Why is Milk So Pricey In Thailand?

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, billd766 said:

AFAIR

 

Cows eat the grass and leave the roots to grow again.

 

Goats and sheep eat all of the grass and the roots which makes it harder for the grass to regrow. They get moved to a different area to allow regrowth of the grass.

 

Sounds reasonable, but these come and go at quite short intervals. I remain puzzled.

[kickstart]

12 hours ago, stoner said:

there was others on the list too not only this as a daily.

 

A typical dairy cow’s diet may include:

• 30-35 pounds (14-16 kg) of baled hay (26-30 pounds DM)

Do what a Thai cow will eat about 7-8 kg of rice straw a day  no hay here in Thailand ,about 1-2kg of DM, dry matter ,the main diet is made up of low energy  concentrate, that is expensive ,plus cassava waste ,waste from soya milk production .and in my area brewers grains.

The flavoured milk you buy is made up from imported milk powered ,mainly from Australia and NZ.

The cattle you see next the roadside are beef cattle not dairy cattle most Thai dairy cows are kept  like the American system cattle in sheds and food is brought to them ,very little grass is feed ,as said it is mainly rice straw ,which gives a low quality milk ,that is why ,they is very little cream on top of the milk.

Breeds now come from imported semen ,mainly from the USA .and has done for some years now ,no Zebu cattle or any crosses .

Cows are not on strike just a lot less of them, high feed costs ,high bank borrowing ,a lot of dairy farms have given up about 2 years ago they were 30 000 dairy farms in Thailand .now they are 16 000 ,and some are still giving up .

So, milk may become white gold less fames more demand, price will only go up .

As from 1st January next year Thailand under  WTO World Trade Organization ,have to drop all tariffs on imported milk products ,mainly milk powder,a knife in the back for inefficient  Thai dairy farmers ,but good for Thai milk companies the can produce milk products at a low price than Thai dairy farmers can produce ,will milk prices drop ,no ,just more money for Thai and their foreign milk companies partners.

[JackGats]

We are lucky Thai babies drink milk too. Otherwise milk would be as expensive as whisky in Thailand.

[save the frogs]

8 minutes ago, JackGats said:

We are lucky Thai babies drink milk too. Otherwise milk would be as expensive as whisky in Thailand.

But thats exactly what you need to ask yourself.

 

Do you spend too much money on alcohol and have no money left over for essentials like milk? 

 

[still kicking]

3 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

But thats exactly what you need to ask yourself.

 

Do you spend too much money on alcohol and have no money left over for essentials like milk? 

 

According to vegans only baby caws can drink caws milk.

[georgegeorgia]

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

 

Maybe, just maybe, it's time to pull the pin and go home to Tesco's cheap milk?

Pull the pin out of those big bum cheeks you had last time I saw you.

I was going to tell you to get off the bar stool and hit the gym , look after your health please !

[surreybloke]

3 hours ago, kickstart said:

As from 1st January next year Thailand under  WTO World Trade Organization ,have to drop all tariffs on imported milk products ,mainly milk powder,a knife in the back for inefficient  Thai dairy farmers ,but good for Thai milk companies the can produce milk products at a low price than Thai dairy farmers can produce ,will milk prices drop ,no ,just more money for Thai and their foreign milk companies partners.

will we see cheese and butter at sensible prices  ??

[save the frogs]

3 hours ago, still kicking said:

According to vegans only baby caws can drink caws milk.

cow or caw?

[Old Croc]

Ideally, the dairy industry requires a cool climate, with good rainfall to produce nutrient rich grasses. Think about where the best milk, butter and cheeses come from. Tropical climate countries like Thailand wont feature highly. 

As others have stated, Thai cattle are hardier, with Brahman type breeds most common, and are bred for meat (which also pales in comparison to beef from elsewhere).

So traditionally, Thais don't consume much dairy. Many are lactose intolerant. It's rather disingenuous to complain about prices of alien products when so many other things here are so cheap. With western influences, things are slowly changing, and dairy products are now more common in this country.

Many years ago, a well-liked and respected Brit member of this forum tried to establish a dairy herd in Issan. I recall he lost all to TB and he returned home permanently.

[cowellandrew]

On 6/15/2024 at 6:08 PM, SteveJames said:

95-105 Baht for 2 Litres of Milk on Grab and in TOPS...  thats around £2.20 ... My mate just showed me £1.49 at Tescos in the UK.  I always noticed Milk was not cheap here, I call it "White Gold" in this house...But Why?   Do Dairy Cows go on Strike here?

