Two Buck Chuck

[Iolare]

You know what I miss about Southern California (besides the fact that it doesn’t rain there)? I miss Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe’s.

A decent bottle of wine for $2. That’s works out to abut 70 baht, or a case of wine for around 800 baht. I bet some of you pay that for one bottle of equivalent wine here.

I’ve tried beer with dinner, but to me, beer goes with a hot dog and a baseball game; I just don’t enjoy it with the evening meal.

Is this a business opportunity, or is it another government conspiracy?

[kmart]

It must be a real hardship posting for you here, eh?

[Jockstar]

You know what I miss about Southern California (besides the fact that it doesn’t rain there)? I miss Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe’s.

A decent bottle of wine for $2. That’s works out to abut 70 baht, or a case of wine for around 800 baht. I bet some of you pay that for one bottle of equivalent wine here.

I’ve tried beer with dinner, but to me, beer goes with a hot dog and a baseball game; I just don’t enjoy it with the evening meal.

Is this a business opportunity, or is it another government conspiracy?

You can get wine in LOS. Its just a bit more expensive. So if you like it you will have to pay that bit more.

[onzestan]

You know what I miss about Southern California (besides the fact that it doesn’t rain there)? I miss Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe’s.

A decent bottle of wine for $2. That’s works out to abut 70 baht, or a case of wine for around 800 baht. I bet some of you pay that for one bottle of equivalent wine here.

I’ve tried beer with dinner, but to me, beer goes with a hot dog and a baseball game; I just don’t enjoy it with the evening meal.

Is this a business opportunity, or is it another government conspiracy?

Import taxes abt 300 %

onzestan

[Jim Abbott]

You know what I miss about Southern California (besides the fact that it doesn’t rain there)? I miss Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe’s.

A decent bottle of wine for $2. That’s works out to abut 70 baht, or a case of wine for around 800 baht. I bet some of you pay that for one bottle of equivalent wine here.

I’ve tried beer with dinner, but to me, beer goes with a hot dog and a baseball game; I just don’t enjoy it with the evening meal.

Is this a business opportunity, or is it another government conspiracy?

You can get wine in LOS. Its just a bit more expensive. So if you like it you will have to pay that bit more.

A bit more? 800 baht from 70 dont sound like a bit and I guarantee the crap you get in Thailand is shit quality like the beer. Trader Joe's my friend, ahh yes, what I'd give to shop at a Trader Joes

Edited October 7, 2007 by Jim Abbott

[simon43]

I guarantee the crap you get in Thailand is shit quality like the beer

[\quote]

Guarantee it do you? I'd be quite happy to take you up on this. There are some prize-winning wines produced from good vineyards over here.

It's a pity that forum rules prohibit me from making personal comments about your intelligence level . .

Simon

[esbobes]

You know what I miss about Southern California (besides the fact that it doesn’t rain there)? I miss Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe’s.

A decent bottle of wine for $2. That’s works out to abut 70 baht, or a case of wine for around 800 baht. I bet some of you pay that for one bottle of equivalent wine here.

I’ve tried beer with dinner, but to me, beer goes with a hot dog and a baseball game; I just don’t enjoy it with the evening meal.

Is this a business opportunity, or is it another government conspiracy?

You can get wine in LOS. Its just a bit more expensive. So if you like it you will have to pay that bit more.

Yes Lotus sells a Calif wine 1.5 liters for over 800 baht.

In Costco's in Calif same wine for 5 liters for less 300 baht.

But this is Thailand no companing. Remember you are Guest here

[ricklev]

How about the Trader Joe's rotating selection of beers from all over the world for a buck a bottle......

What a pleasure to come home with a mix and match case of 24 different but excellent beers.

Seriously, it's the only consumer good I miss from the USA! Variety which is unavailable at any price in the LOS.

[canadiangirl]

I don't drink tons of wine, but I think it's cheaper in Laos, with all the French expats there. There seemed to be a good selection of wine, along with other products (bread, cheese) in Vientiane than in most of Bangkok.

I even met some expats there with vineyards in their family back home. They import a lot into Laos. They treated me to some great wines, better than I usually have back home. :-)

[Iolare]

If the govt. taxes imported wine at 300% I think that’s really excessive. But I’d rather they taxed wine like that than tax real estate the way Los Angeles does, so I kind of get the big picture. I’m not really moaning too much about life in Thailand; I’m just a little wistful about being able to pick up some table wine in LA without having to think about the household budget.

