Pattaya: Makro full of shoppers as Thais and foreigners stock up on food items

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

Thai media reported that shops and markets in Pattaya were full of people yesterday buying items like rice and dry goods that could easily be prepared into food. 

 

As coronavirus cases spiked to 114, media 77kaoded said that Makro and local markets were full of foreigners and Thais.

 

They published pictures of lines at Makro, Pattaya. 

 

Source: 77kaoded

 

 

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Lines look pretty normal to me,  usually extremely busy during the weekends..just before Chinese new year the car park was almost 100% full !

7 hours ago, johng said:

Lines look pretty normal to me,  usually extremely busy during the weekends..just before Chinese new year the car park was almost 100% full !

As john says,nothing new here normal weekend shoppers......

 

p.s. anyone know if they have any bog rolls left  

I went normal (not panic buying) grocery shopping yesterday, Macro, tops and big C, happy to report that the shelves are full and there is no sign of large crowds or panic buying etc. If anything the number of people out and about doing shopping is probably less than usual.

 

The photo of Macro above is how Macro always looks, its a bulk food warehouse where people buy in bulk, if anything there are less queues than usual.

 

A seriously irresponsible report that will only serve to create a panic buying situation where none exists at the moment.

 

2 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

A seriously irresponsible report that will only serve to create a panic buying situation where none exists at the moment.

????

18 minutes ago, johng said:

Lines look pretty normal to me,  usually extremely busy during the weekends..just before Chinese new year the car park was almost 100% full !

this is a bit misleading i was in makro yesterday ive seen it a hell of a lot busier on normal days did not see anything relating to panic buying normal shopping 

2 minutes ago, thequietman said:

????

true i was there yesterday people shopping as normal

As much as I like Makro, buying fresh meat from there has turned into a no no, when they have the fresh meat for anyone to touch with their bare hands it is somewhat off putting, I know they supply plastic gloves but not everyone uses them. So due to the present climate it is all frozen meat from now on.

But will pop down down later and get a little more provisions than I normally would, the less times you go out is better for all concerned.

thats nothing, people are being assaulted in Australia for the last grain of rice.  Supermarket shelves are empty.

10 minutes ago, vogie said:

As much as I like Makro, buying fresh meat from there has turned into a no no, when they have the fresh meat for anyone to touch with their bare hands it is somewhat off putting, I know they supply plastic gloves but not everyone uses them. So due to the present climate it is all frozen meat from now on.

But will pop down down later and get a little more provisions than I normally would, the less times you go out is better for all concerned.

the open trays of meats with customers poking through and coughing on has been for long time. dubious hygiene at best. fortunately I haven't died from it yet, just cook wash and cook well and get on with life.

21 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

 

A seriously irresponsible report that will only serve to create a panic buying situation where none exists at the moment.

I think it is just one example about the role the worldwide media plays in the current situation.

1 minute ago, glennb6 said:

the open trays of meats with customers poking through and coughing on has been for long time. dubious hygiene at best. fortunately I haven't died from it yet, just cook wash and cook well and get on with life.

 

The ongoing stench prevents me from even coming in close distance the " fresh meat" department, much less buying any.

a supermarket (likely in bad part of town in ussa to begin with) gets a toilet paper run, sells out.

 

media sees this and promotes "supermarkets are mobbed for toilet paper"

 

people read this news and think "I'd better go shopping and get toilet paper because it's selling out"

 

a hundred more stores see runs on toilet paper and some fighting.

 

media sees this and declares "Panic buying across the nation!"

 

everyone reads and believes mass panic and shortages are upon them and freaks out.

 

REALITY: a contrived propaganda campaign to gin up fear when there was none to begin with. Get it?

1 minute ago, glennb6 said:

the open trays of meats with customers poking through and coughing on has been for long time. dubious hygiene at best. fortunately I haven't died from it yet, just cook wash and cook well and get on with life.

