Gas Barbeque

[Bruc]

Hi all,

I'm planning to bring a gas BBQ from the US to Thailand. I need information on the type of gas available in Thailand; propane or butane? Any advice ?

Thanks !

[blue eyes]

Same Same

[dingdongrb]

I was thinking of bringing mine here as well when I moved to LOS but decided against it thinking that maybe the fittings wouldn't match up. Needless to say I bought a charcoal one here in CM that costs me probably as much as a nice gas one in the USA did. The gas ones here are extremely expensive (my opinion). When I go and move to Surin years from now my goal will be to build my own gas pit in the back yard where it will accommodate the gas tanks here in LOS.

Let me know your success...

[kamalabob2]

You must have a good arrangement for shipment and customs clearance to bring household goods from the USA to Thailand. The "gas" might be the same as gas used in America, (liquid propane gas?) BUT the nozzle connections are NOT the same size. However IF you can bring your gas BBQ at a fair cost from America also bring your connections and hose. I think it would be simple to modify your hose here to a the "Thai size" of connection on the "tank end". The lpg household cooking gas is inexpensive due to Government subsidies and set prices. Certainly it is easy to have the tanks delivered in a prompt fashion if you live in a city or town in Thailand. Seems to me that stainless steel piping can be used to connect the tank to the BBQ and there certainly are different grades of LPG flexible hoses on sale in Thailand. I think a good resource for information and/or modification of your gas line would be Doc the American owner of gasbbqthailand.com In our experience a great place to purchase a well designed and safe, Thailand built (not Chinese import) stainless steel gas BBQ. We have used our BBQ EVERY day since December 6, 2007 and it has NEVER malfunctioned.

[Windmillresident]

I just brought over two Weber bbq grills..propane as well....just go to www.bbqthai.com , go to their location off Suk, unscrew your hose from your grill (same size as what they sell at that bbq store..where they sell aussie bbq grills) and u can buy a new hose and fixture that works for the thai propane tank requirements. Cost me about 1500 baht...works beautifully. Hope this helps....it was easy.

[dingdongrb]

Why are all the gas BBQ grilles in LOS so dam_n expensive?

I mean here are a couple pics of grilles I took while I was in the USA only a few months back..... If you look at the prices and compare these with some from the two websites mentioned above you can clearly see that they are a fraction of the cost. Why is that?

[Tagaa]

First & greatest reason is that all the grills at the BBQ Store are imported (you buy 1 grill for you & 3 for the government (tax) plus ship it from Oz, most likely) & are sold by a business in BKK paying BKK rent & looking for farang style profit margins. Nothing wrong with profit, but once you factor in Billy Bob's cost plus Somchai's tax plus profit, you aren't talking $299.00. Toto, you aren't in Kansas anymore shopping at the Home Despot.

I have seen one of the grills made by the guy in Ubon. Very nice & good quality welding, but my impression was that they were pricey given they are made here by Thai labor. Sure stainless steel ain't cheap, but 20,000 Bt ?

That being said, if you want a cheap grill, have Somchai at the village metal shop make one for you. Cheap price & cheap everything else. You'll be back in 2 years, if not sooner, for another one.

I have a 10 year old Weber that I shipped from back home. Given it's decline in condition since I arrived here, my best guess is that it is good for 2 or 3 more years tops.

I think I'll start saving my satangs now. Maybe 20,000Bt doesn't sound so bad after all.

And so it goes...

[citizen33]

First & greatest reason is that all the grills at the BBQ Store are imported (you buy 1 grill for you & 3 for the government (tax) plus ship it from Oz, most likely) & are sold by a business in BKK paying BKK rent & looking for farang style profit margins. Nothing wrong with profit, but once you factor in Billy Bob's cost plus Somchai's tax plus profit, you aren't talking $299.00. Toto, you aren't in Kansas anymore shopping at the Home Despot.

I have seen one of the grills made by the guy in Ubon. Very nice & good quality welding, but my impression was that they were pricey given they are made here by Thai labor. Sure stainless steel ain't cheap, but 20,000 Bt ?

