Can we still afford to shop at Thai supermarkets?

[RafPinto]

For all the pressure on prices/labour/food/oil, thank the Scheinese for their present which nobody wanted and we were slowly starting to recover, the ruskies through us another problem, which nobody wanted.

 

 

[Kwaibill]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

The fact that they use chemicals banned in other countries, Thailand was supposed to ban them but didn't. Also even if they were banned, they would still be in use under the counter. Living in an agricultural village and seeing what goes on outside my own gate is enough for me to stick to frozen imported (mostly).

Several farms in my family that do nothing of the sort, and one of which is a hub for an agricultural co-op and supplies the chemicals the members are permitted to use. 

Look again at the requirements for "organic" produce in Tnailand, or keep on spending doubie for imported that is no better. 

แ

(, "up to you")

14 hours ago, Stargeezr said:

People tend to eat the food that they grew up with, and are comfortable with.

When I visit Thailand, I will try a local dish or two, but generally eat the western

food that my body is used to. My Thai family cooks up snow peas, and other

food for me, and they do not use, nam pla, or a lot of salt as they know I cannot

stand it.  I cannot eat some of the veggies from Thailand, as they are too hard to chew

  and some have a flavor that I cannot get used to. That is my reason for eating the

more expensive western foods, for the posters who seem to think that I should only eat

Thai or Asian food.   Good luck to all you shoppers.

Yeah, some of the veggies give you a good jaw workout.????

Trying to covince my wife that it is not "all or nothing" regarding Thai food. A little nam pla or nam prik I find flavorful. I just can't do four alarm amounts that she has been eating her entire life. Sometimes even she  flaps her hand in front of her mouth with a take away dish!????

[RafPinto]

I filled my tank last week in Kanchanaburi.
It was 35,7baht a litre diesel.
Now at Shell here in BKK, close to 40

11% up in a week.
I feel for the thais who just get by and need their car, motorbike to go to work or transport fruit, vegetables or other items to make a living.
They can't just increase the price by 11%

 

 

Edited March 5, 2022 by RafPinto

[scubascuba3]

15 minutes ago, RafPinto said:

Recently, I see thais looking not very welcoming when they see farangs also getting some discounted items.

.

I've noticed the same thing when i buy street food, thais sometimes comment farang should pay more, sellers laugh it off and puts them right

[Kwaibill]

7 minutes ago, RafPinto said:

I go to Lotus's, Big C, market etc.
Often I go to my local Lotus's in the evening and if there are some fruit or vegetables discounted on the table, I often get a few of them home.
Recently, I see thais looking not very welcoming when they see farangs also getting some discounted items.

They probably think that all farangs should not touch discounted items as they can afford to pay the full price.

 

I can but if I see some blueberries for 30Baht, i take them, why not.

Fifty years habit of buying discounted items, using coupons, etc. In fact had a game with one sib about who saved the most on weekly shopping.

I do sometimes pass on an item that a Thai person might benefit from, but then I sometimes see one with an entire basket chock full of yellow label goods. Obviously more money than I have. (Because I keep an "allowance" and give  most to my wife, who usually manages it better than I, ????)

Someone who disdains you for taking advantage of a bargain would likely find something else to feed their xenophobia with, if not that.

 

[Speedhump]

On 3/4/2022 at 2:17 AM, pomchop said:

"I would say my personal food shop has gone up around 20% in the last six months, especially if I stick to the expat-type style supermarkets."

 

These expat markets selling western foods have always been premium priced....if u want western food maybe live in the west or if you MUST have it in Thailand be prepared to pay major premiums.  Never ceases to amaze me how many falangs move to Thailand and then try to eat/drink like they are back in their home country.

 

 

Did you also stop listening to Justin Beiber? And watch Thai TV soaps? And eat cross-legged on the floor? And if so, why? You believe you should? Seems you like to decide how much of the local culture immigrants must live by.... 

