Thailand - Beware when going thru BKK and going to Duty Free

,,,Now new allegations have been made that a number of passengers are being detained every month in the duty free area on suspicion of shoplifting, and then held by the police until they pay large sums of money to buy their freedom......


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8154497.stm

Scary story, glad I'm not a big fan of airport shopping! Thanks for sharing this warning!

It appears the BBC really dropped the ball on this one.

You can go to the King Power web site at http://www.kingpower.com/2009/index.php# and view the security tape (it's # 2). The attached letter from King Power also provides additional information not included in the BBC article.

It is quite clear from the tape that the female stole the wallet.

All that said, once caught committing a crime in Thailand, paying off the officials to get out of it easily is the status quo.

If this was really a scam we would be more likely to hear about it here on FT before any place else. My guess is the only scam going on is the the fact that most of the crap they sell in duty free can be bought for a heck of a lot less money in the night market.

Wow.... I assume the BBC lead reporter on this case is going to get a slap on his/her wrist... :eek:

If this was really a scam we would be more likely to hear about it here on FT before any place else. My guess is the only scam going on is the the fact that most of the crap they sell in duty free can be bought for a heck of a lot less money in the night market.

Perhaps... but the question is: will the stuff you find at the night market be the real thing...?????

It appears the BBC really dropped the ball on this one.

You can go to the King Power web site at http://www.kingpower.com/2009/index.php# and view the security tape (it's # 2). The attached letter from King Power also provides additional information not included in the BBC article.

It is quite clear from the tape that the female stole the wallet.

All that said, once caught committing a crime in Thailand, paying off the officials to get out of it easily is the status quo.

Can you read the time stamp on the video ? The video does not show the staff checking the wallet display. Did other customers browse the display before it was checked ? Did a staff member remove a wallet to use as "evidence" ? Why was the male not stopped before he went to the restroom ? Why were they not released when, after the search, the wallet was not found in their possession ?

We have one small snip of a highly compressed video without the greater context. I guess you can believe KP, that used bribes to get the duty-free concession AND grabbed almost double their alloted floor space. Yes, the veracity of KP can not be doubted. :p

The Danish Embassy now gives a warning, normally they are easy going:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Danish-Embassy-Warns-King-Power-Du-t281997.html

Can you read the time stamp on the video ? The video does not show the staff checking the wallet display. Did other customers browse the display before it was checked ? Did a staff member remove a wallet to use as "evidence" ? Why was the male not stopped before he went to the restroom ? Why were they not released when, after the search, the wallet was not found in their possession ?

We have one small snip of a highly compressed video without the greater context. I guess you can believe KP, that used bribes to get the duty-free concession AND grabbed almost double their alloted floor space. Yes, the veracity of KP can not be doubted. :p

See it by yourself. It's very clear that the black artifact that she put in her purse was not her belongings. http://www.kingpower.com/2009/popup/pop_case2.html

See it by yourself. It's very clear that the black artifact that she put in her purse was not her belongings. http://www.kingpower.com/2009/popup/pop_case2.html

Huh, and that is why she had to pay 16000£ instead of going to jail? Corruption. In almost any other country she had gone to a judge that would give here a small fine, and don't do it again,

Just my experience , but I have been flying out of Suvarnabhumi since its opening on average 30 times a year, and every single time I buy duty free ( mostly booze or cosmetics) at the KP Duty Free.
I have never had any issue swith the KP staff, and in most cases they have been courteous and never tried to scam me.

I think Guy Betsy’s warning is appropriate. This scam/shake-down/kidnapping activity seems have started ~ 6 months ago, and according to insiders about 15-30 people are being processed each month. Most don’t complain as they are embarrassed and just want to get out of the country. Embassies are just getting up to speed on warning visitors. My best guess is that there is a new Police Colonel (Ratchathewa, I think) and he is driving the department to ramp up revenue, in part so he can repay the fee he paid to secure this lucrative position. The economy is hitting Thailand hard and someone has to pay for all those guns, Boxer 175's, mia noy(s), uniforms, houses and Mercedes’. The Royal Thai Police are more like the mafia than a law enforcement unit.

The take-aways are:

This scam is specifically targeting travelers who have already cleared immigration, for obvious reasons.

