where to buy cheap European-style chocolate?

[tgw]

I'm used to buying European chocolate (i.e. higher cocoa content, less soy and fats) for about 12 to 16 baht per 100g, in Thailand it's way more expensive, especially for higher cocoa content.

Is there any special place where chocolate is cheaper? share your secret !!

[Sambotte]

I'm used to pay 100 bahts or more here for 100g. Actually not much more than in Europe i think, for quality. It last me a few days.

So i guess, with no offense, that either you are broke, either a serious consumer...

Maybe consider import via container ? ????

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, Sambotte said:

Maybe consider import via container ? 

It'd have to be refrigerated.

Western chocolate has a lower melting point than Asian chocolate.

They have to use different oils in the the chocolate bars.

[Bob A Kneale]

39 minutes ago, tgw said:

Is there any special place where chocolate is cheaper? share your secret !!

Don't tell anyone, it's a secret, ok?...

 

There isn't anywhere.

[asiacurious]

Chocolate in bulk (also good just for eating, though it's really meant for baking) is available at Schmidt near Phra Khanong BTS in Bangkok (that's their main office) or other locations including Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Phuket.

 

https://www.schmidt.co.th/

 

1kg of 58% or 70% Dark Chocolate coins is about 400THB

 

They sell to bakeries and restaurants mainly, but anyone is welcome.  I've bought many times from them.  They also have a lot of other baking goods.  The stuff is mostly imported from Germany and other places in Europe.

 

No more overpriced 100g bars of fine chocolate from the grocery stores!

[Bob A Kneale]

22 minutes ago, asiacurious said:

1kg of 58% or 70% Dark Chocolate coins is about 400TH...

 

No more overpriced 100g bars of fine chocolate from the grocery stores!

He may be disappointed.  The OP is used to paying less than B160 per kilo for his European chocolate so B400 per kilo of baking chocolate (which tastes nothing like 'normal' chocolate) is hardly a bargain for him.

[chickenslegs]

1 hour ago, tgw said:

Is there any special place where chocolate is cheaper? share your secret !!

IKEA chocolate is pretty good (IMHO), but a bit more than 12-16 Baht per 100g ...

https://www.ikea.com/th/en/stores/restaurant/swedish-food-market-pub51d428d1#candy-chocolates-snacks

[asiacurious]

22 minutes ago, Bob A Kneale said:

He may be disappointed.  The OP is used to paying less than B160 per kilo for his European chocolate so B400 per kilo of baking chocolate (which tastes nothing like 'normal' chocolate) is hardly a bargain for him.

Maybe, maybe not.  Some of it is better than the imported Lindt chocolate that's sold at places like Tesco.  Some of it is about the same.  Also, it's baking chocolate because of the form that it's sold in (500g to 10kg bags of coins or large blocks), not because it's inferior to the small 100g wrapped in foil retail packages.

 

I should have mentioned....  They have (or at least they had before the Covid situation) sample jars for each chocolate so you could sample everything before buying.  If they still do samples, you can taste before you spend. 

[evadgib]

My local tesco had 200g own brand bars (5 types) for around 30baht a fortnight ago whereas normally they're 100g/85 bhat or thereabouts.

HTH

[Enoon]

Big C

 

 

3 x 100g bars for 129baht last time I looked.

 

Tastes, and melts, very similar to "Fin Carre" blue wrapped chocolate, sold by Lidl in UK.

 

Not a good as Lindt, but closer to it in taste and much better than "tropical" grot.

 

"Casino Group continued its growth in Asia by acquiring Thai participations in the Carrefour Group with its Big C branch."

Groupe Casino - Wikipedia

 

Casino, I think, no longer has a financial interest in Big C, but continues to supply European biscuits and confectionary to it.

 

 

 

 

[Eindhoven]

I guess cheapest normal priced will be in Big C Extra. The Casino chocolate bars. Though obviously not as cheap as any special offers around currently.

 

[impulse]

I always bought the super cheap baking chocolate chips at the BKK Suk Soi 16 Foodland, then made it into fudge with the super cheap condensed milk available everywhere.  Not exactly gourmet, but it rings the chocolate bell, and cheap...

 

If I didn't want to make fudge, I mixed the dark chocolate baking chips with the much sweeter white ones to get a decent chocolate.  Still not up to Euro connoisseur standards, but life overseas is a series of compromises.

 

Edit:  I also experimented with adding indigenous Thai spices like cinnamon and red pepper and got some pretty wild flavors into my chocolate.  Some recipes were a disaster, but some were outstanding.  Just flavor to taste...

 

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by impulse

[n00dle]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

It'd have to be refrigerated.

Western chocolate has a lower melting point than Asian chocolate.

They have to use different oils in the the chocolate bars.

who doesnt refrigerate chocolate?

[AlexRich]

22 minutes ago, n00dle said:

who doesnt refrigerate chocolate?

It’s not really good for it. But may be unavoidable in Thailand.

[samsensam]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

It'd have to be refrigerated.

Western chocolate has a lower melting point than Asian chocolate.

They have to use different oils in the the chocolate bars.

 

right, chocolate taste here reminds me of the taste in australia, kind of waxy, i dont like the taste so dont eat it. i brought some minstrels from home (because the hard sugar coating prevents it becoming a melted mass)  for friend's children, the taste blew their minds!

[Meat Pie 47]

In Europe

[dimitriv]

4 hours ago, tgw said:

I'm used to buying European chocolate (i.e. higher cocoa content, less soy and fats) for about 12 to 16 baht per 100g, in Thailand it's way more expensive, especially for higher cocoa content.

 

16 Baht is 48 Euro cent.  For 48 cent you can buy a Mars or Snickers in Europe. 

 

When was the last time you visited Europe ?  50 years ago ?  ????