Yes cows do go on strike!

After about 10 months after giving birth to a calf they stop giving milk,

Until another gestation then birth of another calf,

[Drumbuie]

21 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

A place near me sometimes has around 40-50 goats, My wife said it was for their milk, and when I saw it for sale in the supermarket I saw the attraction. It was very expensive. What puzzles me is that sometimes the goats are there and sometimes they aren't.

They must be Schrödinger's goats. 

[steven100]

21 hours ago, stoner said:

there was others on the list too not only this as a daily.

 

A typical dairy cow’s diet may include:

• 30-35 pounds (14-16 kg) of baled hay (26-30 pounds DM)

does that include 1/2 kg of plastic from the rubbish dump

[koolkarl]

Everything has become pricey in Thailand. Prices this year alone have increased 10 to 20% right across the board and the friendly politicians keep brainwashing you that there is no inflation so they can reward you 1% per annum on your time deposit!!  Soon the natives will get restless...

[Dionigi]

9 hours ago, BusNo8 said:

 

Lol. Practically all milk in Thailand derived from powder.

 

Valid question. Why is powdered milk so expensive.

Dehydrated cows

[pomchop]

19 hours ago, Angus55 said:

No big macs for you then.

Have not had one of them in well over a decade....in fact have never been to a mcdonalds in thailand ...overpriced and to me not as good as lots of different Thai dishes....sad to see so many Thais seem to be going down the mcdonalds path as over time gonna be lot more butts the size of texas...

 

i remember when mcdons opened in Chiang Rai about 10+ years ago....the young thai high school kids would go there and about six of them would share one order of fries....guess it was cool to sit in a mcd's but food not to their taste or budget...

[stoner]

51 minutes ago, steven100 said:

does that include 1/2 kg of plastic from the rubbish dump

 

well done. 

[dayo202]

Not many dairy cows in Thailand because to hot 🔥 🐄 

[ChaiyaTH]

Milk is not expensive at all in Thailand, and you can get it even cheaper too if you buy the 5L from Makro instead of the 2L. It is actually super cheap, specially knowing this is not a country where there are that many cows.

 

I'm lucky to be able and drive to the Danish place near Chiang Mai zoo in just minutes, there they even get me fresh milk for a good price. To say milk here is expensive is just nonsense. Some things you pay slightly more than back home but most you already pay less.

Edited June 17 by ChaiyaTH

[TigerandDog]

On 6/16/2024 at 12:08 AM, SteveJames said:

95-105 Baht for 2 Litres of Milk on Grab and in TOPS...  thats around £2.20 ... My mate just showed me £1.49 at Tescos in the UK.  I always noticed Milk was not cheap here, I call it "White Gold" in this house...But Why?   Do Dairy Cows go on Strike here?

There's no dairy industry in Thailand, like in the west. Pretty much all the milk is imported, hence the prices. Australia has a strong dairy industry and the average price there is AUD $2.40 (59.2 baht) per litre.  So your 2 litre bottle would cost around 118 baht (AUD $4.80) but its actually cheaper than that in Thailand. We buy our milk in the 5 litre bottles for average price of 237 baht (AUD$9.59 - AUD $1.92 per litre), which equates to 47.4 baht per litre. Not that expensive really.

Edited June 17 by TigerandDog

[sammieuk1]

Not as bad as 6x the price for Greek yogurt hitting 302bt per kilo this week they must be feeding the cows gold ingots these days  🤔

[mfd101]

The subset of H. sapiens that drinks cows' milk is the only animal species that drinks the milk of another species. Which is peculiar and bad for your health.

[rickudon]

Thailand actually has one of the largest dairy industries in South-East Asia. Over 350, 000 cows. Bit not self sufficient. Apart from the problems already mentioned, bear in mind you need to compare prices with unsubidised western products. Tesco in the UK may sell 4 pints for 1.49 GBP, but 2 pints will cost about 1 GBP, while in Thailand you get 1.5 pints for the same price. Not a lot of difference. As for cheese, Makro 2 kilo blocks of cheddar is similar price to UK. Smaller sizes of other cheeses in Thailand are, however, much more expensive.

