What Can I Expect from the Friendship Store?

[jacko45k]

 

7 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

I thought the one under TukCom was a Tops Market, not a "Friendship" store. Wasn't aware of another "Friendship" along South Pattaya (or anywhere for that matter).

The old small one on 2nd Rd heading towards Thrappaya (in fact that used to be called Pratumnak Rd many years ago, from the Pattaya Tai/2nd junction... until they 'extended' 2nd Rd), was well used by me as I often stayed at The Residence Garden. Stopped off there many times to restock the room fridge, having had them remove their minibar stock. It was actually a decent sized fridge. Sad to hear that Friendship shop is no more. 

[KhunBENQ]

Another Friendship between WS and the intersection?

I must have missed it, distracted by other attractions.

Basement of Tukcom: 100% TOPS, 0 Friendship.

Friendship and TOPS in a race for record prices.

TOPS: 71 Baht for a carton of Malee juice (55 at Makro, 49 at some Chinese store in our area).

Chocolate at Friendship always leader of the pack.

Hard to find a more expensive place. Even Central on the beach comes cheaper.

Bread and bakery at Friendship avoided.

Not even close to BigC Extra.

 

I wonder why no one mentions the "new" glasshouse left to Friendship.

Some "exotic" cooking/baking supplies, kitchen hardware etc.

 

When I am in Pattaya: BigC Extra has almost all that I fancy. Plus occasional buy at Central on the beach.

[Mattd]

12 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

 

The old small one on 2nd Rd heading towards Thrappaya (in fact that used to be called Pratumnak Rd many years ago, from the Pattaya Tai/2nd junction... until they 'extended' 2nd Rd), was well used by me as I often stayed at The Residence Garden. Stopped off there many times to restock the room fridge, having had them remove their minibar stock. It was actually a decent sized fridge. Sad to hear that Friendship shop is no more. 

The old Friendship supermarket was actually on the link road between beach road and 2nd road, close to Bamboo Bar as per post above yours, this one was the original location long before the 'new' one on South Road proper and was quite small, they did extend it.

[Guderian]

When I first moved to Pattaya in 2004 I was too lazy to head up to Big Friendship, but as I was in Walking Street pretty much every night I often picked some shopping up in Small Friendship. It was located on the Walking Street side of South Pattaya Road, about halfway between the beach and the Second Road junction. I haven't been in there for years, but it had been going downhill for a long time, often seemed to depend on Indian customers more than farangs. Anyway, to jog memories or show those who never knew about it, here's a picture courtesy of Google Earth.

 

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, Mattd said:

The old Friendship supermarket was actually on the link road between beach road and 2nd road, close to Bamboo Bar as per post above yours, this one was the original location long before the 'new' one on South Road proper and was quite small, they did extend it.

Yes, now you mention it I recall one around there ......opposite or near Fra Pattaya where I ate a lot. Blurry past.....

 

[johng]

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Bread and bakery at Friendship avoided.

Not even close to BigC Extra.

 

I wonder why no one mentions the "new" glasshouse left to Friendship.

Some "exotic" cooking/baking supplies, kitchen hardware etc.

 

I much prefer the bread at Friendship or Foodmart  (Rick bakery)  to  the Big C  stuff which goes hard as a brick before I can eat it.

 

The "new" glasshouse  is still "friendship"  (used to be Decorum furniture store)

that is where I was serenaded by  unusually  happy cashier.

there is also a  "florist" to the right of the main building which opened as a specialist meat department...though could be closed right now I've not paid much attention to it.

 

 Seems no one remembers the basement !

[champers]

Wasn't Friendship the scene of a heinous crime a couple of years ago when a very naughty farang stood on a 20 Baht note that a Thai lady had dropped at checkout? The tawdry act was recorded by CCTV and broadcast all over the interweb. I can't recall if the culprit was German or English but the topic generated a very lively thread on these pages.

[johng]

Just now, champers said:

stood on a 20 Baht note

it was 1000 baht   yes they have CCTV

[champers]

2 minutes ago, johng said:

it was 1000 baht   yes they have CCTV

Wasn't you, was it?

[johng]

1 hour ago, champers said:

Wasn't you, was it?

Most certainly not  I'm honest John !!!!!

[KhunBENQ]

5 hours ago, johng said:

I much prefer the bread at Friendship or Foodmart  (Rick bakery)  to  the Big C  stuff which goes hard as a brick before I can eat it.

I see the point It's "French" style white-bread mostly.

Must not see sundown.

For me as a visitor it's OK.

What good bread is depends on background/culture.

Up here it's rye bread from a German baker, handmade.

[rott]

13 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Another Friendship between WS and the intersection?

I must have missed it, distracted by other attractions.

Basement of Tukcom: 100% TOPS, 0 Friendship.

Friendship and TOPS in a race for record prices.

TOPS: 71 Baht for a carton of Malee juice (55 at Makro, 49 at some Chinese store in our area).

Chocolate at Friendship always leader of the pack.

Hard to find a more expensive place. Even Central on the beach comes cheaper.

Bread and bakery at Friendship avoided.

Not even close to BigC Extra.

 

I wonder why no one mentions the "new" glasshouse left to Friendship.

Some "exotic" cooking/baking supplies, kitchen hardware etc.

 

When I am in Pattaya: BigC Extra has almost all that I fancy. Plus occasional buy at Central on the beach.

Anchor Cheddar 840 for 2 kilos, similar to Makro.? 

And other cheeses in that price range. 