It’s sort of like this: If they taxed toilet paper at 300% would I start using a bum sprayer? I might--but maybe I’d miss toilet paper. Since they tax wine at 300% do I never buy it and have I switched to beer? No, i still do buy some wine, but it’s not on the dinner table every night (maybe that wasn’t such a good analogy).

Why does the Thai wine carry about the price tag as the Australian, Californian, Chilean, or French wine? Are they putting a 300% tax on that, too? If so, it seems both excessive and paternalistic to me, and that’s no way to encourage a new industry. I should explore the possibilities of Thai wine, but I’ve been put off by all the fruit flavored stuff I see.

If anyone cares to share any info. on good Thai wine (looking at you Simon43) I’d appreciate it. This is what I’d like to read: “I have the answer for you. I know a Thai winery that’s as good as a California one that will ship directly to you for 150 baht a bottle in case lots.” Anyone?

[kmart]

Your god-given right to have access to good cheap wine doesn't exist here. How awful for you.

[intumult]

I guarantee the crap you get in Thailand is shit quality like the beer

Guarantee it do you? I'd be quite happy to take you up on this. There are some prize-winning wines produced from good vineyards over here.

It's a pity that forum rules prohibit me from making personal comments about your intelligence level . .

Simon

Love it

Have one on me - or several

[lazeeboy]

You know what I miss about Southern California (besides the fact that it doesn't rain there)? I miss Charles Shaw wine from Trader Joe's.

A decent bottle of wine for $2. That's works out to abut 70 baht, or a case of wine for around 800 baht. I bet some of you pay that for one bottle of equivalent wine here.

I've tried beer with dinner, but to me, beer goes with a hot dog and a baseball game; I just don't enjoy it with the evening meal.

Is this a business opportunity, or is it another government conspiracy?

import taxes make the cheapest plnk expensive .

[Nickthegreek]

Tesco's do some really foul french table wine for about 180 baht,if you speed drink the first bottle,it tastes really good after that.

[dominique355]

According to my rudimentary search for decent wines, in Thailand you find mostly crap wines, wines the producers cannot sell anywhere else, or high class wines for the super-rich Thais who can afford it (I don't).

What I miss is a decent and affordable table wine for, say, THB 300.

I understand the problem is that alcohol is not taxed according to the alcohol volume, so that a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label costs less that a low to medium class wine from Europe.

Moreover, the stuff you can buy in shops (Villa, Foodland etc) has been standing in the shelfs nobody knows for how long. Better don't touch that.

Where do I buy my wine? Directly from my favorite restaurant. The owner sells it to me at his buying price (he says).

[phomsanuk]

I guarantee the crap you get in Thailand is shit quality like the beer

Guarantee it do you? I'd be quite happy to take you up on this. There are some prize-winning wines produced from good vineyards over here.

It's a pity that forum rules prohibit me from making personal comments about your intelligence level . .

Simon

Love it

Have one on me - or several

I've heard that this is the most expensive place to buy wine mostly due to the 2/300% taxes, however the places I can get cheap wine don't have women etc. except for the french indochina excolonies...

The British have a long history of making drinkable wines from a kit in thier home. Anyone here know how to do it?

Edited October 7, 2007 by phomsanuk

[Jingthing]

I have this theory.

If they cut the wine tax two thirds, wine sales would boom and the Thai government would vastly INCREASE their wine tax revenues.

This overcharging/overtaxing is typical Thai "kill the goose that lays the golden egg" business idiotics. Yes, there is money to be had. Get too greedy and you lose it. Bulls make money, bears make money, but pigs get slaughtered.

I also get the idea they think wine is a bad drug like whisky and cigarettes, and haven't gotten the message that wine drinking is health promoting, as if they care.

Edited October 7, 2007 by Jingthing

[miniwai]

Your best bet for cheap wine is a trip to the border every few months and stock up on a few cases from the duty free shop. Wine is still more expensive than back home but available for around 300-900bt a bottle (Penfolds bin 407 & 707 very drinkable) cheaper for a case!

Lao, Cambodian and Malaysian borders all have duty free shops (Thais can cross the border for free! ). We have family in Hatyai, which saves us the hassle

Edited October 7, 2007 by miniwai

[Upcountry]

For a while now, I've been buying King's Valley (KV) wine at Big-C. It's their cheapest wine (started out at 200 a couple of years ago, and now it's 335 up country). Lotus carries it too, but usually at a higher price.

I've bought much more expensive wine that tasted worse. It's a decent table wine that I can enjoy a glass or two at time. Let it breathe a little, of course.

