Really? Why is the beer in Thailand so expensive?

[Enzian]

On 10/25/2020 at 6:42 AM, Orton Rd said:

I switched to whisky, Dewars White label is about half the price of what it sells for in the UK, most are more expensive here.

About the time the pandemic started I got interested in really knowing and "researching" Scotch whisky. There is a wide range of prices of course from the cheap blends (malt and grain) to the more expensive (and much better) single malts and blended malts. The import and sin taxes here on spirits do not seem as extreme as on imported wines. Further, less expensive blends (Dewars White, J&B, Teacher's, Cutty Sark, 100 Pipers, Bell's etc.) are priced similar and in a few rare cases lower here in LOS than in the UK and US. 

But the better single malts (lately for me it's been Ardbeg, Lagavulin, etc.) can be 20 to 30 % more here than in the US, even counting for the nearly 10% sales tax in CA. And in some cases, worse. Blend 285 is the kind of Thai whiskey Thais drink, almost always with mixer; but there are many others produced in country; the moderator probably would not like me quoting prices.

[2 is 1]

On 10/25/2020 at 6:15 AM, Don Chance said:

You could always quit drink, that would save a lot of money. It takes about 4-5 years to reset, after that you won't think about beer anymore and lose all taste for it.

Help me God that i never forget taste of beer!  I think real alcoholic drink something else than beer!

Price of beer is higher than in many coundry what is other hand more expensive. And tax of alcohol is made for harm what it cause to society! So more strong alcohol should have much more heavy tax than in beer! But here everything is up side down! Or the Sirivadhanabhakdi take all the money and sent to china? 

[Burma Bill]

Why is the beer in Thailand so expensive?

[itsari]

Be interesting to know how Thai Beverage Company is performing with tourism closed down . It has always been my thoughts that the beer price is high because of the hard currency buyers of there products  . Not many Thais drink beer for a very good reason , too expensive for the average Thai .

[4737 Carlin]

Greed.

[heina]

7 minutes ago, itsari said:

Be interesting to know how Thai Beverage Company is performing with tourism closed down . It has always been my thoughts that the beer price is high because of the hard currency buyers of there products  . Not many Thais drink beer for a very good reason , too expensive for the average Thai .

 

Instead of 10 billions they will fill the pockets with 5 billions and kick staff out. They will not feel much worse.

[Hanuman2547]

On 10/24/2020 at 12:11 PM, Elkski said:

I can't imagine the input costs being so much greater in Thailand than in the US. 

Labor is surely lower. 

I think energy is similar. 

Hops?  

Barley?

 

I dont drink  Bud light or Cooks light but they are only 24 baht a can  At 31.2 baht/$.  Keystone only 21 baht. 

Decent small brewery beers that are quite tasty  are 9$ for 6 or 51 baht.   Real good microbrews maybe 75 baht per bottle.   Given the wage difference how can yiur average thai afford to drink any beer ????? I am currently enjoying some completion from a local brewery  Epic on the session  IPA.  On sale  Only 13$/12 it's quite hoppy  and  only 5%.  Reg proce was 17$ . This  good session IPA beer from midwest came into the market @ 16$/12.    All day IPA.  It is really good for hop lovers.  Granted some of you gents want high point for the buzz but I prefer having 1-2 without impairment.  I call them lawnmower beers.  Can mow without cutting foot off. 

 

They drink beer in Utah??

[Ks45672]

4 hours ago, robblok said:

I just don't think there is a difference between beer and other alcohols. If you consume the same amount and its produced safely. Sure of course the drug beer does less harm when used moderate. But It does not really matter what kind of alcohol only the amount of alcohol. (for the bad effects of alcohol)

There is surely a difference

Drink a pint of beer in 5 minutes and then drink a pint of whisky in 5 minutes

 

[Ks45672]

1 hour ago, Enzian said:

About the time the pandemic started I got interested in really knowing and "researching" Scotch whisky. There is a wide range of prices of course from the cheap blends (malt and grain) to the more expensive (and much better) single malts and blended malts. The import and sin taxes here on spirits do not seem as extreme as on imported wines. Further, less expensive blends (Dewars White, J&B, Teacher's, Cutty Sark, 100 Pipers, Bell's etc.) are priced similar and in a few rare cases lower here in LOS than in the UK and US. 