 

 

[Meat Pie 47]

Well I buy chocolate some times in OZ (yes not in Thailand anymore) I can buy Lind or Cadbury 

but all taste good. I pay about (depends what shop you use) 50 to 65 baht per 200 grams. 

just information OK.

[scubascuba3]

Chocolate is overpriced here. I usually look out for offers where they are half priced in 7 Eleven or Friendship. Usually Snickers, Mars, KitKat, Toblerone, Maltesers and others are discounted as they don't sell usually because of the price. Problem is because i buy boxes i end up eating more than if i bought 1 as and when

[BritManToo]

9 hours ago, tgw said:

'm used to buying European chocolate (i.e. higher cocoa content, less soy and fats) for about 12 to 16 baht per 100g, in Thailand it's way more expensive, especially for higher cocoa content.

Can't find anything in Tesco UK for under 40bht/100g.

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/search?query=chocolate&page=2

[balo]

IKEA sells a dark chocolate bar with 70% cocoa.  70 baht  or 60% 45 baht,
This is Swedish chocolate and best value I have found in Thailand if you want more cocoa and less sugar/fat.

Edited June 30, 2020 by balo

[Kerryd]

12 hours ago, Bob A Kneale said:

He may be disappointed.  The OP is used to paying less than B160 per kilo for his European chocolate so B400 per kilo of baking chocolate (which tastes nothing like 'normal' chocolate) is hardly a bargain for him.

Change "kilos" to grams and it makes more sense. Unless chocolate really is that cheap in the EU !

Lindt Chocolate (sold in Tops and other places) has a selection of Swiss chocolate ranging from 70% to 99% cocoa. 
The 99% Cocoa is priced around 108 baht for 50 grams.
The 70% Cocoa is priced around 108 baht for 100 grams.

Seems all their Cocoa bars are priced the same as the 78%,  85% and 90% Cocoa bars are also 108 baht (for 100 grams).

I like their Dark Mint Extreme on occasion. Not a fan of the 90/99% Cocoa bars though.

[userabcd]

Big C.

[KhunBENQ]

There is plenty of good chocolate from Switzerland (Lindt) and Germany (some Ritter sorts) e.g.

Cocoa content 50, 60, 70, 80. Take your choice.

Ritter has introduced some quality sorts with cocoa from dedicated regions.

They are simply labeled like "61", "51", ...

 

But sorry, 16 Baht? Are you joking.

Thailand is not cheap for all kinds of imported food.

Cheese, chocolate, dry cure ham etc.etc.

If you are lucky you find a discounted Lindt dark hazelnut for 89 Baht/100 gr.

 

I prefer to buy at TOPS or Villa market.

Too often got spoiled (overheated) stuff from local Tesco and BigC Khon Kaen (might be different in Pattaya/Bangkok/...).

 

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

10 hours ago, dimitriv said:

 

16 Baht is 48 Euro cent.  For 48 cent you can buy a Mars or Snickers in Europe. 

 

When was the last time you visited Europe ?  50 years ago ?  ????

 

 

Agree. A quality product with high cocoa content for this price?

No way. At least in Europe that I know (Switzerland, Germany).

 

Mars, Snickers etc.: junkfood, a massive attack to your health.

[Bob A Kneale]

14 hours ago, asiacurious said:

Also, it's baking chocolate because of the form that it's sold in (500g to 10kg bags of coins or large blocks), not because it's inferior to the small 100g wrapped in foil retail packages.

Nonsense.  The difference between baking/cooking chocolate and normal chocolate is not just it's shape and wrapping!

[tgw]

posters who said the price quoted in the OP is not possible obviously need to get out more.

 

the chocolate I mean is the lowest quality I consider eatable - usually distributor branded, sold in European supermarkets. and UTZ certified. They sell for 0.35 to 0.50 EUR /100g depending on variant in Swiss Lidl/Aldi, probably cheaper in Germany.

 

currently chocolate of the brand "Fin Carré" is on sale at Lidl for 0.33 EUR/100g:

https://www.supermarktcheck.de/product/15377-fin-carre-alpen-vollmilch-nuss

the lowest reported price was .29 EUR for 100g.

 

granted, it's not top quality, but it does the job when I crave chocolate.

 

Thanks for all the tips, I will pass on the baking chocolate because although I like it sometimes it's not what I am looking for.

The Casino chocolate is probably the best compromise.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by tgw

[Lacessit]

Ritters dark chocolate is OK by me, 80 baht.

The best chocolate is made with coconut oil blended with higher melting point fats, but that's impossible in the Thai climate.

[balo]

7 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

The best chocolate is made with coconut oil blended with higher melting point fats, but that's impossible in the Thai climate.

 

IKEA chocolate melt in Thai climate, they are produced in Sweden.  Cheaper than Swiss chocolate sold in Thai supermarkets.
I think some of the European brands are licensed and produced in Thailand/Singapore. And they do not taste as good as the European ones. 

[jadee]

I'm from the UK so I love Cadbury's chocolate (just what I'm used to) but it doesn't taste quite the same here. Plus Cadbury's was sold to Kraft so they've kind of wrecked it now anyway.
IKEA chocolate is cheap but never tastes good to me (especially if you get it on the buy-one-get-one-free deal). My favorite is Dime bars (also from IKEA) but it's not that cheap. 
That's really the only European chocolate I eat over here. 
I don't really like US chocolate like Hershey's although I do like Reese's Nutrageous bars - (27b from Tesco). 
One of the most unusual chocolate finds I've ever had over here was some dark chocolate from Morrissons (a UK supermarket) in Big C - no idea what it was doing there!