[The Hammer2021]

Just buy less. Its that simple

[Lacessit]

8 hours ago, crouchpeter said:

Have them surgically removed. I did, and no more itching, no more molesting and raping, no more dark thoughts. Plus, I'm more attractive to other men with my high voice and plump, cuddly body!

Only photos and videos with audio will prove you are not fibbing to us.

[Lacessit]

4 hours ago, RafPinto said:

They probably think that all farangs should not touch discounted items as they can afford to pay the full price.

 

I can but if I see some blueberries for 30Baht, i take them, why not.

I check the use-by date on discounted items.

I don't care what Thais think, it's my money and my choice as to how I spend it.

[Seppius]

Limes at the local market near me, just went from B5 to B7, maybe its a seasonal thing

[zoltannyc]

On 3/4/2022 at 7:53 AM, sirineou said:

We mostly food shop at Macro, and at the morning market in Khon Kaen. 

Prices and selection in Lotu'sesssss (LOL we always make fun of the name change)  are crazy in relationship to the local markets. 

I went a few times to Tops and and once to Villa Market in Udon Thani and was not impressed. 

I have a meat grinder attachment to my kitchen-aid and we grind our own ground pork and beef,  There is little , if any, difference in  price between ground pork  and Pork shoulder , but in your own ground you can control the quality and amount of fat.

We bake out own Bread. really very easy to do, and very inexpensive. I refrigerate parts of it and when I am ready to eat, I throw it in the air fryer for a few minutes, It always comes out like freshly baked. The bread they sell at the suppermarkets is cr#p 

I also make my own sausages and freeze them .

Plenty of videos on videos on you tube on how to do any of these things.

I am now waiting for wife to wake up, to go to the morning market,  Today I am in the mood for Beets, 

sliced, and Boiled until soft, then served with olive oil vinegar, , Oregano , salt and Pepper, Love dipping my freshly baked or warmed bread in the juice.  Just remember that you ate beets the next day you go to the bathroom or you can have an alarming experience ????

 

 

Very nice looking Dutch oven bread, my wife is keeping some sourdough starter and she makes very good sourdough bread and scones. Agree it's not easy to find good bread especially for Europeans (We do not consider Wonderbread and similar products as bread).

[ChaiyaTH]

Tesco discounts meat and vegetables etc after around 8PM daily

[EVENKEEL]

5 hours ago, John Drake said:

M&Ms in Thailand are made in China.  That's why "melts in your mouth, not in your hands" doesn't work here.

Say it's not so, I'm devastated. No joking. M&M's made in China is just wrong.

[placeholder]

46 minutes ago, Seppius said:

Limes at the local market near me, just went from B5 to B7, maybe its a seasonal thing

Limes get scarce during the hot season.

[Jimbo53]

6 hours ago, Marvest said:

This is not a Thai supermarket problem.  It's not a Thai problem.  We are experiencing global inflation.  Thailand is still relatively less expensive than the high prices you moved from in your country with a highly developed economy. 

 

COVID disrupted supply chains and exposed concerns and vulnerabilities.  Inflation is the result of a less reliable global supply chain.  It will take time for the volume and efficiency to return.  At the same time, countries are trying to reduce their dependence on certain foreign goods.  The future supply chain will be different than the past.  This contributes to new inefficiencies that will have upward price pressure to be ironed out over time.  The Ukraine situation has caused oil to jump which temporarily adds to global inflation.

 

If you moved here to avoid higher prices in your home country, you have two things working against you; 1. global inflation, 2. Thailand's is becoming a late stage industrialized nation that will, along with many good things, increase the cost of living.

 

The solution?  Move to an economic area that is further behind in it's development -- like many of you did when you moved to Thailand years ago.

 

But if you believe inflation is truly encroaching on your standard of living there is another solution: borrow money at low fixed interest rates and buy depressed real assets.   Interest rates are low and the Bank of Thailand just announced they will keep rates low for several months.  

 

I know the mood of this forum is that property is a bad endeavor because it's depressed, rent is cheap, tourism is dead, etc.  What is the saying? "Buy low, sell high."  Guess what?, real property prices are low, inflation is high, and money is cheap.  