But the better single malts (lately for me it's been Ardbeg, Lagavulin, etc.) can be 20 to 30 % more here than in the US, even counting for the nearly 10% sales tax in CA. And in some cases, worse. Blend 285 is the kind of Thai whiskey Thais drink, almost always with mixer; but there are many others produced in country; the moderator probably would not like me quoting prices.

You can buy a bottle for 185 thb 

It's fine to talk about prices 

[Hanuman2547]

I can buy Beer Lao for the equivalent of 46 baht a bottle at Asian grocery stores in the US.  About 10 years ago I could get Beer Chang for 28 baht a bottle.  It's now a bit more at about 40 baht a bottle.  

[Andycoops]

On 10/25/2020 at 6:15 AM, Don Chance said:

You could always quit drink, that would save a lot of money. It takes about 4-5 years to reset, after that you won't think about beer anymore and lose all taste for it.

Beer in Thailand has preventatives in so it can last in hot climate for months without refrigeration. You really don't want to drink that stuff everyday.

I usually find that approaching 3 months from the fill date stamped on the bottle, the taste starts to go off.

I put this down too the fact it's in and out of varying degrees of temperature after manufacture.

[n00dle]

3 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

Yeah it is ridiculous. A night on the town can cost you more than a renta companion for the night. Now that is saying something there. Probably is expensive because everyone in government wants their fair share of scratcha the palm.

Maybe your hookers are just too cheap. But as we have seen, some folks are happy with Montclair.

Edited October 26, 2020 by n00dle

[holy cow cm]

18 minutes ago, n00dle said:

Maybe your hookers are just too cheap. But as we have seen, some folks are happy with Montclair.

You mean companions, but I have been out of that game for a long time except when sitting with friends visiting. the will partake in the extra curricular companion fun. Nothing against companions, but when I go out I actually really go out and have no set budget for drinking and being nice: and Montclair is utterly gross and overpriced. 

[Bangkok Barry]

The owners of the two breweries are among the richest men in Thailand. It is easy to understand why. I can buy five beers in a Spanish supermarket for the price of one in Thailand. Beer is grossly overpriced here. And let's not get started on the price of wine. A friend, also in Spain, posts the menu of a place he knows and you get a basic but decent meal there for less than 10 Euros which includes a beer or glass of wine. You would pay that for an imported beer or glass of wine alone in Thailand.

 

The pandemic is not the only reason there are no tourists in Thailand. Before, why bother coming, spending money on a flight, only to be charged more for your nights out than you would pay at home? The only bargain left in Thailand is some top-end hotels.

[Bangkok Barry]

11 hours ago, tgw said:

Furthermore, I'm unsure what the time restrictions for purchasing alcohol are supposed to achieve. Someone suggested it was to prevent youth's access to alcohol, but this would defy basic logic: 12:00-14:00 - alcohol allowed for sale, children are on lunchbreak. then, allowed again after 17:00, when children have come out of school already...

 

The law about limiting alcohol sales to just three daylight hours (11-14) was introduced by one of Thaksin's puritanical minsters, who also wanted to close bars at 10pm and nightclubs at midnight. It doesn't achieve anything at all. It's all about control. If they wanted to prevent sales to kids they only need to be asked to show their ID, like in the real world. But that obvious and easy solution hasn't yet entered the conscious of Thais.

 

[BritManToo]

21 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

A friend, also in Spain, posts the menu of a place he knows and you get a basic but decent meal there for less than 10 Euros which includes a beer or glass of wine. You would pay that for an imported beer or glass of wine alone in Thailand

Not really relevant as you don't need beer with your meal.

I just had a very nice lunch for two at a riverside cafe for 310bht, included a cold coffee each ( large beer each would have added 40bht).

It appears Spain is at least 2x the price of Thailand.

 

[khunPer]

The short, and also correct, answer is Tax...

 

Imported special brand beer also suffers from customs duty.

 

If you both wish the alcohol and save your money, then do as the Thais do, drink lao khao mixed with red Fanta...

[Thingamabob]

Tax. If you want to feel better about the price in Thailand try buying a bottle of beer in Scandinavia.

 

[n00dle]

3 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

You mean companions, but I have been out of that game for a long time except when sitting with friends visiting. the will partake in the extra curricular companion fun. Nothing against companions, but when I go out I actually really go out and have no set budget for drinking and being nice: and Montclair is utterly gross and overpriced. 

 

no, i meant hookers.

Good call on avoiding the montclair though.

Edited October 26, 2020 by n00dle

[Orton Rd]

Amazons price in the UK, far higher than 529 baht

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[Kwasaki]

7 hours ago, KC 71 said:

Obesity can be too.Way too much sugar !

Good point,  never saw overweight Thai people much 10 years ago and I see so many nowadays.

[Kwasaki]

7 hours ago, KC 71 said:

Obesity can be too.Way too much sugar !

Good point,  never saw overweight Thai people much 10 years ago and I see so many nowadays.

[Enzian]

And actually if you just want to save money and have also have tasty alcohol you can start with "white spirits" (157 baht per .7 and up at Foodland, 40% so 8 times the strength of beer, probably safe and won't make you blind), add mixer of choice and ice, and move up from there to Thai whiskey and rum, on up from there to the cheaper imported whiskeys and whiskys and gins etc., and all within the budget of anyone.

[Sydebolle]

On 10/25/2020 at 2:11 AM, Elkski said:

I can't imagine the input costs being so much greater in Thailand than in the US. 

Labor is surely lower. 

I think energy is similar. 

Hops?  

Barley?

 

I dont drink  Bud light or Cooks light but they are only 24 baht a can  At 31.2 baht/$.  Keystone only 21 baht. 

Decent small brewery beers that are quite tasty  are 9$ for 6 or 51 baht.   Real good microbrews maybe 75 baht per bottle.   Given the wage difference how can yiur average thai afford to drink any beer ????? I am currently enjoying some completion from a local brewery  Epic on the session  IPA.  On sale  Only 13$/12 it's quite hoppy  and  only 5%.  Reg proce was 17$ . This  good session IPA beer from midwest came into the market @ 16$/12.    All day IPA.  It is really good for hop lovers.  Granted some of you gents want high point for the buzz but I prefer having 1-2 without impairment.  I call them lawnmower beers.  Can mow without cutting foot off.  

 

Simple, you're not in the US, where Thai mangoes, orchids and Somtam cost manifold compared to Thailand. 

[Elkski]

5 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Simple, you're not in the US, where Thai mangoes, orchids and Somtam cost manifold compared to Thailand. 

Comparing mangos  and orchids to beer is crazy.   Why is Leo or Singha more than bud light?   Profiteering with a government sanctioned monopoly.   

[Don Chance]

17 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I don't know where you keep coming up with that 4-5 year reset.  In 31 years of attending thousands of AA meetings in 15 states and 4 countries, and hearing from thousands of recovering alcoholics, most lose the craving within 90 days.  Many within 30 days.  For a small percentage, it may take longer, but I've never heard of anyone taking 4-5 years to "reset" and quit thinking about beer. 

 

First, we never quit thinking about beer or wine or liquor.  Just like we'll never forget alligators if one has ever bitten us in the butt.  We just don't want any, and it's absolutely no sacrifice to do without it.

 

It's pretty irresponsible to try to convince people they'll be fighting a demon for 4-5 years if they choose to quit drinking.  The reality is that most folks are happier about their lives within a few months of giving it up- some even quicker.  You can see the growth if you watch them come in and keep coming back to the (free) meetings.

