Crazy prices in Bangkok

[nobbylon]

I popped in to the camera shop in the MBK in Bangkok last week, lots of stock but the prices!!!!
M9p brassed edges 157000 baht
M9p mint 175000 baht
that's €4250 and €4750
I didn't even bother asking about lens prices!

Why are prices so high? Is this normal in Thailand?

 

[Leica All Day]

The prices here are out of control. "Faked brass" cameras and "lucky serial numbers" are part of the game lol. Joking aside, the shop that you visited in MBK (FotoFile) is known for having some of the highest prices in the city, that said, those are the prices that some people are willing to pay.

On another note, Leica has become sort of a "fashion accessory" here and it is some sort of social status for people to own Leicas. I try to help some of the locals out with developing their skills in photography, but honestly, most are not interested in developing their skills, it is more about "showing off" what gear they own. To each their own I guess, but photos don't lie, so when people show me their below average photos, I sometimes tell them honestly what I think.

Cheers, Michael

 

[jarski]

maybe good idea to buy a Leica before heading vacation in Thailand, and sell it there 🙂

when living in Chiangmai, I remember camera prices were little higher than same gear in Europe (which is not to cheapest of places either).

 

[robert blu]

Not sure about it but I have the feeling that recently prices of M9 and M-E are going up compared a few months ago...
robert

 

[taemo]

is this the camera store on the ground floor? i bought my ais mount voigtlander 20mm there at a good price

 

[raid]

People are realizing how good the M9 is for its cost, relative to buying an M10 new.

 

[Leica All Day]

is this the camera store on the ground floor? i bought my ais mount voigtlander 20mm there at a good price

Yes, I am assuming it is, because that is the only store in MBK that sells Leica gear. Voigtlander prices are very reasonable all throughout Bangkok, but not a lot of people use / buy them because they don't carry the "status" of Leica..... It's mostly about the status of the elusive "red dot" than anything else out here, which is actually quite sad.

Cheers, Michael

 

[Lss]

maybe good idea to buy a Leica before heading vacation in Thailand, and sell it there 🙂

Exactly. How much can you get for an M8 or M9 in a store in Bangkok?

 

[viboons]

Actually, Fotofile is quite good to regular customers. I purchased a used M9 from them in less than 120k. In my case, they also let you try for many days and if you like it then pay, if not then return. Still wonder the high display prices. M9 may be a good buy compare to M10.

 

[FalseDigital]

I pretty much buy all my gear on Thai Second Hand Camera Facebook groups. The stores here (for the most part) are crazy overpriced. If it's new gear, it's because they have a 300% "luxury tax." If it's used gear, it's because of what Michael mentioned before, it's considered a status symbol.

Also, some people are just hoarders and like keeping all their cameras. So they charge outrageous prices or just simply refuse to sell them in the first place. I found a small nearly out of business camera shop in the old city (over the river) and this guy had 20 Hassleblad cameras sets with lenses and everything all rotting and collecting dust on a shelf. I asked him how much, but he refused to sell any of them. You could tell many of them had never been used, but he felt "cool" having them on display.

Another time I found a Yashica T5 as deadstock in another small shop. The guy busted out at price guide from 20 years ago and said he paid 25,000 THB for it, so he wouldn't sell it for less than that. So...again, it will just rot in his store forever.

 

[Nowhereman]

...The stores here (for the most part) are crazy overpriced. If it's new gear, it's because they have a 300% "luxury tax."...

The 300% is a bit of an exaggeration, to say the least: a new Leica M9 was, and a new M240 is, generally about $1,000 more in Bangkok than in the US. However, the effective price in Euros or US$ also depends on short-term currency movements. Last month, I met a Belgian photographer at the Leica Store in the Gaysorn shopping center, who had bought his M240 during his visit to Bangkok the year before: after refund of the Thai VAT (7% I believe) on departure at the airport the camera cost him about $1000 less than in Belgium, where he would have had to pay the 20% European Union VAT.

On the other hand, it's true that sometimes, used Leicas sell for more than in the US. Last month I sold my, low shot number, M9-P and MM cameras to a dealer for a price that was somewhat higher than I would have realized on eBay in the States or Europe. Lot less botheration than selling privately. But, to be serious, hoarding is not a factor pushing up used Leica prices.

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Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

 

[pacco]

I will spend a few days in Bangkok in mid-April. Is there any good place for second hand gear, preferrably Leica/ Voigtländer lenses and medium format cameras?

 

[Nowhereman]

The store with a large selection of these types of cameras was Classic Camera, run by "Eddie". He was moved to River City, an antique shop mall next to the Sheraton Hotel, on the river. I don't know whether he is as active as before, but apparently he moved all his large inventory to the River City shop. A smaller inventory can be found at AV Camera, near the Robinson Department store in Chareon Krung road in Bang Rak. You can find the address and phone number on the web. There is also a small shop with some good Leicas at the Thaniya Building (2nd or 3rd floor), which otherwise has the largest number go golf shops I've even seen. He had some nice M3s last month.

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Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

 

[pacco]

Great, thank you!

The store with a large selection of these types of cameras was Classic Camera, run by "Eddie". He was moved to River City, an antique shop mall next to the Sheraton Hotel, on the river. I don't know whether he is as active as before, but apparently he moved all his large inventory to the River City shop. A smaller inventory can be found at AV Camera, near the Robinson Department store in Chareon Krung road in Bang Rak. You can find the address and phone number on the web. There is also a small shop with some good Leicas at the Thaniya Building (2nd or 3rd floor), which otherwise has the largest number go golf shops I've even seen. He had some nice M3s last month.

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Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine