Siam Makro joins Thai government in capping good prices to help ease living costs

[webfact]

 

By Panithan Onthaworn

 

Siam Makro Plc (MAKRO), the wholesale unit of the Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, is working with the Commerce Ministry to cap the prices of over 4,000 products as Thai households struggle with rising household costs.

 

As the Thai economy reels from record-high inflation driven by spiking global energy and food prices, the general public and small businesses have become more vulnerable to higher costs.

 

With collaboration from the Commerce Ministry, the wholesaler announced that it has capped prices of essential items such as fresh food at every Makro store nationwide to help alleviate living costs. 

 

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Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/38761/siam-makro-joins-thai-government-in-capping-good-prices-to-help-ease-living-costs/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2022-03-21

 

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[ThailandRyan]

Will there be two prices, one for Foreigners and then one for Thai's or will it truly be the same......

When we buy fresh vegetables I have to look at the sticker they put on to verify they rung it up right, a few times I have caught a mistake and the GF has gone back and asked the clerk if the price is right.  They then reweigh it and a new sticker gets attached with a lower price.  The same has happened in the meat and poultry section as well as in the fresh fish section.  Now I do not even bother going to those sections I send the GF over to get what.s needed, she knows by now what the standards I have are for certain items.

[StayinThailand2much]

If they're 'good prices', why is there a need for a price cap?

Edited March 21, 2022 by StayinThailand2much

[realfunster]

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

Siam Makro Plc (MAKRO), the wholesale unit of the Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group

Wouldn't it be easier for TV readers if a list was published of businesses that aren't actually owned by CP Group ?

Just for consumer information. I am sure that it wouldn't take long.

 

Around my parts :

The Mom & Pop shop at the end of the Soi. The 7-11s and Lotus'sss (sic) are inexorably edging closer, but they are surviving for now.

The bloke with the cha-yen motorbike sidecar stall

That pick-up truck that circulates on a weekly basis selling mops & brooms

Erm.......yeah, that's about it. 

 

 

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, realfunster said:

Wouldn't it be easier for TV readers if a list was published of businesses that aren't actually owned by CP Group ?

Just for consumer information. I am sure that it wouldn't take long.

 

Around my parts :

The Mom & Pop shop at the end of the Soi. The 7-11s and Lotus'sss (sic) are inexorably edging closer, but they are surviving for now.

The bloke with the cha-yen motorbike sidecar stall

That pick-up truck that circulates on a weekly basis selling mops & brooms

Erm.......yeah, that's about it. 

 

 

 

 

What about the Ice Cream seller, or yogurt seller that rides a bike with a sidecar refrigerator on it, as well as the mobile coffee folks, they surely are not owned by CP, but then it is called CP-All for a reason i would venture to guess.

[EricTh]

19 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Will there be two prices, one for Foreigners and then one for Thai's or will it truly be the same......

When we buy fresh vegetables I have to look at the sticker they put on to verify they rung it up right, a few times I have caught a mistake and the GF has gone back and asked the clerk if the price is right.  They then reweigh it and a new sticker gets attached with a lower price.  The same has happened in the meat and poultry section as well as in the fresh fish section.  Now I do not even bother going to those sections I send the GF over to get what.s needed, she knows by now what the standards I have are for certain items.

 

This is the first time I heard of double pricing in Makro.

 

[ThailandRyan]

Just now, EricTh said:

 

This is the first time I heard of double pricing in Makro.

 

Have you ever truly checked the price on your produce or meat they labeled after weighing it?  The other products no way in hell they could charge different but the other Items as I indicated I have had issues and is why I send the GF into those sections.  Remember unless you can read Thai how will you now if the affixed label is correct?  

[Excel]

Jacked them up first then pretending they are helping the people by freezing the artificially high prices. Well typical of the type of people that suck the blood out of this country with the full support of the leeches who really run this country

[JoePai]

Just now, Excel said:

Jacked them up first then pretending they are helping the people by freezing the artificially high prices. Well typical of the type of people that suck the blood out of this country with the full support of the leeches who really run this country

You don't have to shop there - go to Villa instead

[ThailandRyan]

Just now, JoePai said:

You don't have to shop there - go to Villa instead

Prices 3 to 5 times higher there for the fruit, veggies and meat.....l????

[JoePai]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

Prices 3 to 5 times higher there for the fruit, veggies and meat.....l????