If shopping, remember that each shop is separate, even though it doesn’t look that way. Never, ever walk from one shop to another while carrying merchandise that has not been paid for.

If you purchase something double and triple check the receipt vs, the contents of your bag. Some reports state that employees slip in an extra item and then the shopper gets tagged outside the shop.

Do not accept any free items from the shops, no matter how small or insignificant. This includes samplers that might otherwise be accepted.

Close all handbags so nothing can be slipped in by an employee.

If you are abducted by the Police, determine the amount of the “fine”. Offer 25% on the spot (before a shift change), settle on 35% ~ 50%.

The starting fine level is ~300,000 THB for the shoplifting abduction scheme. Some have handed over electronics (notebooks, cameras, ipods, etc.) and other valuables but some police have complained that they have too much stuff already and really need the cash. Once you pay you are given documentation from the local court saying you are innocent as there was no evidence supporting the charge. Another guess is that there really is no complainant, i.e. no witness to the crime. In theory the KP employee would be the complainant but the Thai judicial system cannot handle determining innocence, only guilt. Here everyone confesses, and there are few criminal trials with witnesses. Assuming I were abducted, and hadn't shoplifted, I would ride it out until I could get in front of a judge. I also have a reliable lawyer available, but most of the lawyers foisted on foreginers in distress here actually end up taking more money than the police. I think I could get off with ~ 500 baht court fee at the worst.

Some of the police kidnappings of foreginers here have been suprisingly lucrative. They use intermediaries, usually washouts, but hold wealthy foreigners until they have transferred all their funds. The last case I read about resulted in 500,000 USD being extorted before release.

I’ll be looking for the new signs which say “Shoplifters will not be prosecuted”.

Easy to avoid, just by-pass these high priced distractions and you will have avoided being scammed twice.

A word of advice for anyone doing anything illegal in Thailand, from shoplifting to owning a girlie bar (yes it is illegal eas there is no prostitution in Thailand) or even working here without a work permit, if you do anything illegal in Thailand you are stupid as you are just giving an open invitation to anyone with any legal power to extort money from you. God even if you want to sell food the department dealing with this wants money under the table for a certificate so you can do so!!

Phone line, sorry none left, whats that? 3,000 baht ok tomorrow good for you?

Speeding? no problem 200 baht if you are a local or can speak a reasonable amount of Thai and have aThai driving licence. Tourist rates 1,000 baht.

It is a fact of life here so although they I do not usually like American sayings they do have a great one.... get with the programme.

If some people have shoplifted here and got caught then they will get a big shock, no shoplifters today, ok make some, just give me the money that is all I am interested in.

Good that people know as they need to be aware of bad things that happen either in Thailand or anywhere.

This has nothing to do with the King Power duty free. The duty free shop did not plant the evidence on the couple to extort money or anything like that. They protected their merchandise with clear evidence to back the case.

The couple got in trouble because the woman shoplifted. It's as simple as that. They can get in trouble anywhere in the world, not just at King Power or in Thailand.

Then, the couple was scammed by the so called Sri Lankan interpreter named Tony. The couple, instead of getting a good advice from the UK embassy, decided to believe the guy that they can pay their way out of their trouble. The Sri Lankan sucked them dry, of course. Shoplifting is a misdemeanor under Thai law and hefty jail term is unlikely. First time offender usually get fined and probation.

They broke the law, they got arrested, they were foolish enough to accept advice from a person whom they did not know or have any qualification to advice on law, and they chose to pay bribe instead of going through the justice process. I bet that the Sri Lankan simply paid fine to the police and pocketed the remaining money.

The way the article was written is not fair to King Power. I would like to repeat that the warning is absurd. It's not like the police is picking up random innocent people and extort money on false allegation. The warning should simply said "Do not break the law."

The biggest 'scam' going at BKK is that all the stores are owned by King Power, and this monopoly means the prices are fixed outrageously high across the airport!

I purposely avoid Duty Free at BKK because of the high fixed prices!

The biggest 'scam' going at BKK is that all the stores are owned by King Power, and this monopoly means the prices are fixed outrageously high across the airport!

I purposely avoid Duty Free at BKK because of the high fixed prices!

Not completely true.
Wine , for example is much cheaper at KP duty free than in any downtown location.
For example a bottle of Penfolds Chardonnay is around 600 THB at KP. The same bottle in any shop in Bangkok will set you back at least 1000 THB.
I agree that for electronics and other stuff , KP duty free is a waste of time ( and money).