Guess what.. Foreigners cannot own land in their own name!

[Marvest]

7 minutes ago, Jimbo53 said:

Guess what.. Foreigners cannot own land in their own name!

Condo

[Jimbo53]

16 minutes ago, Marvest said:

Condo

Give that person a coconut,i said LAND.

[Scott]

Off-topic graphic removed.

 

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, Marvest said:

Condo

That's not land now is it...

[Marvest]

Some of us will not be able to afford shopping at Thai Supermarkets because we have inadequate  fixed incomes that don't keep up with inflation.  Those of us who know how to generate income and wealth through investing will continue to shop at Thai Supermarkets.  You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink.

[Sunderland]

On 3/4/2022 at 8:00 AM, Dialemco said:

Thailand is no longer a third world country  so it is no longer a good place to retire on a fixed income . Having said that UK is suffering big inflationary costs of up to 20% as is much of Europe. Days of cheap food are now just a memory. If you can't afford to live in Thailand plan to go home.

If you can't afford to live in Thailand, you probably can't afford to go home.

[billd766]

On 3/4/2022 at 2:17 AM, pomchop said:

"I would say my personal food shop has gone up around 20% in the last six months, especially if I stick to the expat-type style supermarkets."

 

These expat markets selling western foods have always been premium priced....if u want western food maybe live in the west or if you MUST have it in Thailand be prepared to pay major premiums.  Never ceases to amaze me how many falangs move to Thailand and then try to eat/drink like they are back in their home country.

 

 

We have 3 markets a week in the big village plus the 2 local daily markets and whilst some food is more expensive most of it is still reasonably priced according to my wife. I usually go up to Kamphaeng Phet to BigC and Makro once a month for a bulk shop.

 

The last time we put diesel in the pickup it was 28th February and cost 29.05 per litre. In January and February the price has varied from a high of 31.15 to a low of 29.05 baht per litre.

[scubascuba3]

In the UK they are talking about average household energy bills being £3k\130k baht a year, in Thailand for me it's a 10th of that, so can't really complain about the food prices too much

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

In the UK they are talking about average household energy bills being £3k\130k baht a year, in Thailand for me it's a 10th of that, so can't really complain about the food prices too much

My council tax in the UK was more than my mortgage repayments in Thailand. 

[scubascuba3]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

My council tax in the UK was more than my mortgage repayments in Thailand. 

Yes, that is one of the reasons we are here, my council tax was 9k baht a month equivalent, i could rent a nice condo for that

[StayinThailand2much]

On 3/5/2022 at 12:38 PM, CharlieH said:

The fact that they use chemicals banned in other countries, Thailand was supposed to ban them but didn't. Also even if they were banned, they would still be in use under the counter. Living in an agricultural village and seeing what goes on outside my own gate is enough for me to stick to frozen imported (mostly).

True. Being reminded of this, I don't mind paying 2-3x inflated prices for imported goods. Beats getting (overly) poisoned by local produce.

[bangkokstick]

Living in Thailand and complaining that supermarkets are expensive... 555...

I guess that Thailand is not ready to attract the millionaire tourists...

 

 

[Kwaibill]

On 3/5/2022 at 7:10 PM, Jimbo53 said:

Guess what.. Foreigners cannot own land in their own name!

True, but wondering what that has to do with supermarket prices.

[KhunLA]

22 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

True. Being reminded of this, I don't mind paying 2-3x inflated prices for imported goods. Beats getting (overly) poisoned by local produce.

Imported from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, where a lot of western branded goods / foods are produced, but charge silly prices as if imported from far away; UK, EU or USA.

 

Y'all need to read the labels a bit.  Just because it says Kellogg's, Nestle's, MMs, Snickers, Mars, Hershey doesn't mean it's produced & imported from where the home HQs is located.

[RafPinto]

Had a walk through Villa Market.
Crazy prices.

Strawberries for 250-455Baht

1 avocado 85 baht

 

And many other crazy prices but there must be people paying those prices otherwise it wouldn't be on offer.