 

As I've said, if you don't have a problem with alcohol, enjoy.  And I mean that sincerely.  If you do have a problem, there are solutions, and none of the good ones take anywhere near 4-5 years.

 

That was my own experience, was one day i just noticed something different and i then realized that i wasn't thinking about getting a beer that day for once. That was about 4 year of not drinking or only occasionally. I have heard about resetting from alcohol and other drugs. The idea is that your nervous system has a memory and over time it may reset back to normal to a time when you had no association with alcohol. Once you reset you will see the side effects you were experiencing and realize it was not worth it. I had a beer the other day, but it did not taste like anything. The addiction is what makes the beer taste good. If you had never tasted beer before you wouldn't like it.

 

I had the same experience with weed, but that time i had to quit due to a throat infection, after 12 months i had reset and did not see the enjoyment in smoking it anymore even though my throat had recovered.

 

I have heard about the reset from other people about alcohol takes about 4-5 years. Notable Ozzie Osbourne in an interview said it took 4 years too. Maybe it is a genetic mutation. In your case i would suggest trying baclofen.  There are other ways to reset i have heard psychedelic in South america.

And Ayahuasca

 

 

[rott]

18 hours ago, n00dle said:

Enjoy, we will not be competing for the last box on the shelf.

 

Fruit wine is not really my thing. 

 

Forgive me if ignore any other opinions you may have based on the quality of this one 

Well you won't be competing with me for any box on the shelf, I am not a saddo who buys 3 litre boxes to sit at home and drink alone. 

I have the occasional glass in a bar when I don't just fancy a beer or coffee. 

[Sydebolle]

15 hours ago, Elkski said:

Comparing mangos  and orchids to beer is crazy.   Why is Leo or Singha more than bud light?   Profiteering with a government sanctioned monopoly.   

Because Leo, Singha and Chang is real beer and not watery brewery accidents in cans and stubbies  like Bud Light. Compare your Bud Light with the real original thing with proper hops, malt and (expensive) ingredients as brewed in its original version called Budějovický Budvar as produced in Czech since 1265. Anheuser-Busch was sneaky enough just before WW2 to cheat the Czechs out of their trademark ....

[Elkski]

YEs I am familiar with the dumbing down of many mega brewery beers and old enough to have tasted real gold can  Coors of the 60's as i grew up 15 miles from the Brewery ,and dads and uncles let the kids have a sip. Plus a sip as we fetched them a refill.

I drink for the taste. at least I think so.  Changover is the worst beer ever. Singha is bearable. Hennie is Thailand sure tastes like a dumbed down version from the 80's as that was my main beer.  I am now into the hoppy samplings under 5%.  I will occasionally enjoy a 8-10% IPA but I think the perfect ratio of malt to hops occurs at 6.5%   1 10% bomber as we call the 22 oz bottles will put me down for the evening.  

I am quite the experienced brewer myself with lots of brewery time if you include college short tours on Friday straight to the sampling bar for the first 2 free drinks of the evening at the Coors lab as we called it.  Just ask for the short tour.  I have a 4 liter all grain brew system including oxygen.  I was offered a job in a local micro brewery that went bigger.  The beer selection in my state has improved drastically in the last 20 years and I drank to much  and had a beer belly with up to 4 beers on tap.

I was not really talking about import beers and taxes in the OP.  But why would a local produced beer like  Leo, Singha, or Chang cost more than an equal beer in the USA?  I did find a small store that imported some great beers like Stone and such but a 12 oz bottle was 8-10USD  a 22oz import great beer was 800 baht or 20USD.  to think 1 bomber beer cost more than a average Thai salary shows the gap between rich and poor in Thailand. The profit on each bottle of Thai produced swill must be double that of USA breweries. 

[Meat Pie 47]

On 10/26/2020 at 3:34 PM, Thingamabob said:

Tax. If you want to feel better about the price in Thailand try buying a bottle of beer in Scandinavia.

 

Or Australia for that matter