Not been for a month or two. 

[Jingthing]

11 hours ago, johng said:

it was 1000 baht   yes they have CCTV

Be careful. What happens at Friendship doesn't stay at Friendship. 

[jacko45k]

15 hours ago, johng said:

I much prefer the bread at Friendship or Foodmart  (Rick bakery)  to  the Big C  stuff which goes hard as a brick before I can eat it.

The buns and long flat bread are good within 24 hours.... after that yes they are hard. 

Get as much of the air out of the bag as you can and freeze.... remove to thaw slowly at room temp for 2 or so hours and I find them okay. 

[phetphet]

On 7/6/2021 at 5:10 AM, Jingthing said:

Maybe he likes me. 

I wasn't imagining this.

I would look back at him, and then change aisles, and there he would be again, looking at me. Perhaps it annoyed him that I was acknowledging the cat and mouse game. 

You should have jumped two aisles, run down quickly, and come back up behind him. ????

[KhunBENQ]

9 hours ago, rott said:

Anchor Cheddar 840 for 2 kilos, similar to Makro.? 

Sorry, don't know. They have big blocks of cheese at Makro.

I never look after that.

I buy Gruyere or Appenzeller from a specialized shop in Udon for about 1000/kg.

Compare that.

[Jingthing]

5 hours ago, phetphet said:

You should have jumped two aisles, run down quickly, and come back up behind him. ????

I'll take that suggestion under advisement.

[Espanol]

On 7/6/2021 at 3:29 AM, johng said:

There is another smaller "Friendship"  further down South Pattaya road near to Walking street.

That's the only Friendship that I know:

 

Friendship Supermarket +66 38 723 513 https://maps.app.goo.gl/9bLtyN5hzVgnmu1J8

 

[rott]

21 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Sorry, don't know. They have big blocks of cheese at Makro.

I never look after that.

I buy Gruyere or Appenzeller from a specialized shop in Udon for about 1000/kg.

Compare that.

Compare what with what.? 

 

But OK I am chastened and pretty much wiped out. You have proved that you are of the discerning elite while I am of the lumpen proletariat and you have too much class even to mention how rich you are. 

 

But back to basics, the question was what is in Friendship. One answer is cheese that is probably half the price charged by other local supermarkets. 

[johng]

9 hours ago, Espanol said:

That's the only Friendship that I know:

the other one  is pictured earlier in this thread

 

[johng]

On 7/7/2021 at 10:43 AM, redwood1 said:

that was/is? the other friendship store....It was/is?

Yes that was the smaller "Friendship"

[LongTimeLurker]

On 7/6/2021 at 8:29 AM, johng said:

Remember the old joke about the basement in Friendship ?

No?

[johng]

1 hour ago, LongTimeLurker said:

No?

Neither can I that's why I asked ????

[Eindhoven]

On 7/7/2021 at 5:55 AM, KhunBENQ said:

Another Friendship between WS and the intersection?

I must have missed it, distracted by other attractions.

Basement of Tukcom: 100% TOPS, 0 Friendship.

Friendship and TOPS in a race for record prices.

TOPS: 71 Baht for a carton of Malee juice (55 at Makro, 49 at some Chinese store in our area).

Chocolate at Friendship always leader of the pack.

Hard to find a more expensive place. Even Central on the beach comes cheaper.

Bread and bakery at Friendship avoided.

Not even close to BigC Extra.

 

I wonder why no one mentions the "new" glasshouse left to Friendship.

Some "exotic" cooking/baking supplies, kitchen hardware etc.

 

When I am in Pattaya: BigC Extra has almost all that I fancy. Plus occasional buy at Central on the beach.

 

Don't agree with you at all. Friendship do have some good prices. Maybe not always for the things for which you buy; though for the things that I buy the prices are either competitive or unbeatable.

For instance, their honey(thaihoney.net) 360 grs is 56 baht, as compared to 86 baht everywhere else. Currently they have 500 grams of unsalted Anchor butter for 170 baht. 

There are many things that I buy there that are competitive.

[actonion]

One thing i find more then anything in that store is out of date  "sell by dates,"     &  Cheddar  Cheese with  Green mold ..when you make it known to the cashier it is quickly  put under the counter,     it  has happened more than once

[JensenZ]

On 7/6/2021 at 4:39 AM, Jingthing said:

There is a security guard there that used to always follow me around. He didn't like my look. Haven't been there lately since the pandemic, so don't know if he's still working there.

 

I guess I can't blame him. Lots of f-rangs wearing cargo shorts. Big pockets in cargo shorts. 

 

I wonder if they get an extra bonus for nabbing an f-rang.

 I'm a frequent shopper at Friendship, and in 15 years I've never had a security guard follow me around. Are you afraid to wash your hair in the shower in case you open your eyes and someone's watching you? Maybe it's just paranoia.

 

 

[rott]

It is a supermarket, some places are cheaper on some things and some aren't. Try it. If you prefer other places, go there, no big deal. 

[Henryford]

I prefer Friendship and i think it's cheaper than most of the big supermarkets. If i can be arsed though i go to Siamburis which is great for cheese and western items.

[actonion]

On 7/5/2021 at 9:42 PM, rott said:

You mean it doesn't move.? 

 

Cheap cheese as well. 

Watch out for the mold

 

[rott]

16 minutes ago, actonion said:

Watch out for the mold

 

Long time since I've bought a big brick but never seen mould on one. Usually now it's smaller pieces of Gouda or Edam and no I've never had a problem with them either.