Not completely true.
Wine , for example is much cheaper at KP duty free than in any downtown location.
For example a bottle of Penfolds Chardonnay is around 600 THB at KP. The same bottle in any shop in Bangkok will set you back at least 1000 THB.
I agree that for electronics and other stuff , KP duty free is a waste of time ( and money).

Ok, good point about the wine but I am pretty sure they will not let you purchase it upon arrival so it is a moot point for me since the same bottle would be the same or less cost here in the US.

Ok, good point about the wine but I am pretty sure they will not let you purchase it upon arrival so it is a moot point for me since the same bottle would be the same or less cost here in the US.

Actually you can buy wine upon arrival at BKK.There are some KP duty free outlets nearby the baggage carrousels.
I usually buy my wine when leaving BKK, and put it in my checked in luggage on the way back.

Ok, good point about the wine but I am pretty sure they will not let you purchase it upon arrival so it is a moot point for me since the same bottle would be the same or less cost here in the US.

You are not forced directly to immigration when getting off the plane and so can purchase anything. I often will buy 2x 1L Johnny Red (1000 Baht) before heading into town.

Cigarettes are also competitively priced at KP when compared to other nearby intl airports in asia.

I would urge caution with regards to potentially exceeding the duty-free limits arriving BKK. Excise officers are in the Arrivals hall specifically looking for people bringing in more than their limit in cigarettes and liquor. Usually it is someone arriving via the middle-east with an extra carton. The fines are quite astronomical. The current MO seems to be to spot a culprit with an easily identified middle-east airport duty-free bag, and/or follow potential culprits outside and search those immediately lighting up cigarettes.

There have been a few reports that BKK duty-free on arrival shop employees may be deliberately encouraging people to exceed the duty-free limits by misleading them, then tipping off Excise officers, who confiscate the items and also collect the fines.

Not sure what happens to any confiscated items?

I would urge caution with regards to potentially exceeding the duty-free limits arriving BKK. Excise officers are in the Arrivals hall specifically looking for people bringing in more than their limit in cigarettes and liquor. Usually it is someone arriving via the middle-east with an extra carton. The fines are quite astronomical. The current MO seems to be to spot a culprit with an easily identified middle-east airport duty-free bag, and/or follow potential culprits outside and search those immediately lighting up cigarettes.

There have been a few reports that BKK duty-free on arrival shop employees may be deliberately encouraging people to exceed the duty-free limits by misleading them, then tipping off Excise officers, who confiscate the items and also collect the fines.

Not sure what happens to any confiscated items?


Very true about the excise officers roaming the arrival hall. They target the middle eastern flights and are mostly after cigarettes exceeding the duty free allowance.I have also noticed that , as of lately , the customs officers are scanning passenger suitcases upon arrival much more often than they used to.
I have flown into BKK over 25 times a year since its opening. I never had my luggage scanned upon arrival until very recently. Now it has happened to me on my last 3 arrivals.Beware... Looks like they are hungry for extra revenue...

As for the KP duty free on arrival staff encouraging passengers to buy more than the duty free allowance, my experience is just the opposite. On 2 separate occasions I tried to buy 2 red wine bottles from them upon arrival, and they refused to sell the 2nd bottle to me, arguing the limit is 1 bottle.

Cigarettes are also competitively priced at KP when compared to other nearby intl airports in asia.

Ever tried to buy Marlboros at KP ? They don't sell them!
Presumably some other scam going on there with the currenty listed brands!?

Very true about the excise officers roaming the arrival hall. They target the middle eastern flights and are mostly after cigarettes exceeding the duty free allowance.I have also noticed that , as of lately , the customs officers are scanning passenger suitcases upon arrival much more often than they used to.
I have flown into BKK over 25 times a year since its opening. I never had my luggage scanned upon arrival until very recently. Now it has happened to me on my last 3 arrivals.Beware... Looks like they are hungry for extra revenue...

As for the KP duty free on arrival staff encouraging passengers to buy more than the duty free allowance, my experience is just the opposite. On 2 separate occasions I tried to buy 2 red wine bottles from them upon arrival, and they refused to sell the 2nd bottle to me, arguing the limit is 1 bottle.
The customs officers are scanning passenger suitcases upon arrival much more often than they used to becauase the government increased cigarettes and liquor taxes in a past few month.

