Makro prices make no sense

[SteveK]

I just got back from Makro in Ubon. Because I live in a very small village I like to stock up on a few things that I can't get here. In particular, I like to buy:

 

- Lots of beef, maybe half a dozen steaks and 3kg of mince.

- Some cheddar cheese (imported obviously).

- Imported Mexican things like tortillas and taco shells.

- Various other bits and bobs which I can't get here, including bell peppers, worcester sauce, burger buns, mustard, various spices etc.

 

Today, after not visiting for several months, I noticed that the prices for imported goods seems to have risen. How can this be the case when the baht is so high? A tiny chunk of not so great NZ cheddar was 205 baht. The frozen, imported Oz T-bones were about a hundred baht more per pack than last time I went. Over 200 baht for 8 frozen tortillas? What is going on?

 

Surely if the baht is so strong the prices for these things should be going down, not up?

[torturedsole]

6 minutes ago, SteveK said:

I noticed that the prices for imported goods seems to have risen.

What has Thai margins got to do with the exchange rate?  I don't mean to be argumentative, btw.  

 

Edited December 6, 2019 by torturedsole

[Lamkyong]

1 minute ago, torturedsole said:

What has Thai prices got to do with the exchange rate?  I don't mean to be argumentative, btw.  

What association has been made with exchane. rates. ????????

[Denim]

Welcome to Thailand where logic works in reverse.

 

That NZ cheese is also available in Big C and sometimes they have it at a cut price 179 or 189 baht. Not much but better than nothing.

 

I found minced beef has become so expensive ( like wine ) that I just use minced pork with a beef oxo cube instead. Works for spaghetti but can't see it working for chilli.

 

Mostly I just find a substitute when I see something outrageously priced. If you are handy in the kitchen you can often work around things.

 

With this cold weather I grabbed the opportunity to make some pastry pies. Pork onion potato and carrot with a nice sauce. Delicious and pretty cheap. Also chicken and mushroom.

 

 

[scubascuba3]

Very little makes sense in Thailand,in fact not making sense is the norm.

 

Makro airport style security puts me off going

[torturedsole]

3 minutes ago, Lamkyong said:

What association has been made with exchane. rates. ????????

Ask the OP as he mentioned it.  

[sunnyboy2018]

3 minutes ago, Lamkyong said:

What association has been made with exchane. rates. ????????

'baht is so strong' = reference to exchange rates.

[sunnyboy2018]

2 minutes ago, Denim said:

Welcome to Thailand where logic works in reverse.

 

That NZ cheese is also available in Big C and sometimes they have it at a cut price 179 or 189 baht. Not much but better than nothing.

 

I found minced beef has become so expensive ( like wine ) that I just use minced pork with a beef oxo cube instead. Works for spaghetti but can't see it working for chilli.

 

Mostly I just find a substitute when I see something outrageously priced. If you are handy in the kitchen you can often work around things.

 

With this cold weather I grabbed the opportunity to make some pastry pies. Pork onion potato and carrot with a nice sauce. Delicious and pretty cheap. Also chicken and mushroom.

 

 

Good Pie Skills!

[torturedsole]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Makro airport style security puts me off going

Not my experience, but there you go.  

[KhunBENQ]

5 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Makro airport style security puts me off going

Where is that?

You don't mean the bill check after the checkout?

[4evermaat]

One secret is when they have sales or discount section, to stock up on the things you like.

 

This might require a 2nd fridge and/or deep freezer.

 

And makro isn't always the end all/be all.   You might be surprised what your local butcher or food supply can do.  Even one from out of town.   Ask some of the expats affiliated with a local restaurant where they source their meat from.

[torturedsole]

Anyway, picked up a lovely bit of salmon fillet in Tops today.  The FIL absolutely loves it and so do I.  Not cheap but 470 baht for .4 kilo which isn't too shabby and feeds a family of four.  

[tabarin]

Not only at Makro but also other places I have seen prices rise (the standard 8 slice pack cheeses used to be 140 baht and are now 150-155 sometimes).
Also with some other products seen changes but in general most is still relatively cheap, specially if you do not mind to use a different cheese etc.

My only guess was that they sell less of these products again now, so a price increase to compensate that. Otherwise greed as usual.
I mean, it are some serious amounts of western products you sell or do not without the (western) tourists.

Edited December 6, 2019 by tabarin

[MeePeeMai]

It could be that the shelf life on many imported goods is being reached since there are less foreigners (in some areas) and less of us purchasing expensive imported foods.  Maybe they are just trying to recoup some of the cost of goods that were tossed after reaching their sell-by dates. 

 

I noticed in the Makro here that many imported products were very dusty and some had already expired so not much in the way of rotation it would seem.  They might have snuck in another VAT increase on these goods as well (it wouldn't surprise me).

