King Power Duty Free

[Marsha-old]

I see that on the Sukomvit Road there is a big building due to open in September near Big C . King Power Duty Free.
There is no other information, I presume it will be the same as the airport and that you provide your passport and will be able to get duty free prices.
This could make your trip a little bit cheaper if you smoke or by booze for your home.

[bao-bao]

Never been in one of their stores, but there was such an extended brouhaha here over press about the tourists who were said to have been caught stealing at the airport location that it's kind of soured me on the chain. Evidently they've got some pull (read: big money) behind them.

Never been in one of their stores, but there was such an extended brouhaha here over press about the tourists who were said to have been caught stealing at the airport location that it's kind of soured me on the chain. Evidently they've got some pull (read: big money) behind them.


You're right,

And they are not particularly value for money. They also hold a monopoly in Thailand.

Airport Duty Free or in this are King Power is very rarely a "deal". Problem is that so many people get caught up in the excitement of it saying "duty free".
there isn't that great a difference.

[newalaan]

Airport Duty Free or in this are King Power is very rarely a "deal".
And they are not particularly value for money. It depends what you compare that deal/value to. Irrespective of their airport monopoly, their cigarette prices in comparison to UK prices are a real bargain. I do not smoke and never have done, but a friend in the UK pays ┬г67.00 for 200 L&B cigarettes, at the King Power airport outlets the 200 I buy for him is Bt550 (about ┬г11.50), that is a massive 80% saving and the only thing I bother with from 'duty free' as they are so light to carry. Definitely value for money for cigarettes.

[thonglor55]

]It depends what you compare that deal/value to. Irrespective of their airport monopoly, their cigarette prices in comparison to UK prices are a real bargain. I do not smoke and never have done, but a friend in the UK pays ┬г67.00 for 200 L&B cigarettes, at the King Power airport outlets the 200 I buy for him is Bt550 (about ┬г11.50), that is a massive 80% saving and the only thing I bother with from 'duty free' as they are so light to carry. Definitely value for money for cigarettes.Good heavens - talibalaan is a drug mule! The remaining duty free stores are a rip off - a friend I saw off during the week said the iPads he saw at iBeat in Silom Complex were exactly the same price as the models he saw at the airport while waiting for his flight, even though at the airport they should at the very least be "duty" or VAT free.

]It depends what you compare that deal/value to. Irrespective of their airport monopoly, their cigarette prices in comparison to UK prices are a real bargain. I do not smoke and never have done, but a friend in the UK pays ┬г67.00 for 200 L&B cigarettes, at the King Power airport outlets the 200 I buy for him is Bt550 (about ┬г11.50), that is a massive 80% saving and the only thing I bother with from 'duty free' as they are so light to carry. Definitely value for money for cigarettes.Good heavens - talibalaan is a drug mule! The remaining duty free stores are a rip off - a friend I saw off during the week said the iPads he saw at iBeat in Silom Complex were exactly the same price as the models he saw at the airport while waiting for his flight, even though at the airport they should at the very least be "duty" or VAT free.


Absolutely agree Thonglor55,

What some don't get is it depends where you start with the price of the item in the first place, never mind then using the ' duty free' to attract people who don't really know the base price in the first place.

Newalaan,

Sure, you will get that saving on cigarettes. Have you checked the price of a carton in any Thai supermarket within Thailand? not much difference buddy.

[Beachlover]

Never been in one of their stores, but there was such an extended brouhaha here over press about the tourists who were said to have been caught stealing at the airport location that it's kind of soured me on the chain. Evidently they've got some pull (read: big money) behind them.
Yeah that's true and I think people should avoid King Power for those reasons. I don't know if that British couple were actually guilty of theft but I think King Power was guilty either way. If the couple WEREN'T stealing then King Power is basically allowing this disgusting scam to operate in their stores, assisted by their staff. If the couple WERE stealing then the way the couple was treated, with the dodgy Sri Lankan middleman and intimidation to pay bribes, was wrong and King Power are still responsible for that.

I often use my waiting time in airports to shop for toiletries, alcohol and other bits and pieces I need so I do make use of Duty Free shops a lot. But I've resolved not shop in any of the King Power stores in Thailand after reading that.


Airport Duty Free or in this are King Power is very rarely a "deal". Problem is that so many people get caught up in the excitement of it saying "duty free".
there isn't that great a difference.
Depends where you go. But I've always found duty free cheaper, especially in Sydney and Singapore. At the end of the day, they're taking a significant lump out of the price by excluding duty. I always buy a few bottles of something expensive on the way home.

[Patexpat]

But I've resolved not shop in any of the King Power stores in Thailand after reading that.

Agree 100% ... avoid like the plague ... the available evidence re: setups condemns at least the employees and security guards/airport police if not a larger organisation.

[danny99]

]It depends what you compare that deal/value to. Irrespective of their airport monopoly, their cigarette prices in comparison to UK prices are a real bargain.

However they do NOT sell Marlborough, the world's leading brand, as the margin is not sufficient. Another example of how Monopolies are never good, in anything, anywhere! Fancy having a duty free monopoly [guaranteeing no competition on prices] at a major airport, but then it always paid to be a 'paying' friend of Thaksin, as many others also found out in the setting up of that airport!

[Beachlover]

Another example of how Monopolies are never good, in anything, anywhere! Fancy having a duty free monopoly [guaranteeing no competition on prices] at a major airport...
Totally agree... What's even worse than a monopoly on duty free is when entire airports are privatised into monopolies as is the case with Australian airports! They're a rip!