I too have had the experience of KP sales boys refusing to sell me more than one bottle on arrival because the liquor limit is 1L. If I manage to find Mr. Megatop after he wandered off, they'll sell us two then because we'll have the limit applicable to two pax.

Not completely true.
Wine , for example is much cheaper at KP duty free than in any downtown location.
For example a bottle of Penfolds Chardonnay is around 600 THB at KP. The same bottle in any shop in Bangkok will set you back at least 1000 THB.
I agree that for electronics and other stuff , KP duty free is a waste of time ( and money).

No doubt there are exceptions, my comparison was more related to other airports in Asia. I find it's usually the 'common' items like cigarettes, cigars, parfume etc that were more expensive than KUL / SIN or on par with Western / Euro airports.

Bangkok itself has a 'bargain' reputation, it just doesn't seem to carry over to the duty free at the airport. Compare the prices of spirits / tobacco in the duty free catalogue on Thai Air, I think you will get a better deal buying onboard.

You are not forced directly to immigration when getting off the plane and so can purchase anything. I often will buy 2x 1L Johnny Red (1000 Baht) before heading into town.

I knew I could make it up to the duty free but was once told only if I was departing so I never tried again. I will have to make sure to try again as the prices are much better than the in town prices for sure.

No doubt there are exceptions, my comparison was more related to other airports in Asia. I find it's usually the 'common' items like cigarettes, cigars, parfume etc that were more expensive than KUL / SIN or on par with Western / Euro airports.

Bangkok itself has a 'bargain' reputation, it just doesn't seem to carry over to the duty free at the airport. Compare the prices of spirits / tobacco in the duty free catalogue on Thai Air, I think you will get a better deal buying onboard.

There is virtually no difference in cig prices between SIN and BKK, varies slightly on the currency exchangeon the day but they are almost the same.

Ever tried to buy Marlboros at KP ? They don't sell them!
Presumably some other scam going on there with the currenty listed brands!?

This a result of a dispute between Phillip Morris (Thailand) and King Power.

http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2009/03/philip-morris.html


You can purchase duty-free items on arrival. There are several free-standing shops in the concourse on level 2 between your arrival gate and Immigration. There are also some free-standing shops (just liquor/tobacco, I think) in the baggage claim area (after Immigration, before Customs).

Comparing just a small set of single malts, NRT/SIN is usually ~ 3 % less expensive than BKK, on any given day. Both are at least 40 % less than Bangkok city prices, when you factor in both the price and larger size (1L vs. 0.7 L).

I often will buy 2x 1L Johnny Red (1000 Baht) before heading into town.You mean for 1 bottle? Isn´t it 950 in any 7-11 store, let alone supermarkets?

F.R.

Compare the prices of spirits / tobacco in the duty free catalogue on Thai Air, I think you will get a better deal buying onboard.

I think that used to be true but you know.. recently THAI announced somewhere that all their duty free is somehow licenced / outsourced / franchised to King Power...

You mean for 1 bottle? Isn´t it 950 in any 7-11 store, let alone supermarkets?

F.R.

No, it is for 2 liters (hence the '2X'). It's been a special running for some time now. There's also a 'deal' for JW Black, however at 3000 Baht for 2X 1 liter bottles it's significantly more expensive than buying in town.

No, it is for 2 liters (hence the '2X'). It's been a special running for some time now.Good. Isn´t 2 liters above the limit? As I never brought whiskey into Thailand before, please me forgive this question..

F.R.

Hi,
Arrived in BKk today. Bought duty free Penfolds Bin 2 at shop near baggage belt, just after passort control. Bottle was on special at 500 baht. Sales girl asked me if I wanted to buy 2 bottles. I told her that was technically illegal and she just smiled. Anyway, checked to see if details on reciept matched purchase and then walked through customs. The whole baggage area was full of black jacketed spotters plus some under cover guys in civvy clothes. On walking through green channel, customs there were other heavies waiting amongst the AOT taxi girls. Then there was the regular layer of excise cops in uniform waiting to pounce on someone a little further back. Moral of this story is to not accept offers of over the limit purchases from kind sales staff.
Cheers and happy flyin'!