Agree but it stops people moaning about jacking up prices (as they no need to)

[Hoppyone]

7 minutes ago, Excel said:

Jacked them up first then pretending they are helping the people by freezing the artificially high prices. Well typical of the type of people that suck the blood out of this country with the full support of the leeches who really run this country

 Be helping many people if could buy 2 bottles of coke in stead of 12 the list goes on & on ect ect ect, then wait in line at check out for 10 min then go join queue for security to check items , no thanks , there not any cheaper apart from occasionally saving couple baht

[timendres]

3 minutes ago, Hoppyone said:

 Be helping many people if could buy 2 bottles of coke in stead of 12 the list goes on & on ect ect ect, then wait in line at check out for 10 min then go join queue for security to check items , no thanks , there not any cheaper apart from occasionally saving couple baht

If you are referring to Makro, then "saving couple baht" is understating the fact. Between Villa and Makro, the savings are easily 40% and up. Huge savings on produce and meat. Coke is not something they can really discount dramatically, so it makes no sense to expect large discounts on products like that. Since Makro is primarily aimed at selling to vendors (i.e., small restaurants and street vendors), then, of course, they sell most things in bulk. If you cannot purchase in bulk, then you will pay the premium for places like Villa (which I still love).

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, timendres said:

If you are referring to Makro, then "saving couple baht" is understating the fact. Between Villa and Makro, the savings are easily 40% and up. Huge savings on produce and meat. Coke is not something they can really discount dramatically, so it makes no sense to expect large discounts on products like that. Since Makro is primarily aimed at selling to vendors (i.e., small restaurants and street vendors), then, of course, they sell most things in bulk. If you cannot purchase in bulk, then you will pay the premium for places like Villa (which I still love).

Really good prices on tinned tuna, sausages, bacon, cheese, orange juice, M&Ms ........

Fruit and veg, much cheaper in my local market.

Apart from apples, can't beat Chinese pinks in Makro!

Edited March 21, 2022 by BritManToo

[jerrymahoney]

I love Makro because it opens at 6 AM. I only buy at Makro what is not available elsewhere -- which is a lot -- most of which does not have to be weighed or itemized.

[Harry Black]

27 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Have you ever truly checked the price on your produce or meat they labeled after weighing it?  The other products no way in hell they could charge different but the other Items as I indicated I have had issues and is why I send the GF into those sections.  Remember unless you can read Thai how will you now if the affixed label is correct?  

Why would the guy on the fruit and veg want to charge you more? Once its rung in the till how would he/she get her cut from Makro? It's not like they are handling money for their own gains is it?

 

Our family has been shopping in Makro for years and never had a problem.

 

The only issue I can see is a mistake, IE 2 type of a vegetable, one local and a more expensive import. Just tell the guy doing the weighing that's its local produce and you will get the local price.

 

The labels are also in English and Thai (at least they are in Pattaya) it will tell you what you bought. It even says how much a kilo and how much yours cost.

 

Sorry, I dont believe there is dual pricing policy in Makro.

[BritManToo]

35 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Remember unless you can read Thai how will you now if the affixed label is correct?  

One of the first things I learned to do ....... read Thai, very useful.

Speaking and understanding ........ not so useful.

[ThailandRyan]

8 minutes ago, Harry Black said:

Why would the guy on the fruit and veg want to charge you more? Once its rung in the till how would he/she get her cut from Makro? It's not like they are handling money for their own gains is it?

 

Our family has been shopping in Makro for years and never had a problem.

 

The only issue I can see is a mistake, IE 2 type of a vegetable, one local and a more expensive import. Just tell the guy doing the weighing that's its local produce and you will get the local price.

 

The labels are also in English and Thai (at least they are in Pattaya) it will tell you what you bought. It even says how much a kilo and how much yours cost.

 

Sorry, I dont believe there is dual pricing policy in Makro.

Never have seen a price label affixed to my veggies or meat here in Bangkok at the Makro we shop at in English, it is all in Thai as well as the receipt itself.   I have shopped at Makro's for over 10 years between Bangkok and Udon Thani, and as I said have never seen a label in English affixed.

 

As far as dual pricing and someone pocketing the money it definitely wouldn't be the clerk who mispriced the item now would it be.  I can not begin to tell you how many times things have been over priced and when taken back are re-priced correctly.  If you can not read Thai as I stated and you do not check the prices you can and may be overcharged.  To me it's like the old butcher putting his thump on the scale as they weigh your meat......they then can pull a little of the product for themselves now.  Does it happen all of the time, well that is a definite No but it does occur....

Edited March 21, 2022 by ThailandRyan

[Bruno123]

Doesn't explain why bell peppers are 159 baht per kg at Makro Cash & Carry and 129 baht per kg at Makro Food Service; 10 kms apart.

[Excel]

43 minutes ago, JoePai said:

You don't have to shop there - go to Villa instead

What a stupid reply.