That being said, if you want a cheap grill, have Somchai at the village metal shop make one for you. Cheap price & cheap everything else. You'll be back in 2 years, if not sooner, for another one.

I have a 10 year old Weber that I shipped from back home. Given it's decline in condition since I arrived here, my best guess is that it is good for 2 or 3 more years tops.

I think I'll start saving my satangs now. Maybe 20,000Bt doesn't sound so bad after all.

And so it goes...

Well I'm sorry, but I cannot buy most of this explanation. As in the States, gas BBQs in the UK are very much cheaper than in Thailand. Many are transported all the way from China (quality of many Chinese goods is much better now than a few years ago), UK business rates are high and the BBQs are subject to VAT (just about to be cut from 17.5%). Nevertheless a good one can be had for half the price we are talking about in Thailand, even less in sales. Obviously the handmade item from Udon you are describing is very strong, but this is not a high-tech product and items like the burners and controls are standard parts that are not handmade. The other thing is that the Udon model doesn't have as many burners (2 or 3 depending on model) as the relatively cheap product in one of the photos above (4?). It would be possible to import from China into Thailand at a much more competitive price. My guess is that the main reason this doesn't happen is volume of sales and the fact that the main demand comes from the expat market which is seen as being prepared to pay a premium (market segmentation). I predict that Tesco Lotus will eventually start selling the product at a competitive price as they do in the UK.

Edited November 29, 2008 by citizen33

[docta]

First & greatest reason is that all the grills at the BBQ Store are imported (you buy 1 grill for you & 3 for the government (tax) plus ship it from Oz, most likely) & are sold by a business in BKK paying BKK rent & looking for farang style profit margins. Nothing wrong with profit, but once you factor in Billy Bob's cost plus Somchai's tax plus profit, you aren't talking $299.00. Toto, you aren't in Kansas anymore shopping at the Home Despot.

I have seen one of the grills made by the guy in Ubon. Very nice & good quality welding, but my impression was that they were pricey given they are made here by Thai labor. Sure stainless steel ain't cheap, but 20,000 Bt ?

That being said, if you want a cheap grill, have Somchai at the village metal shop make one for you. Cheap price & cheap everything else. You'll be back in 2 years, if not sooner, for another one.

I have a 10 year old Weber that I shipped from back home. Given it's decline in condition since I arrived here, my best guess is that it is good for 2 or 3 more years tops.

I think I'll start saving my satangs now. Maybe 20,000Bt doesn't sound so bad after all.

And so it goes...

Well I'm sorry, but I cannot buy most of this explanation. As in the States, gas BBQs in the UK are very much cheaper than in Thailand. Many are transported all the way from China (quality of many Chinese goods is much better now than a few years ago), UK business rates are high and the BBQs are subject to VAT (just about to be cut from 17.5%). Nevertheless a good one can be had for half the price we are talking about in Thailand, even less in sales. Obviously the handmade item from Udon you are describing is very strong, but this is not a high-tech product and items like the burners and controls are standard parts that are not handmade. The other thing is that the Udon model doesn't have as many burners (2 or 3 depending on model) as the relatively cheap product in one of the photos above (4?). It would be possible to import from China into Thailand at a much more competitive price. My guess is that the main reason this doesn't happen is volume of sales and the fact that the main demand comes from the expat market which is seen as being prepared to pay a premium (market segmentation). I predict that Tesco Lotus will eventually start selling the product at a competitive price as they do in the UK.

Well, hello fellas,

This is Doc in Udon, and I all this dancing around about price and quality regarding our products without knowing what your talking about does get me fired up.

I'm afraid you do not have all your facts as straight as they could be.

In, most cases, brand name bbq's seen in the U.S. and Uk, and or, around the world are purchased by the thousands per lot in China by large international distributors then onto National distributors then onto large retailers who again, in most cases, will have their spring season prices high for these bbq's.