[Fex Bluse]

Wish I could find some worchesterfordshire sauce in Bangkok 

[torturedsole]

3 minutes ago, Fex Bluse said:

Wish I could find some worchesterfordshire sauce in Bangkok 

Strange you say that as out in the boonies I notice Lea & Perrins at 88 baht per bottle the other day and thought that was entirely reasonable for an import.  Non-descript outlet, too.  

[Denim]

4 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

Anyway, picked up a lovely bit of salmon fillet in Tops today.  The FIL absolutely loves it and so do I.  Not cheap but 470 baht for .4 kilo which isn't too shabby and feeds a family of four.  

 

Tesco were doing some nice salmon fillets for 69 baht each. Just enough for a meal with broccoli and other veg. However, I was in there a couple of days ago and although the price was the same the portions seem to have shrunk so I left them alone.

 

Put one in a fish pie with a fillet of dollie , shrimps and crabsticks and you have a tasty treat especially if you add a dash of mustard to the rue.

[Fex Bluse]

7 minutes ago, 4evermaat said:

One secret is when they have sales or discount section, to stock up on the things you like.

 

This might require a 2nd fridge and/or deep freezer.

 

And makro isn't always the end all/be all.   You might be surprised what your local butcher or food supply can do.  Even one from out of town.   Ask some of the expats affiliated with a local restaurant where they source their meat from.

Whilst I like Thai food, meat in Thailand is usually VERY poor quality. Especially beef, which OP said he enjoys. 

 

Thai beef or Thai-French beef is horrid. 

[torturedsole]

4 minutes ago, Fex Bluse said:

Whilst I like Thai food, meat in Thailand is usually VERY poor quality. Especially beef, which OP said he enjoys. 

 

Thai beef or Thai-French beef is horrid. 

Makro is your friend.  Generally Oz derived and of good quality.  Get there early in the morning for the best beef cuts.  

 

Edited December 6, 2019 by torturedsole

[Lamkyong]

23 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Very little makes sense in Thailand,in fact not making sense is the norm.

 

Makro airport style security puts me off going

The car parking att can at times do overkill on the whistle

[Fex Bluse]

10 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

Makro is your friend.  Generally Oz derived and of good quality.  Get there early in the morning for the best beef cuts.  

 

I travel a good bit. So when I want really good meat, I head off to Australia, Singapore or Korea/Japan. 

 

Makro is great. 

 

Also, Joe Sloane is not bad. They seem to make poor quality Thai grown meat the best it can be

 

https://www.sloanes.co.th/product/dry-aged-new-york-strip-2x220g/

Edited December 6, 2019 by Fex Bluse

[torturedsole]

4 minutes ago, Lamkyong said:

The car parking att can at times do overkill on the whistle

It must be a busy Makro but don't be put off.  Really a great store in LOS.  

[SteveK]

25 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

Strange you say that as out in the boonies I notice Lea & Perrins at 88 baht per bottle the other day and thought that was entirely reasonable for an import.  Non-descript outlet, too.  

I live in the boonies and I get a Thai version of it which tastes exactly the same for 50 baht a bottle.

 

Edited December 6, 2019 by SteveK

[torturedsole]

1 minute ago, SteveK said:

I live in the boonies and I get a Thai version of it which tastes exactly the same for 50 baht a bottle.

Even better. 

[SteveK]

I've done a few massive Cumberland pies recently, used a mix of beef and pork mince to make the beef last longer and they turned out great. I didn't move to Thailand to eat Western foods, but I like to have them a few times a month and just can't get my head round these price rises. My family all eat "free" meat; frogs, birds, fish and rats. They can't understand why I want to spend 300 baht for a kilo of awful quality beef, I am starting to understand why they feel that way.

[torturedsole]

3 minutes ago, SteveK said:

My family all eat "free" meat; frogs, birds, fish and rats.

Go with the flow.  It all tastes the same.  

[ExpatOilWorker]

34 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

Anyway, picked up a lovely bit of salmon fillet in Tops today.  The FIL absolutely loves it and so do I.  Not cheap but 470 baht for .4 kilo which isn't too shabby and feeds a family of four.  

I pay 300 baht/kg for Norwegian salmon at the Samyan market in central Bangkok.

[torturedsole]

3 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

I pay 300 baht/kg for Norwegian salmon at the Samyan market in central Bangkok.

Good for you.  Out here in the boonies just a bit more but we're not going to deprive ourselves of such delicacies.   

 

Edited December 6, 2019 by torturedsole

[MeePeeMai]

3 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

I pay 300 baht/kg for Norwegian salmon at the Samyan market in central Bangkok.

Sorry Mods if I'm off topic here but in response to Norwegian Salmon, I wouldn't eat that if it was the last thing left to eat on Earth.  If you haven't seen this video documentary on it I suggest you watch it (for you AND your families sake).  Carry on friends.

 

 

[Lacessit]

Same Thai logic that operates with restaurants. When you have fewer customers, put the prices up to compensate. There are fewer Western expats in Thailand, thanks to you know who.