12 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Yeeeeh! I know tomato is not a fruit but a Bloody Mary with white pepper and a touch of Worcestershire sauce is heaven.

Sorry to say that a tomato is a fruit!!!! But know what you mean about a Bloody Mary (sometimes). 

I remember the old saying ……….what's the difference between knowledge and wisdom?

 

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit and wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad! 

18 hours ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

Just posted on an expat forum for my Viet city, a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon is 200,000VND or 270 baht. A few months ago I was able to buy fine California red wines for 400,000 or 540 baht. The wine bar  (not in HCMC) held a wine tasting to celebrate the arrival of many US wines at great prices. 

 

FWIW, I bought a 750 ml JW Black Label for 900 baht. Could have got it cheaper at 465,000/630 baht. In Thailand it's over 1300 baht but for only a 700 ml bottle. Not missing Thailand too much. Sorry. 

If alcohol prices are your only criteria, I would suggest that is a pretty limited comparison.  I mean, you could also sleep with the winos outside a liquor shop in LA and get really cheap prices.

14 hours ago, Jeremia Juxtaposed said:

I also noticed Cedar Creek 4.5 litre at Tesco Lotus is less than 1,000 Baht so when my "secret" place runs out , that is where I will be heading..(I hope Vogie doesn't use the same offie and run the stock down!!!!)

Yes it WAS 925 baht, i bought 2 boxes, but it is now up to 1639 baht !!

4 hours ago, norrska said:

If alcohol prices are your only criteria, I would suggest that is a pretty limited comparison.  I mean, you could also sleep with the winos outside a liquor shop in LA and get really cheap prices.

This isn't about the price of the cheapest paint remover but the ridicilous prices of decent wines.

20 hours ago, vogie said:

It was yesterday.

I found a 5ltr Mont Clair in MaxValu at Gateway, hidden away.  Still  only 995 baht, while the 3ltr boxes at the front were 1115 baht.  I think it's all gone now.

4 hours ago, Henryford said:

 but it is now up to 1639 baht !!

<deleted> .......I missed my chance there..!!

19 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Yes this is geting silly, in Malaysia last week in a department store I bought a bottle of nice French wine for 28 Ringit (225 THB) and in the Tax free shop on Langkawi a 1Ltr bottle of Jonnie red was 38 Ringit (305 THB) and Malaysia is a muslim country!!!

No it's not.

Saw a 1.5l bottle of Laughing Bird dry red for 450 baht in Villa. Got to better value than that boxed fruit juice no?

51 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Saw a 1.5l bottle of Laughing Bird dry red for 450 baht in Villa. Got to better value than that boxed fruit juice no?

Laughing Bird also has fruit juice, from the label at the back but it is much much better then the boxed stuff.

54 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Saw a 1.5l bottle of Laughing Bird dry red for 450 baht in Villa. Got to better value than that boxed fruit juice no?

419 in tesco lotus......I never go to Villa for anything nowadays..

Why not set up a parallel supply chain of wines at less of a ripoff cost, with all the visa runners, each time they leave the country ?! ?. Unless it's forbidden to bring in booze at road borders ?  The hardest thing is to find amongst your friends and acquaintances, those who never buy booze on each trip for their own stock?

3 hours ago, Jeremia Juxtaposed said:

419 in tesco lotus......I never go to Villa for anything nowadays..

Is it any good though? I mean compared to the Mont Clair's and other faux wines in a box, is it the real thing?

1 hour ago, observer90210 said:

Why not set up a parallel supply chain of wines at less of a ripoff cost, with all the visa runners, each time they leave the country ?! ?. Unless it's forbidden to bring in booze at road borders ?  The hardest thing is to find amongst your friends and acquaintances, those who never buy booze on each trip for their own stock?

The limit is still 1L and I remember past posts years ago about people being stopped well after they had left the border area - similar to the stories about customs stopping people landside at Suvarnabhumi.

 

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Is it any good though? I mean compared to the Mont Clair's and other faux wines in a box, is it the real thing?

I have drank it in the past and I am still alive.

 

Personally I think it is worse than Castle Creek but better than Mont Clair ...

Just dont buy it. Lets see what the pretties in the wine department do for work?

On 6/2/2018 at 3:22 PM, morrobay said:

And the local wine is undrinkable unless you like excess aldehydes. Are these tax increases on wine proportional with other alcohol beverages.  If not its a foreigners tax. By the way they are even complaining about this on reddit,  r/thailand

My theory is not so much anti foreigner as pro elite.

This class society ensures those that "have" remain on high and untouchable by the working classes and below. Wine, originally exclusive as an import came with a reputation of finery and as such have been priced out of the range of the lower echelons.

 

Only a theory

New  boxes of Montclair are now 3 liters for B995. It is the desire to keep Thais from eating or drinking anything imported. They protect the foreign reserves. With 420% import tax on rot gut you are not getting much value. Last time I was there Tachilek in Burma dos not have any box wines.

I don't bother with wine in cartons. I rather drink 1 nice bottle worth 1000Baht than 5 liters of boxed wine for the same price.
In my experience you start to get nice wine when buying bottles around 800Baht up. 