I too am sickened by the high prices here. Besides Trader Joe's, I miss the adventure cases in the front of some package stores in the Boston area. Three bottles for $10 or $12, and there were some good finds there.

Seriously, it ticks me off that cheap liquor remains easily available to quell the masses, but healthy wine is taxed though the ceiling. Big C used to sell a great Thai wine instead of KV, but its not available there anymore.

Based on his comments on this thread, by the way, "kmart" really is living up to his name isn't he?

[Jingthing]

Your best bet for cheap wine is a trip to the border every few months

I thought you were only allowed one bottle of wine duty free. So wouldn't you have to pay tax duty on everything over one bottle, and if so, what's the point? If not, aren't you smuggling? Sorry to rain on your parade though.

Edited October 7, 2007 by Jingthing

[solo siam]

I have this theory.

If they cut the wine tax two thirds, wine sales would boom and the Thai government would vastly INCREASE their wine tax revenues.

This overcharging/overtaxing is typical Thai "kill the goose that lays the golden egg" business idiotics. Yes, there is money to be had. Get too greedy and you lose it. Bulls make money, bears make money, but pigs get slaughtered.

I also get the idea they think wine is a bad drug like whisky and cigarettes, and haven't gotten the message that wine drinking is health promoting, as if they care.

I don't think dropping taxes on wine that much would lead to a massive increase in the amount purchased, people would just say "oh, wines cheaper now".

[Jingthing]

I don't think dropping taxes on wine that much would lead to a massive increase in the amount purchased, people would just say "oh, wines cheaper now".

Really? I don't buy wine here. If they cut the taxes 2/3, I would buy maybe 10 bottles a month. My price point would be 300 baht for a really decent bottle, easily done in the US. Here you have to pay 1000 baht plus for that.

Edited October 7, 2007 by Jingthing

[george]

Australian wines were supposed to be cheaper in Thailand after the FTA (Free Trade Agreement) was signed between Australia and Thailand. Why are they not?

[Acquiesce]

How about the Trader Joe's rotating selection of beers from all over the world for a buck a bottle......

What a pleasure to come home with a mix and match case of 24 different but excellent beers.

Seriously, it's the only consumer good I miss from the USA! Variety which is unavailable at any price in the LOS.

Excellent beers and USA in the same post, that has to be an attempt at humour.

[elkangorito]

For those who have not noticed, many people in Thailand have a predisposition to burn things. They seem to love doing it. Also, the method used to make charcoal here is highly pollutive, giving off lots of smoke.

Where is all of this going?

There is a small vineyard not far from where I live. There are also many charcoal producers in the nearby vicinity. There are times when the smoke here is so thick, you'll think you're in London in the middle of a "pea souper".

What's this got to do with wine?

Smoke contains many thousands of chemicals & it's these chemicals that greatly affect grapes. It almost turns them into sultanas (they shrivel). Even if they don't shrivel & get picked for wine making, the chemicals ultimately destroy any possible chance of making a good wine.

[Jim Abbott]

How about the Trader Joe's rotating selection of beers from all over the world for a buck a bottle......

What a pleasure to come home with a mix and match case of 24 different but excellent beers.

Seriously, it's the only consumer good I miss from the USA! Variety which is unavailable at any price in the LOS.

Excellent beers and USA in the same post, that has to be an attempt at humour.

Excellent beers "FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD". It's called VARIETY. whatever you want they got and not astronominally priced. There's an enormous supply of American microbrews as well.

[Macx]

And here if you buy a bottle and it turns out to be corky or vinegary, tough cookie. Try taking it back and explaining that it issn't your fault that the wine is bad, or that no way could the wine have turned bad in 2 hrs. going from the store back to my house. Learned my lesson the hard way after buying a whole case.

I'm guessing that the larger reputable wine dealers here would be more reasonable though.

[solo siam]

I don't think dropping taxes on wine that much would lead to a massive increase in the amount purchased, people would just say "oh, wines cheaper now".

Really? I don't buy wine here. If they cut the taxes 2/3, I would buy maybe 10 bottles a month. My price point would be 300 baht for a really decent bottle, easily done in the US. Here you have to pay 1000 baht plus for that.

Really? Wines not important enough to you that you can go totally without because its a little expensive, however if it was cheaper you would be drinking a bottle every 3 days?

[Upcountry]

In this country, wine is only for 'hi-so's".

[JSixpack]

What's the best of that cheap Italian (red) table wine in the 2 liter bottles?

Friend of mine says he mixes decent wine with that stuff and comes up with something fairly drinkable at a much lower cost.