In the fall one can find close-out sales of all kinds where the prices are more fitting to Chinese assembly line imports purchased by the thousands coming in a box for the end buyer to assemble at home.

When a sparker assembly malfunctions or a burner burns out, good luck finding replacement parts.

It doesn't take a genius to figure all that out.

High Quality, in Thai or elsewhere doesn't come cheap.

Quality Thai labor does not come cheap; our #1 engineer and fabricator is extremely skilled, a couple hundred Baht doesn't come close to touching what he is paid for each unit he produces, a long ways from that, in fact, it's into the thousands.

The Only part of our bbq's that are not hand crafted are the sparker controls, the burners certainly Are hand crafted with hundreds of hand drilled holes in each units burners.

We do not need multiple burners, we use long fire tubes coming from the side, otherwise for the same bbq there would be multiple burners on the front.

We believe this is good engineering over showmanship.

To get the straight scoop about our products, all you need do is ask we guys that produce them rather than keying off the top of your the head opinions.

Oh, by the way, with all due respect.

Doc

[Susan25]

First & greatest reason is that all the grills at the BBQ Store are imported (you buy 1 grill for you & 3 for the government (tax) plus ship it from Oz, most likely) & are sold by a business in BKK paying BKK rent & looking for farang style profit margins. Nothing wrong with profit, but once you factor in Billy Bob's cost plus Somchai's tax plus profit, you aren't talking $299.00. Toto, you aren't in Kansas anymore shopping at the Home Despot.

I have seen one of the grills made by the guy in Ubon. Very nice & good quality welding, but my impression was that they were pricey given they are made here by Thai labor. Sure stainless steel ain't cheap, but 20,000 Bt ?

That being said, if you want a cheap grill, have Somchai at the village metal shop make one for you. Cheap price & cheap everything else. You'll be back in 2 years, if not sooner, for another one.

I have a 10 year old Weber that I shipped from back home. Given it's decline in condition since I arrived here, my best guess is that it is good for 2 or 3 more years tops.

I think I'll start saving my satangs now. Maybe 20,000Bt doesn't sound so bad after all.

And so it goes...

Well I'm sorry, but I cannot buy most of this explanation. As in the States, gas BBQs in the UK are very much cheaper than in Thailand. Many are transported all the way from China (quality of many Chinese goods is much better now than a few years ago), UK business rates are high and the BBQs are subject to VAT (just about to be cut from 17.5%). Nevertheless a good one can be had for half the price we are talking about in Thailand, even less in sales. Obviously the handmade item from Udon you are describing is very strong, but this is not a high-tech product and items like the burners and controls are standard parts that are not handmade. The other thing is that the Udon model doesn't have as many burners (2 or 3 depending on model) as the relatively cheap product in one of the photos above (4?). It would be possible to import from China into Thailand at a much more competitive price. My guess is that the main reason this doesn't happen is volume of sales and the fact that the main demand comes from the expat market which is seen as being prepared to pay a premium (market segmentation). I predict that Tesco Lotus will eventually start selling the product at a competitive price as they do in the UK.

Well, hello fellas,

This is Doc in Udon, and I all this dancing around about price and quality regarding our products without knowing what your talking about does get me fired up.

I'm afraid you do not have all your facts as straight as they could be.

In, most cases, brand name bbq's seen in the U.S. and Uk, and or, around the world are purchased by the thousands per lot in China by large international distributors then onto National distributors then onto large retailers who again, in most cases, will have their spring season prices high for these bbq's.

In the fall one can find close-out sales of all kinds where the prices are more fitting to Chinese assembly line imports purchased by the thousands coming in a box for the end buyer to assemble at home.

When a sparker assembly malfunctions or a burner burns out, good luck finding replacement parts.

It doesn't take a genius to figure all that out.

High Quality, in Thai or elsewhere doesn't come cheap.

Quality Thai labor does not come cheap; our #1 engineer and fabricator is extremely skilled, a couple hundred Baht doesn't come close to touching what he is paid for each unit he produces, a long ways from that, in fact, it's into the thousands.