There are also nice Thai wines: PB Valley (the medium and expensive ones) and Village Farm in Wang Nam Kiaw have some very tasty ones. They got the help from French professionals who helped them starting up and who regularly come to oversee the quality.

On 2 June 2018 at 3:01 PM, DrTuner said:

It's one of the most utterly stupid things in Thailand. Powered by protectionism for local alcoholic drink producers. Somebody should start a heavy duty trade war with Thailand to make them yield.

Ye, the Thai wines are absolutely shit. I buy the Mont Clare it is drinkable.

On 6/2/2018 at 1:29 PM, xylophone said:

It would seem as if the tax increases are now fully biting on even the wines with added fruit juice, albeit after a bit of an hiatus.

 

If you work it out, this new price equates to around 250 baht for normal 750 mL bottle of the stuff, so in relative terms is not that expensive. But of course it is expensive if you are paying for a mixture of wine and fruit juice!

 

I've given up trying to compare the price of wine here with the prices back in Australia and New Zealand, because it's a thankless task, and depressing at that!!!

 

Luckily I'm still sourcing Australian wines here at around 369 baht a bottle (The Lyrup) although one has to look at the smaller outlets for this and others like it.

I think its partly down to the importers, probably King Power. Earlier this year I was buying 4 liter boxes of Mont Clare and Peter Valare at 719 to 799. They disappeared from the shelves for about 2 months everywhere. I think it was selling too well and they were   not selling bottles. Now Mont Clare has been re introduced at 1175 for just 3 liters, almost double. Vote with your feet dont buy it !

What is 'silly' is that foreign countries don't reciprocate and force equally harsh tariffs on Thai imports into their own countries.  Thailand gets away with excessive tariffs because there is no downside to doing so. 

It’s ok the Aussies have a free trade agreement with Thailand, can’t see the benefit apart from Thais, sorry large corporations can sell cars in Australia. My Honda Jazz seems B100,000 cheaper in Australia, so everyone in Thailand is getting screwed.

They don't care. Only stinking rich falangs and hi-so Thais drink wine. One lot isn't allowed a vote and the rest always vote the "right" way anyway.

On 6/2/2018 at 3:22 PM, morrobay said:

And the local wine is undrinkable unless you like excess aldehydes. Are these tax increases on wine proportional with other alcohol beverages.  If not its a foreigners tax. By the way they are even complaining about this on reddit,  r/thailand

Khao Yai wines are very good! No additives. 

On Saturday, June 02, 2018 at 7:17 PM, Jeremia Juxtaposed said:

I also noticed Cedar Creek 4.5 litre at Tesco Lotus is less than 1,000 Baht so when my "secret" place runs out , that is where I will be heading..(I hope Vogie doesn't use the same offie and run the stock down!!!!)

While you are in Lotus JJ look for Chinese plum wine. A year ago it was 180 now 220B , it is very sweet but if mixed with the cheapest red plonk say, 2 parts plonk - 1 part chinese you get a very acceptable drink.

My litre bottle of Jameson from over t'border Maesai ( 500B ) is going fast so tomorrow over we go again . Wonder if they have Southern Comfort , did 2 years ago @ 350B.

3 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

While you are in Lotus JJ look for Chinese plum wine. A year ago it was 180 now 220B , it is very sweet but if mixed with the cheapest red plonk say, 2 parts plonk - 1 part chinese you get a very acceptable drink.

 

Wow, I hope you're just joking. lol

17 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

While you are in Lotus JJ look for Chinese plum wine. A year ago it was 180 now 220B , it is very sweet but if mixed with the cheapest red plonk say, 2 parts plonk - 1 part chinese you get a very acceptable drink.

 

As we used to say, some people would drink p*ss through an Afghan's underpants!

15 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Why not set up a parallel supply chain of wines at less of a ripoff cost, with all the visa runners, each time they leave the country ?! ?. Unless it's forbidden to bring in booze at road borders ?  The hardest thing is to find amongst your friends and acquaintances, those who never buy booze on each trip for their own stock?

Visa runs and friends/family visiting...everyone knows the routine....lol

 

It's just blatant protectionism for the Thai Liquor industry. Same with beer, why is Beer Lao roughly twice the price of most Thai beers (and twice the quality in my opinion). 

The price is no concern to the HiSo crowd, in fact the higher the better to show off their wealth. They could give a crap about quality - how often do you see Thais putting ice in red wine.

Frankly the wine market in Thailand isn't big enough for the importing countries to start raising a stink about. This is from a good friend who works for a large wine importer. Thailand is small potatoes compared to Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and China lately (although the Chinese are more about price and status than quality) .

4 minutes ago, OmegaRacer said:

Wow, I hope you're just joking. lol

I have a mate not too far away that had his wine delivered to him by a border cop ( true this is ) . He got 4 ,5 litre boxes delivered by this chap on his scooter to his house. But I digest.

We met up on a recent border run and I had mixed plum wine with the cheapest wine at the time ( NADIN ) and he said " Bugger me that is good , what wine is it ? ".

 

While here , my daughter who is coming over in August has asked what to bring me apart from a variety of cheeses . Maybe a good bottle of red me thinks.