[vinci]

they cap the price because they already raise the price

[JimHuaHin]

Are they capping the prices after they put them up?  I have noticed that many items on Lotus's shelves have gone up by 10-15% over the past 2 weeks.

 

[KhunLA]

It is all a bit of a joke.  Is there anyone, that believes any of the news any more, no matter what it's about.  Do they really think people are that stupid ?

Edited March 21, 2022 by KhunLA

[Hoppyone]

1 hour ago, timendres said:

If you are referring to Makro, then "saving couple baht" is understating the fact. Between Villa and Makro, the savings are easily 40% and up. Huge savings on produce and meat. Coke is not something they can really discount dramatically, so it makes no sense to expect large discounts on products like that. Since Makro is primarily aimed at selling to vendors (i.e., small restaurants and street vendors), then, of course, they sell most things in bulk. If you cannot purchase in bulk, then you will pay the premium for places like Villa (which I still love).

For the hassles of check out ect inc price not much difference from big C or Tesco, never shopped at Villa where ever they are lol

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

As the Thai economy reels from record-high inflation driven by spiking global energy and food prices, the general public and small businesses have become more vulnerable to higher costs.

Global gouging, no other reason.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

If they're 'good prices', why is there a need for a price cap?

Gouging

[clivebaxter]

16 minutes ago, Hoppyone said:

For the hassles of check out ect inc price not much difference from big C or Tesco, never shopped at Villa where ever they are lol

I thought that at one time but after doing a shop at soi 20 found different, some items like cheese and Japanese curries are far cheaper, Villa has been around since 1974, you must have seen one

[Sophon]

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Never have seen a price label affixed to my veggies or meat here in Bangkok at the Makro we shop at in English, it is all in Thai as well as the receipt itself.   I have shopped at Makro's for over 10 years between Bangkok and Udon Thani, and as I said have never seen a label in English affixed.

 

As far as dual pricing and someone pocketing the money it definitely wouldn't be the clerk who mispriced the item now would it be.  I can not begin to tell you how many times things have been over priced and when taken back are re-priced correctly.  If you can not read Thai as I stated and you do not check the prices you can and may be overcharged.  To me it's like the old butcher putting his thump on the scale as they weigh your meat......they then can pull a little of the product for themselves now.  Does it happen all of the time, well that is a definite No but it does occur....

If you have never seen a label with English product name in Makro, then you haven't been paying attention. Most of the products in the meat and vegetable section has the name in English (as well as Thai), and Makro's computer system is centralized, so there is no difference in labelling between different branches.  

 

Besides, when your product is being weighed the scale shows a picture of the product on the display, so it's easy to see if they entered the wrong product code.

[AgentSmith]

2 hours ago, timendres said:

Since Makro is primarily aimed at selling to vendors (i.e., small restaurants and street vendors), then, of course, they sell most things in bulk. If you cannot purchase in bulk, then you will pay the premium for places like Villa (which I still love).

Well indeed. Makro is originally a Dutch wholesale market. Back in The Netherlands we always needed a card just to be able to shop there and the only way to get a card was if you owned a business. Not sure if that's still the case but I think it is.

 

That said standards in the Thai branch aren't quite the same. I've visited Thai Makro stores with rancid looking meat departments. The one in Chantaburi is a really bad (good) example of that. The food only branches seem to be better on average but put simply I'm not a fan. Also for a store of foreign origin their import section especially from Europe is very limited.

 

I much prefer Big C, especially the extra large branches. Not that I like big supermarkets that much but out of all the cheaper box stores their international section is simply the best. Sure if you are looking for very specific stuff you're better off in Tops, Villa Market or any luxury mall. I love shopping there the most despite the prices.

Edited March 21, 2022 by AgentSmith

[Harry Black]

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Never have seen a price label affixed to my veggies or meat here in Bangkok at the Makro we shop at in English, it is all in Thai as well as the receipt itself.   I have shopped at Makro's for over 10 years between Bangkok and Udon Thani, and as I said have never seen a label in English affixed.

 

As far as dual pricing and someone pocketing the money it definitely wouldn't be the clerk who mispriced the item now would it be.  I can not begin to tell you how many times things have been over priced and when taken back are re-priced correctly.  If you can not read Thai as I stated and you do not check the prices you can and may be overcharged.  To me it's like the old butcher putting his thump on the scale as they weigh your meat......they then can pull a little of the product for themselves now.  Does it happen all of the time, well that is a definite No but it does occur....

I think you must be going to the only store where its only in Thai.

 

Besides, you dont need to be able to read Thai to see how much it is a kilo on the label, and the displayed price.