[ArnieP]

On 6/16/2024 at 1:23 AM, swissie said:

"milk" is mostly an Import Product in Thailand. Arriving as "milk powder" from happy European cows …

Proof of this is where?

[ignore it]

Milk tends to be more expensive in Thailand compared to some other countries due to several factors:

 

1. **Import Costs**: Thailand imports a significant portion of its dairy products, including milk. Importing involves costs such as transportation, tariffs, and import duties, which can increase the retail price.

 

2. **Production Costs**: The local production of milk in Thailand is limited. Dairy farming requires specific conditions (such as suitable climate and pastureland) which may not be as prevalent in Thailand compared to countries with more developed dairy industries.

 

3. **Distribution and Retail Markup**: Like any imported or specialty product, milk can incur additional costs through distribution and retail markup. This contributes to the final price consumers pay.

 

4. **Demand vs Supply**: Demand for milk in Thailand may be relatively high compared to domestic supply, which can push prices up due to competition for imported products.

 

5. **Economic Factors**: Economic conditions, exchange rates, and global market prices for dairy products can also influence the cost of imported milk in Thailand.

 

These factors together contribute to the higher cost of milk in Thailand compared to countries with more established dairy industries or lower production and import costs.

[Surasak]

On 6/16/2024 at 3:02 AM, scubascuba3 said:

Have you seen the cows here, anorexic, and the lack of grass doesn't help. i see them eating anywhere there's a scrap of grass by side of roads

There are dairy herds in Thailand, but they are not so prolific and certainly not Thai cows. Most of the dairy herds are imported from Australia, I believe.

[scorecard]

On 6/16/2024 at 10:23 AM, Lorry said:

I don't appreciate it as it is a very conspicuous sign of the westernization of Thai diet (and lifestyle).

The results of which i  saw again at my local BigC yesterday: women who even in America would count as obese. 20 years ago,  I saw that kind of people less than once a month.  Yesterday,  I saw about 20 of them.

"I don't appreciate it as it is a very conspicuous sign of the westernization of Thai diet (and lifestyle)."

 

I don't see that. I live with my Thai son, his Thai wife and 4 kids. My Thai wife has sadly passed on, she was a Dr. of medicine, studied for her numerous medical qualifications in Australia. Including nutrition including childhood nutrition.

 

Her belief was that a good variety of Thai food provided good nutrition. But her studied opinion was that Thai toddlers / children were missing the high value nutrition gained from cows milk.

 

She ensured our son drank fresh cows milk every day in addition to good quality quantities of breast milk.

 

When our son (our only child) was mid teens she often explained to him the benefits of daily cows milk and she had found good printed materials to prove her point. But his solid food diet was mostly good balanced Thai fare, but with some typical western foods - best example, son grew up to appreciate good beef steak.

 

Today son has 4 kids, 18, 13, 8 an 10 months. Son remembered his mothers comments and explanations re the value of fresh cows milk and every day the family consumes around 4 litres of fresh cows milk. (Family:  my Thai son, his 4 kids, son's wife now a convert, and me.)

 

But (from 2 paras above) their solid food diet is mostly good balanced Thai fare*, but with some typical western foods - best example, son's kids all love good beef steak. 

 

*A plus is that both my Thai son and his Thai wife completed bachelor degrees which gave them vast / excellent knowledge about nutrition. 

[ChaiyaTH]

12 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Sounds reasonable, but these come and go at quite short intervals. I remain puzzled.

That's normal

[scubascuba3]

13 minutes ago, Surasak said:

There are dairy herds in Thailand, but they are not so prolific and certainly not Thai cows. Most of the dairy herds are imported from Australia, I believe.

Where? I've never seen dairy herds like you get in the UK

[Surasak]

Just now, scubascuba3 said:

Where? I've never seen dairy herds like you get in the UK

Take a trip up to Chok Chai farm, North of Korat.. I have seen a few, but that is the biggest one I have seen. Forget all the Western cowboy stuff, that's just a way of making money. Ask to see the herd.

[Sydebolle]

The little fresh milk there is goes into the production of half- and full cream. What you drink as milk is most likely rehydrated milk powder from the EU; Thailand imports more than 100,000 tons yearly. The price of the milk powder is one thing, the delicate transport, offloading and processing by Foremost, Nestlé and others another. 
A 5 litres canister is yours for THB 220 or THB 44/litre which is quite a bit less than in Central Europe.