The Only part of our bbq's that are not hand crafted are the sparker controls, the burners certainly Are hand crafted with hundreds of hand drilled holes in each units burners.

We do not need multiple burners, we use long fire tubes coming from the side, otherwise for the same bbq there would be multiple burners on the front.

We believe this is good engineering over showmanship.

To get the straight scoop about our products, all you need do is ask we guys that produce them rather than keying off the top of your the head opinions.

Oh, by the way, with all due respect.

Doc

Talk about getting fired up. Once upon a time I bought one of these overpriced bbq's. It was promised to me by a certain date and it didn't arrive until later. I was also told that if I wrote a good review for it on the udonmap forum, I would get a replacement set of pumice stone. That hasn't arrived yet, so it is also late. I dread the day when one of the burners go or the hinges finally break off because the metal(low grade stainless) is so thin and is poorly welded. Don't waste your money.

[dingdongrb]

Let me first start off by saying that I do prefer the taste/flavor of a charcoal grille over a gas grille anytime. However one cannot beat the ease and convenience of a gas grille.

Now as far as taxes and profits, don’t you think that the local USA stores such as Kmart, Target, Wal-Mart, etc have to pay taxes on imported items? Yes maybe not as high as here in LOS but they do pay import tariffs. Likewise these businesses as well as others do not sell their products for free they expect a profit as well. Needless to say they have other items they sell so perhaps their profit margins may not be as high as say a one commodity retailer/mfg… But for someone to spend $1k USD or more on a gas grille I think is ridiculously expensive as this is not a life sustaining need and more of a luxury. That is why I chose to buy a charcoal grille here in CM for about 2k baht. I can buy a lifetime of charcoal and still not hit the cost of one of these overly expensive gas grilles.

As I stated when I do retire in the upcoming years and move to my place in Surin I will build my own gas BBQ pit. I am sure with the bricks, tiles, and obtaining the gas burners from an inexpensive Thai gas stove, I will have a very reliable, sufficient gas BBQ for a fraction of the cost if I was to buy one on the two websites listed.

And by the way, I have a friend back in the USA that bought a Sears brand (Kenmore) gas grille. He paid just a little under $300 USD for that grille which the grille was the same size as one on the websites is asking $1000 USD….. He used his grille for a few years and then one of the burners failed to light. He called Sears and a service technician was at his house the next day, replaced the defective burner, and he was not charged a penny.

[Gary A]

Talk about getting fired up. Once upon a time I bought one of these overpriced bbq's. It was promised to me by a certain date and it didn't arrive until later. I was also told that if I wrote a good review for it on the udonmap forum, I would get a replacement set of pumice stone. That hasn't arrived yet, so it is also late. I dread the day when one of the burners go or the hinges finally break off because the metal(low grade stainless) is so thin and is poorly welded. Don't waste your money.

WOW Susan, you must have a different BBQ grill than I have. I have a small stainless steel grill from Quick Fire. The double walled lid allows me to also use it for an oven. The burners set to low keeps the temperature at 150 degrees C and The operation has been flawless. As far as the hinges, they are VERY substantial and I'm sure they will last longer than I last. The hinges are neatly welded on and they look to be suitable for a heavy wooden door rather than a BBQ grill.

I might add that I looked for a BBQ for a long time here in Thailand. A friend of mine imported a large BBQ from the US. Those hinges are screwed on and are always loose because of the small screws and thin steel. After three years of service, the imported steel grill is falling apart and portions are rusted out. His grill is bigger than mine but if I remember correctly, he paid 38,000 baht for it. I really can't imagine the thick walled burners on the Quick Fire grill burning out but if they ever do, I'll be yelling at Quick Fire to send me a new pair. If any grill is better built than mine, I haven't seen it.

[Gary A]

Deleted double post. I'm glad my grill works better than this board.

Edited December 1, 2008 by Gary A

[whatawonderfulday]

First & greatest reason is that all the grills at the BBQ Store are imported (you buy 1 grill for you & 3 for the government (tax) plus ship it from Oz, most likely) & are sold by a business in BKK paying BKK rent & looking for farang style profit margins. Nothing wrong with profit, but once you factor in Billy Bob's cost plus Somchai's tax plus profit, you aren't talking $299.00. Toto, you aren't in Kansas anymore shopping at the Home Despot.

I have seen one of the grills made by the guy in Ubon. Very nice & good quality welding, but my impression was that they were pricey given they are made here by Thai labor. Sure stainless steel ain't cheap, but 20,000 Bt ?

That being said, if you want a cheap grill, have Somchai at the village metal shop make one for you. Cheap price & cheap everything else. You'll be back in 2 years, if not sooner, for another one.

I have a 10 year old Weber that I shipped from back home. Given it's decline in condition since I arrived here, my best guess is that it is good for 2 or 3 more years tops.

I think I'll start saving my satangs now. Maybe 20,000Bt doesn't sound so bad after all.

And so it goes...

Well I'm sorry, but I cannot buy most of this explanation. As in the States, gas BBQs in the UK are very much cheaper than in Thailand. Many are transported all the way from China (quality of many Chinese goods is much better now than a few years ago), UK business rates are high and the BBQs are subject to VAT (just about to be cut from 17.5%). Nevertheless a good one can be had for half the price we are talking about in Thailand, even less in sales. Obviously the handmade item from Udon you are describing is very strong, but this is not a high-tech product and items like the burners and controls are standard parts that are not handmade. The other thing is that the Udon model doesn't have as many burners (2 or 3 depending on model) as the relatively cheap product in one of the photos above (4?). It would be possible to import from China into Thailand at a much more competitive price. My guess is that the main reason this doesn't happen is volume of sales and the fact that the main demand comes from the expat market which is seen as being prepared to pay a premium (market segmentation). I predict that Tesco Lotus will eventually start selling the product at a competitive price as they do in the UK.

Well, hello fellas,

This is Doc in Udon, and I all this dancing around about price and quality regarding our products without knowing what your talking about does get me fired up.

I'm afraid you do not have all your facts as straight as they could be.

In, most cases, brand name bbq's seen in the U.S. and Uk, and or, around the world are purchased by the thousands per lot in China by large international distributors then onto National distributors then onto large retailers who again, in most cases, will have their spring season prices high for these bbq's.

In the fall one can find close-out sales of all kinds where the prices are more fitting to Chinese assembly line imports purchased by the thousands coming in a box for the end buyer to assemble at home.

When a sparker assembly malfunctions or a burner burns out, good luck finding replacement parts.

It doesn't take a genius to figure all that out.

High Quality, in Thai or elsewhere doesn't come cheap.

Quality Thai labor does not come cheap; our #1 engineer and fabricator is extremely skilled, a couple hundred Baht doesn't come close to touching what he is paid for each unit he produces, a long ways from that, in fact, it's into the thousands.

The Only part of our bbq's that are not hand crafted are the sparker controls, the burners certainly Are hand crafted with hundreds of hand drilled holes in each units burners.

We do not need multiple burners, we use long fire tubes coming from the side, otherwise for the same bbq there would be multiple burners on the front.

We believe this is good engineering over showmanship.

To get the straight scoop about our products, all you need do is ask we guys that produce them rather than keying off the top of your the head opinions.

Oh, by the way, with all due respect.

Doc

Can you point me to the web site or contact number where they can be bought - pm pls

Edited December 1, 2008 by whatawonderfulday

[dingdongrb]

Deleted double post. I'm glad my grill works better than this board.

Here's a few 'manly' grilles for you Gary....

[dingdongrb]

Here's the type of grille ('pit') I plan to build but probably a scaled down version.

