul.
And yes I know that the duty placed on imported wines in Thailand is horrendous - but

Veuve Clicquot non vintage - which I am quite partial to

Around THB 4,300 in Villa
Around THB 2,700 at Swampypoom
Around THB 1,900 (equivalent) in the local ma & pa shop 5 minutes from my apartment in Hanoi...........
Guess where I buy it

Anyone else notice some of the stupid duty free prices at Swampy ??

What I have noticed is that nearly ALL duty free outlets are charging more these days - I used to live/work in the UAE and whereas 10+ years ago they were noticeably cheaper than most other duty free outlets, they are now much the same as here or the UK.

[Korkenzieher]

Not quite the same, but related - I once got asked by some ladies doing a survey on a cross channel ferry whether I had used duty free, and why (or not). I told them quite simply, their pricing was probably 30% above the high-street prices in Germany and I would have to be an idiot to buy from them just because the claimed to be no more expensive than London! Quite sure my survey questionaire never made the cut!

[Big Boy]

We used to look at the shops, but realised that they were over-priced when compared with prices elsewhere in Thailand. We don't even bother looking any more.

[PeteC]

Agree, I think it's all an illusion companies like King Power perpetuate. There are no bargains in there except in the past for cigarettes and booze, and now I'm not sure that is even true. The shops are good for one thing, last minute gifts/souvenirs you forgot to buy for friends at home. Pete

[traveller2]

We used to look at the shops, but realised that they were over-priced when compared with prices elsewhere in Thailand. We don't even bother looking any more.

I actually think the prices at swampy are more expensive than in the UK, so dont bother buying there.

[Bamboo Grove]

In October 2010 I bought a bottle of Connemara at the airport of Manchester for about 30 Euros. Checked the price later back at home. It was about 45 Euros here in Finland so I was quite happy about that. But it all depends where you are and what you want to purchase.

[margaretcarnes]

50 gm packets of Golden Virginia are cheaper at the Chinese store on Petkasem than at Swampy dury free. Not a lot - but still cheaper.
I find the best buys are usually the twin pack whiskeys or Baileys you get at Schipol sometimes. 2 x 1 litre bottles of Grouse in December for about 26 euro. That was half the price of Asdas' best deal that month.

[Korkenzieher]

Schipol has always seemed to me to offer better prices than most when I have gone through there. I used to buy a lot in the Whisky shop at T1 in Heathrow - the range and selection was incredible. They were always maybe a couple of quid more than I might locate it elsewhere but it did save me a lot of searching, and I bought things I might never have known about otherwise; so I considered it worth it. But I could never understand the people buying Gordons, or Grouse say at LHR and thinking they were getting a good deal when the high-street in Germany and Holland was always cheaper. Wait 2 hours and save 30%. Seemed obvious to me.

[Takiap]

I think it all depends on where you're flying to. If flying back to the UK or perhaps one of the Skandi countries, you could maybe save a bit of money if you haven't already bought everything you need/want. In general though, I can get everything cheaper on the street in Thailand than I can in duty free shops.

[Pleng]

And duty free shops don't sell Sangsom anyway!

[margaretcarnes]

And duty free shops don't sell Sangsom anyway!

True - but it can break in transit! I once arrived back home with a case full of Sangsom perfumed clothes...

[Pleng]

Well it's better than a case full of Meh Khong scented clothes I guess

I took bottles home plenty of times without any breakages in the past. Did you wrap them up nice and snugly inside some shirts?

[Lung Per]

A friend of mine bought a bottle of fine Scotch in Bangkok Airport. He flew Finnair to Helsinki and onwards to Copenhagen. Going through security in Helsinki his bottle was confiscated for the reason that it was nor purchased and sealed from the duty free in Helsinki Airport, neither purchased onboard a Finnish aircraft. That's security? I call it national protectionism.

[TingTongJohn]

King Power is not a very good deal at all. I found the prices high compared to say Hong Kong or even Vancouver. I have also heard of issues with credit cards being hacked when used at the King Power shops in Suvarnabhumi and this has happened to me when going through on my last trip to Canada. Where we used our card in BKK to get some thing of Thai origins and by the time we got to Canada the card was frozen as someone was trying to use in in Bangkok and Phuket and Pattaya after we had exited the country. Does not mean it always happeneds just a note is all. Prices high service low and not very duty free IMHO..

TTJ