If you are a shopaholic, Bangkok is undoubtedly one of the topmost places you can visit in Southeast Asia to get access to tons of items. In the capital city of Thailand, you will come across several shopping malls that offer luxury brands. But there is always a question about whether luxury brands are cheaper in Bangkok or not.
Factually, luxury brands are not necessarily cheaper in Bangkok or other cities in Thailand. In fact, when compared to Hong Kong, Dubai, and a few other popular cities in Asia, you are likely going to pay more for luxury brands in Bangkok. But if you compare Bangkok to some other heavily taxed cities, you may notice that luxury brands are cheaper in Bangkok.
Regardless, this doesn’t affect the popularity of Bangkok as the favorite shopping destination for a lot of individuals. In Bangkok, you can buy different luxury items such luxury watches, luxury clothes, luxury shoes, luxury jewelry, and so on from Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, Givenchy, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Prada, Hermes, Fendi, Cartier, Rolex, and lots more.
Why luxury brands are not cheaper in Bangkok
Contrary to what you might have been told, luxury brands are not cheaper in Bangkok than in most other places around the globe. There are some reasons for this.
- High tax on luxury items
In Thailand, foreign and luxury items are heavily taxed. The luxury brands usually have to pay import duty before bringing their products into Bangkok and other cities in the Land of Smiles. Factually, you may even need to pay VAT on luxury products at the airport when leaving this Southeast Asian nation. As a result of this, you will likely pay more for luxury brands in Bangkok than in some other cities in other countries.
Due to this reason, it does not come as a surprise that lots of well-to-do Thais don’t bother to shop for luxury goods in Bangkok or other cities in the country. Many of them travel to Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Dubai where they can buy high-end products at relatively more affordable costs. This is because Hong Kong, Dubai, etc. have free or low-levy ports; hence, imported goods come in at cheaper prices.
- Exclusivity
If luxury brands are too cheap in Bangkok, lots of individuals will likely buy them. As a consequence, luxury products will no longer be exclusive possessions of a few individuals; hence, they will lose their value. Therefore, to maintain the exclusivity of high-end products, luxury items are sold at exorbitant fees in Bangkok like in other cities around the world. So, you should not think that Bangkok is the place to buy luxury brands at cheap prices.
Having said the above, you should note that luxury brands may still seem cheaper to some individuals. These are individuals coming from areas where people need to pay heavier luxury taxes than in Thailand. Also, many luxury brands have region-specific items that you can only find in Thailand and other nearby countries. Resultantly, such region-exclusive items may seem cheaper to buy in Bangkok than in other locations.
How to get luxury items at cheaper rates in Bangkok
As stated above, luxury brands are not cheaper in Bangkok, but this does not mean that you cannot get luxury items at an affordable rate. You only need to know the right things to do to get the best deals on luxury products. According to thenationalnews.com and other sources, here are some tips for buying luxury items at cheaper prices in Bangkok:
- Shop in the winter
In Bangkok and other cities in Thailand, many international tourists and locals avoid shopping during the winter. For luxury shopping malls, sales may drop significantly; hence, they will start offering discounts to interested buyers. So, the best time to shop for luxury items in Bangkok is the winter as things will be cheaper during the period.
- Buy from shops with “VAT refund for tourists” signs
As explained earlier, you are expected to pay VAT on luxury items when leaving Thailand. However, you can avoid this payment by shopping at stores with “VAT refund for tourists” signs. These signs mean that you don’t have to pay VAT whenever it is time for you to leave the country. You may even be able to claim a 7% refund on sales tax when you are about to travel out of Thailand.
When buying in the shops, you can ask the sales staff to give you a PP10 form. Also, you need to get to the airport on time to get the refund from the VAT refund counter before traveling.
Beware of fake luxury items in Bangkok
As noted by Bangkokcondofinder.com, Thailand is sarcastically regarded as the “Land of copied goods”. This is because the Southeast Asian country is notorious for manufacturing fake products that look almost like real luxury ones. It is often believed that only an expert will be able to easily distinguish the difference between original luxury items and fake luxury items made in Thailand.
Therefore, if you are thinking about buying luxury products in Thailand, you should be aware of counterfeits. According to Ipsos.com, the issue of counterfeits in Thailand has varying effects on brand equity, profitability, and lots more. So, you need to be careful so that you don’t spend lots of money on buying fake luxury products in Bangkok.
Where to buy luxury products in Bangkok
If you are interested in purchasing luxury products in Bangkok, some malls are the best places to visit. As stated by Tourismthailand.in, Tastythailand.com, etc., Bangkok has the following malls for luxury brands:
- Gaysorn
- Central Embassy
- Siam Paragon
- Icon Siam
- Eight Thonglor
You can visit any of these stores to buy different luxury items from the topmost brands around the world.
Conclusion
From our experience, luxury brands are not cheaper in Bangkok or other places in Thailand than in many other places around the globe. This is because heavy taxes are paid on luxury products in Thailand. Therefore, Bangkok is not a suitable shopping destination for anyone that wants to buy cheap luxury brands.