Hi,
Arrived in BKk today. Bought duty free Penfolds Bin 2 at shop near baggage belt, just after passort control. Bottle was on special at 500 baht. Sales girl asked me if I wanted to buy 2 bottles. I told her that was technically illegal and she just smiled. Anyway, checked to see if details on reciept matched purchase and then walked through customs. The whole baggage area was full of black jacketed spotters plus some under cover guys in civvy clothes. On walking through green channel, customs there were other heavies waiting amongst the AOT taxi girls. Then there was the regular layer of excise cops in uniform waiting to pounce on someone a little further back. Moral of this story is to not accept offers of over the limit purchases from kind sales staff.
Cheers and happy flyin'!

There's supposed to be a Ministry of Transport 'crackdown' on airport corruption going on this week. Did you get the impression that the extra bodies were watching each other or screening the passengers?

Good. Isn´t 2 liters above the limit? As I never brought whiskey into Thailand before, please me forgive this question..

F.R.

It is if you're traveling solo.

Hi,
Arrived in BKk today. Bought duty free Penfolds Bin 2 at shop near baggage belt, just after passort control. Bottle was on special at 500 baht. Sales girl asked me if I wanted to buy 2 bottles. I told her that was technically illegal and she just smiled. Anyway, checked to see if details on reciept matched purchase and then walked through customs. The whole baggage area was full of black jacketed spotters plus some under cover guys in civvy clothes. On walking through green channel, customs there were other heavies waiting amongst the AOT taxi girls. Then there was the regular layer of excise cops in uniform waiting to pounce on someone a little further back. Moral of this story is to not accept offers of over the limit purchases from kind sales staff.
Cheers and happy flyin'!

Isn't the ASEAN conference getting ready to start in HKT? Perhaps these extra security folks were around preparing for int'l arrivals?

BBC has now update its article on airport scam with comments. These suggest that caution should also be exercised on arrival:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8154497.stm

BBC has now update its article on airport scam with comments. These suggest that caution should also be exercised on arrival:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8154497.stm

I especially liked this one from your reference;

"Same happened to me in April this year. The police arrested me and charged me approx £400. There were 5 of us in our group, we purchased 1000 cigarettes at Heathrow, but on leaving the plane at Bangkok the police approached me and told me to keep them in one bag. I did as I was told, and that was the set up, so when I got through customs with the other four people they arrested me and would not accept what we told them. They took copies of my passport and made me sign at least six documents, all in Thai. They would not give me copies so at this moment I don't know what I signed. They escorted me to an ATM. I have been in touch with the British consulate who asked me if I want to make a complaint but I don't want to go to another country and find they have done something to my passport. I will never return to Thailand again, it was the scariest time of my life".
Lynn Ward, UK

It makes me wonder how I've managed to pass through Suvarnabhumi dozens of times, even with the (I'm ashamed to say) occasional stops at King Power, and somehow avoid arrest. Whew! What a lucky escape! ;)

It makes me wonder how I've managed to pass through Suvarnabhumi dozens of times, even with the (I'm ashamed to say) occasional stops at King Power, and somehow avoid arrest. Whew! What a lucky escape! ;)

Seriously! Imagine how I shook this morning as I picked up some candy in a KP store at BKK and walked them over to the cash register. At any moment they could have pounced on me! :eek:

.....you can't shoot all the messengers.....there is a real problem in Thailand with corruption, greed and wrongdoing in general.:eek:

Yes, yes, we know. Thailand is the most dangerous place in the world for the always innocent traveler.

Is there corruption and greed in Thailand?
Yes.
Do most visitors to Thailand get locked up or shaken down by the police?
No.
Does it help to be aware of the customs regulations of the country you are visiting, not shoplift, and/or not break the law in general?
A lot.

No one is saying don't be careful when traveling. But it really does help to follow the rules of the land and not don the mantle of tourist/expat invulnerability so as not to get into this situations in the first place.

I just went through this thread and deleted over a dozen posts. This is not a forum for OMNIesque debates or post padding.

Please stick to the topic of alleged extortion at the Bangkok airport duty free shops.

