Ant and her friends adore Louis Vuitton handbags, but when they learned that a lot of fakes are sold - for Bt20,000 when they're only worth Bt700 - they were in the market for justice.
Unyanee "Ant" Mooksombud, 26, launched the website www.SiamBrandName.com, which recounts her own experiences and posts magazine articles she's collected about how to spot fake Vuitton products. It's had tens of thousands of visitors and boasts 4,000 registered members.
"It's a site where buyers can make sure they don't buy fake brand-name handbags," says Ant.
The site's webboard has a category called "Catch Fake" that currently has several dozen photos that show the difference between real Vuitton and pirated ones.
"One woman owned a fake handbag for 10 years, and when she discovered it was a copy she was shocked," says Ant, who makes it clear that she doesn't support extravagant spending, but simply wants to help people who've been duped and protect others. Her regular viewers aren't whining hi-so snobs, she says - they're friendly, helpful people.
Webboard discussions range to the "Show Off" category, in which people post photos of themselves carrying high-end bags and ask if they suit them. Ant and many registered users sell bags from their own collections on the site, and though millions of baht have changed changes, Ant makes no profit from it.
Investing Bt20,000 in a handbag, she says, is worthwhile.
"If you buy a Bt700 bag, you might not be able to resell it, but expensive handbags can be resold for exactly what you paid if they're still in good condition."
Ant has nothing against cheaper bags - she's a fan of MNG and Soda and the "originals" sold on Khao San Road.