I havn't died from it yet either, but I have always had my reservations about their procedure, but this Covid 19 is just one step too far for me and in all honesty I cannot tell the difference between their fresh or frozen.

2 minutes ago, vogie said:

I havn't died from it yet either,

I shall wash the meats in chlorine.... I am from the UK and need to get used to the taste anyhow. 

I went to my local supermarket yesterday and the only items left on the shelves were peanuts, potato chips and beer. I have now been forced into self-isolation for the next 3 months... 

My trip to Makro today was a breeze from a preppers point of view.

I was the only fruitcake stocking up. I asked my girlfriend if the peasants are aware of the impending doom, or do they just not give a f#+$.

No worries, at least we farang will die with clean bums.

Was in Makro Pattaya Saturday morning, like every Saturday morning, and the queues were much less than that .......the place was a ghost town, easy parking close to the door!! 

This story makes no sense!!

13 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

I went to my local supermarket yesterday and the only items left on the shelves were peanuts, potato chips and beer. I have now been forced into self-isolation for the next 3 months... 

Where is it? I need to do some stockpiling for self isolation!

looks like a quiet day at our Makro. I'd love to see it like this.

As far as panic setting in, I should have taken a snap of our last visit. It was nuts!

Here's a video from the States. Costco is one of the popular "wholesale" shops.
 

Here's a crowded Makro:  

 

 

57 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

I went normal (not panic buying) grocery shopping yesterday, Macro, tops and big C, happy to report that the shelves are full and there is no sign of large crowds or panic buying etc. If anything the number of people out and about doing shopping is probably less than usual.

 

The photo of Macro above is how Macro always looks, its a bulk food warehouse where people buy in bulk, if anything there are less queues than usual.

 

A seriously irresponsible report that will only serve to create a panic buying situation where none exists at the moment.

 

You been here how long, and you still can't spell Makro 

There is no need to panic buy anything! Get ahead on your medicines, but don't go nuts. I was in Friendship today on S.Pattaya and the man behind me WAS actually buying several packs of toilet paper because he heard that others where hoarding it. I told him that this only happened in the US. Besides, we have the bum sprayers here. Not so in the US. Our system is simply to dry ourselves here, unlike in the US. Our system is much more hygienic than in the US. Relax and don't panic.

I just hope all unhealthy food like dry noodles will be gone, nothing good comes from those

3 minutes ago, MasterBaker said:

I just hope all unhealthy food like dry noodles will be gone, nothing good comes from those

Durian...........don't forget the durian.

3 hours ago, Harveyboy said:

true i was there yesterday people shopping as normal

I was there this morning. Same report. The only "abnormal" thing I saw was that they were out of the major brands of toilet paper; such as Zilk, Cellox, and giant size rolls of Scott. But the number of shoppers, and the inventory of other items all seemed quite normal to me. 

 

I should also add that they had girls at the entrance checking everyone's temperature before entering. They were using the units with "no touch" sensors. Sensible, non-intrusive move my Makro, IMO. 

That photo's the quietest I've seen it since last November!

Today went to Tesco Lotus, TOPS and BigC. All very busy as if its payday weekend and this a Monday morning. Some items have run out like mama, some cereals, eggs, some canned goods. Cheese amd other western food is still plentiful other than the eggs. 

Wife went to Makro Sukumvit Pattaya this morning around 10:am, car park was mostly full but she found a spot easily.

She said inside the shop was no busier than normal for a Monday morning at this time, shelves well stocked and no gaps on the shelves.  

Panic at my local bigC sunday evening. Just to be fashionable, a bulk pack of toilet tissue here and there, but eggs and cooking oil were hot items. I sneaked back later before closing time and did my token panic shopping. One of the staff was handing out packs of fresh donuts to any full shopping cart coming out of the line. Since I was pushing no cart, no cigars. Might stop by Makro later today to get a sense of "panic."

Let them (farangs) eat cheese!