First time visiting the Museum of Counterfeit Goods in Bangkok? This review covers what you will see, where the museum is located, and why it offers an unusual insight into counterfeiting in Thailand.
The fake goods of Patpong Night Bazaar
A stroll down Thalan Silom and through the Patpong Night Bazaar reveals a cavalcade of blatantly obvious fakery.
It’s a world of dodgy D&G belts, fraudulent Facebook flip-flops, blagged bags and rip-off replica kits.
Obviously photocopied DVD covers sit in plastic, waiting for a recently burned blank disc to be slid inside.
Watches are Swiss in the Swiss Toni sense of the word and the Oakley sunglasses probably offer all the sun protection of rubbing lard all over your eyeballs.
It’s even possible to buy an unlicensed 7-Eleven t-shirt, should you wish to show your allegiance to your favourite convenience store without being loyal enough to it to buy the genuine merchandise.
Counterfeit shopping in Bangkok and Patpong
For connoisseurs of Ralph Laurain’t, Phooey Vuitton and Hello Shitty, this must be some kind of paradise.
Personally, I don’t get it.
If the point of being clad in Versace, Rolex and Jimmy Choo is the quality, then you’re not getting the quality.
If the point is to walk around showing labels off to people, then getting faked versions of those labels will only serve to make you even more of a phenomenal arsehole.
Thais tend to have an enterprisingly liberal approach to intellectual property law.
Counterfeiting is often seen as fair game, much to the disgust of multinational corporations that rather like making lots and lots of money from selling expensive things.
Where the Museum of Counterfeit Goods is located
Elsewhere in Bangkok, it’s possible to get a glimpse into the fight against just about everything on the Patpong Night Bazaar.
In the south of the city lies the Supalai Grand office tower.
It is the home to Tilleke and Gibbins, a law firm specialising in international property on the behalf of numerous corporate clients around the world.
If you ask them nicely, it’s best to set up an appointment at least a day in advance, they’ll show you around their carefully acquired Museum of Counterfeit Goods.
What you see inside the Museum of Counterfeit Goods
There’s quite a collection, with some of it amusing and some of it deadly serious.
The huge wall of T-shirts is the immediate attention-grabber.
All are labelled with an F for fake or G for genuine, and the two different approaches become immediately apparent.
Some are attempts to pass off copies as the genuine article, such as the knock-off football kits.
Others are trying to cash in on well-known brands.
There is, for example, a shirt with a Ralph Lauren-esque crocodile on the front going under the world famous Chemise Lizzard brand.
How counterfeit goods are identified
Moving on, there are attempts to show how best to identify the fakes.
In the shoes section, for example, the illegal imitations from Vietnam are obvious from the cheap glue used to stick them together.
Elsewhere, the fakes are hilariously poor.
The Tamborine version of Toblerone looks like it has been wrapped in coloured-in A4 paper.
Others are perplexingly pointless.
Why would anyone go to the bother of creating fake Staedtler pencils, for instance?
The darker side of counterfeit goods
But the more serious side of things raises involuntary chills.
One case is full of fake medicines, heaven only knows what’s inside them.
The cheap and nasty phone batteries could lead to some very unpleasant incidents.
How the Museum of Counterfeit Goods builds its collection
But perhaps the most interesting aspect of all is how these counterfeits come to be in the museum.
I’m told that the companies being ripped off ask Tilleke and Gibbins to keep an eye on the people infringing their copyrights.
Thus, when the rip-offs are spotted, they’re bought as proof.
The most reliable customers of these counterfeit goods, therefore, are the very companies who want to get rid of the counterfeits.
Things to do near the Museum of Counterfeit Goods
- Patpong Night Bazaar, a short walk away, is one of Bangkok’s most famous evening markets.
- Lumphini Park offers green space and walking paths in the middle of the city.
- Mahanakhon SkyWalk provides panoramic views over Bangkok from one of its tallest buildings.
- Bangkokian Museum gives a glimpse into traditional middle-class life in early 20th-century Bangkok.
- Silom nightlife venues cluster around the area, ranging from laid-back bars to long-established clubs.
Other Bangkok attractions worth visiting include the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute Snake Farm and Jim Thompson House.
Museum of Counterfeit Goods FAQs
| Is the Museum of Counterfeit Goods open to the public? | Yes, but visits are by appointment only and need to be arranged in advance. |
| Where is the Museum of Counterfeit Goods located? | It is inside the Supalai Grand office tower in southern Bangkok. |
| Is there an entry fee? | Entry is usually free, but access depends on prior arrangement with Tilleke and Gibbins. |
| How long does a visit take? | Most visits last around 30 to 60 minutes. |
| Is the museum suitable for children? | Some exhibits, particularly those involving fake medicines, may not be suitable for younger visitors. |
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