Hi,
Arrived in BKk today. Bought duty free Penfolds Bin 2 at shop near baggage belt, just after passort control. Bottle was on special at 500 baht. Sales girl asked me if I wanted to buy 2 bottles. I told her that was technically illegal and she just smiled. Anyway, checked to see if details on reciept matched purchase and then walked through customs. The whole baggage area was full of black jacketed spotters plus some under cover guys in civvy clothes. On walking through green channel, customs there were other heavies waiting amongst the AOT taxi girls. Then there was the regular layer of excise cops in uniform waiting to pounce on someone a little further back. Moral of this story is to not accept offers of over the limit purchases from kind sales staff.
Cheers and happy flyin'!
I just don't buy anything from the duty free shops. Checking your receipt is an excellent idea. It would protect you against any shop employee slipping something little extra into your bag, either accidentally or by design. Not shoplifting is a an excellent idea too.

That's a very eye opening report. The few times I have been through BKK I've never thought of anything like this.

Thanks for sharing, it certainly does pay to be on your toes at all times when travelling.

Anyone have any recent reports on the customs screeners and civie minders at BKK?

Everything seemed normal this afternoon.

Anyone have any recent reports on the customs screeners and civie minders at BKK?

BKK is quiet and perfectly easy to get through at the moment. No excitement at customs or elsewhere. Very pleasant, especially after LHR !

BKK is quiet and perfectly easy to get through at the moment. No excitement at customs or elsewhere. Very pleasant, especially after LHR !

Same experience for me when arriving last week. It was nice to arrive without There seemed to be a noted lack of interest in foreigners going through customs. There was also a notable lack of touts in arrivals hall.

Similar experience here. I arrived in BKK on the 13th, left last week on the 18th and noticed how subdued it seemed to be.

As for King Power, since forever I have refused to buy anything from them in any of their shops, just on general principles. Don't care if it's the last bottle of liquor or last box of chocolates left on the planet, I don't need or want whatever they're selling, at any price or even if they give it away. That's going to continue.

Thanks for the recent reports. Good to hear things are back to normal.

As for King Power, since forever I have refused to buy anything from them in any of their shops, just on general principles. Don't care if it's the last bottle of liquor or last box of chocolates left on the planet, I don't need or want whatever they're selling, at any price or even if they give it away. That's going to continue.

It seems ironic that I have never purchased anything from "King Power" even before all of these reported "issues". I always thought using the name of the King for commercial purposes was disrespectful to the monarchy. It is the same situation for the King's Group, the largest entertainment/prostitution group in Thailand......I don't understand why the government allows this. It would seem that this would be the greatest level of disrespect in a land where lèse majesté still lives and where there are even rules for handling money because the King's image is imprinted. Does anyone know if the royal house gets a cut of the action and licenses the title to the pimps in the King's Group?


http://www.thailand.com/travel/nightlife/nightlife_bangkok_patpongkings.htm

Here is the latest on the initial story;

Thailand : King Power plans clearer signage
King Power plans clearer signage
Andrew Pentol
21-Aug-2009

The retailer is to introduce new signs on shelves reminding customers to pay for their purchases before leaving


Duty-free stores at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport are to introduce clearer signage to prevent conflicts between shoppers and staff. The move follows complaints from tourists who claim to have been wrongly accused of shoplifting after unknowingly taking goods from the premises.

King Power International Group (Thailand), which operates the duty-free shops at the airport, denies taking legal action against customers leaving the shop without paying for products because they did not know where the cash counters were, but says it will introduce the new signage soon.

King Power International Group (Thailand) group managing director Sombat Dechapanichkul told DFNIonline: “At present the exit line in most shops is marked by floor furnishings such as wood, carpet, marble and ceramic tiles, but in open-space walk-through outlets the light line on the shop’s floor needs to be marked more clearly for consumers.

“By the end of next month clear signage will ensure that customers know exactly where the cashier’s counter is in each shop and in walk-through outlets clear signage will be displayed on shelves politely prompting shoppers to pay for their purchases before leaving.”

Dechapanichkul does not believe the modifications will have an impact on sales, but is confident they will help avoid passenger confusion. “The new signs will act as an additional polite prompt to our customers to pay for their purchases at the nearest cashier at their convenience and will have no direct impact on sales. The improvements are simply part of our drive to ensure shoppers’ comfort and satisfaction.”

The move follows complaints from tourists who claim to have been wrongly accused of shoplifting after unknowingly taking goods from the premises.

Not defending King Power, but how can somebody "unknowingly" take goods away from a store and claim it's not shoplifting? :confused:

Not defending King Power, but how can somebody "unknowingly" take goods away from a store and claim it's not shoplifting? :confused:

... because King Power takes up half the floor space of the airport with many of the shops lacking glass walls to delineate the space.

Of course King Power is breaking Thai laws by selling duty-free to inbound paxs. Duty-free is for export and not import into the country.

Same experience for me when arriving last week. It was nice to arrive without There seemed to be a noted lack of interest in foreigners going through customs. There was also a notable lack of touts in arrivals hall.

Actually, we couldnt beleive how few touts there were in arrivals, we took a double take as we thought we had taken a wrong turn it was so quiet !

It seems ironic that I have never purchased anything from "King Power" even before all of these reported "issues". I always thought using the name of the King for commercial purposes was disrespectful to the monarchy. It is the same situation for the King's Group, the largest entertainment/prostitution group in Thailand......I don't understand why the government allows this. It would seem that this would be the greatest level of disrespect in a land where lèse majesté still lives and where there are even rules for handling money because the King's image is imprinted. Does anyone know if the royal house gets a cut of the action and licenses the title to the pimps in the King's Group?


http://www.thailand.com/travel/nightlife/nightlife_bangkok_patpongkings.htm


I'm sure the royal house does not get as you say " a cut of the action" from any illicit activity.

I'm sure the royal house does not get as you say " a cut of the action" from any illicit activity.

Are you sure? Do you know anything about Chuwit Kamolvisit....aka Davis Kamol?

Are you sure? Do you know anything about Chuwit Kamolvisit....aka Davis Kamol?
It doesn't matter at all to this thread. You set up the straw man. Please don't bring irrelavent topics into the thread.

On topic, I knowingly took chocolates out of a duty free shop 30 mins ago at BKK. I noticed no additional security. Nobody roughed me up. No attempt at extortion. I was, however, offered a basket by an employee after she saw my three bags of chocolates were akward to carry. I took the basket to the cashier, paid, and walked out of the shop while knowingly carrying goods.

after arivng from HKG on monday, 2 of us visited D concourse duty free & purchased 2 bottles of whiskey @ 550 baht each, 1 for each of us, & paid 1,100 baht in cash. received 2 receipts at the till & whilst still alongside the till area placed one bottle into each of our two carry on's.
Upon exiting the shop area the sales girl who served us said "excuse me Sir but you have not paid all the money & owe 600 baht" !
I explained i paid in full, had the receipts & the correct items, she insited we owed 600 baht more. Police were then called, at leat 6 of them, then 2 airport helpers... who declined to do anything.
The sales assistant & police kept us there for an hour saying they were waiting for the store manager & the cctv video tape, none of which materialized.
I explained all to the senior police officer & that nowhere in the world would you receive goods having paid & obtained receipts to be later told you owed more than half the original cost price or any additional amount.
Eventually the assistant said "the manager says you owe us 50 baht" !
I paid the 50 baht to get out of there !
Beware of King Power. :mad:

Incredible! Even after providing all receipts.

I'm definitely going to avoid King Power.

Incredible! Even after providing all receipts.

I'm definitely going to avoid King Power.

And so is my daughter (aged 30).

She is quite paranoid about this kind of thing.

Recently heard from a friend in bangkok that there have been stories where they switch the bottle of alcahol you bought with something more expensive and as soon as you step out accuse of shoplifitng. In his example he said that person bought black label but they put a blue label inside and when he walked out told him that he switched the bottles.

I am sure this is happening otherwise it would not have attracted so much media attention.

Recently heard from a friend in bangkok that there have been stories .....


In that case I completely believe everything.

To All,

This topic has been discussed at length in a Bangkok Post forum titled "Airport Scams":
http://www.bangkokpost.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=3280&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=king+power

There are a lot of different stories concerning King Power shops and "friendly" warnings from officials prior to clearing customs that wind up with innocent people being charged with something and their having to come up with exorbitant fines. Most happen on the way out of Thailand so the victims are less resistant because they just want to return home.

Forewarned is forearmed. Be careful. Most items can be purchased cheaper in Bangkok than at the airport.