[Tagaa]

Dear Doc,

After reading your post where you quoted mine, I went back & read it again & again. Every time I read it, it comes across (to my simple mind anyway) as a compliment. Please re-read my statement below:

"I have seen one of the grills made by the guy in Ubon. Very nice & good quality welding, but my impression was that they were pricey given they are made here by Thai labor. Sure stainless steel ain't cheap, but 20,000 Bt ?..........I think I'll start saving my satangs now. Maybe 20,000Bt doesn't sound so bad after all."

Your statement "all this dancing around about price and quality regarding our products without knowing what your talking about does get me fired up" got me a wee bit fired up as well.

You should note that "I have seen one of your grills" so my comment was not " keying off the top of your head" as you later stated.

Also, nowhere did I say that it should only cost "a couple hundred baht" to manufacture. My comment regarding the unit being "PRICEY" is my opinion (you are also entitled to yours). Then just a few short words later I write "Maybe 20,000Bt doesn't sound so bad after all."

You also wrote " brand name bbq's seen in the U.S. and Uk, and or, around the world are purchased by the thousands per lot in China by large international distributors then onto National distributors then onto large retailers" Shazam! Look what I said: "Toto, you aren't in Kansas anymore shopping at the Home Despot." Please note the reference to the "large retailer" Home Depot. (I called it Home Despot intentionally as that was how we referred to it in the states).

If your comments were directed at the other post that you quoted, next time would you please be so kind as to delete my post from the quote.

One of the reasons that I so rarely post a word here is that if I state "the sky is blue" some poor slob will want to argue the point ad infinitum. Late last year I told myself "Self, stop posting on this idiotic forum." I did for many months. I believe I will revisit that line of thought.

"Oh, by the way, with all due respect."

Tagaa

[dingdongrb]

Tagaa..... I don't think that Doc was replying to your post but more towards the post from Citizen33 and possibly mine.... If you look closely Doc had quoted Citizen33's post who had quoted yours... Doc just replied and quoted Citizen33's post which had yours tagged on and wasn't removed... At least that what it appeared like to me, but I could be wrong, as I have been wrong before, but only once....

Why does everyone always take replies so dam_n personal. Take it as opinions....and we know what opinions are like, right?

Please don't let this incident refrain you from posting in the future, as if that's the case why even be on this forum? I like reading everyone's input as I like seeing other sides of the coin. Yes, perhaps I don't always like it or agree but it's still interesting to see others' views on different subjects.

Peace,

dingdongrb......

[harrybua]

Tagaa..... I don't think that Doc was replying to your post but more towards the post from Citizen33 and possibly mine.... If you look closely Doc had quoted Citizen33's post who had quoted yours... Doc just replied and quoted Citizen33's post which had yours tagged on and wasn't removed... At least that what it appeared like to me, but I could be wrong, as I have been wrong before, but only once....

Why does everyone always take replies so dam_n personal. Take it as opinions....and we know what opinions are like, right?

Please don't let this incident refrain you from posting in the future, as if that's the case why even be on this forum? I like reading everyone's input as I like seeing other sides of the coin. Yes, perhaps I don't always like it or agree but it's still interesting to see others' views on different subjects.

Peace,

dingdongrb......

Well i bought one of Docs ss bbqs and i am Flamming happy with it and it isnt to expensive.

u pay the same for the china shit that gets around.

it is strong and very well welded

the sevice i got from doc and the misses was great.

and no doc was not a mate

just good product and service which is a change

Harry

[citizen33]

Probably most of Doc's comments are directed at me. I want to make it clear that I am not questioning the quality of his products, which as far as I can gather are sturdy but expensive. As I see it, my only mistake was to suggest that Doc was using standard burners and controls. He accepts that, as I said, many products sold in the West come from China, and he is plain wrong if he is implying that the lower prices in the UK are confined to seasonal sales - though we do seem to be having sales every month or two at present with the economic slow down. Doc mentions a certain distribution chain for BBQ supply from China without quite making clear what his point is. If he is saying it is a different one than applies to Thailand, it is possible that he is right, but I should have thought that big outfits like Tesco-Lotus, Makro, Carrefour and Big C will use essentially the same supply chains that they already have elsewhere for Chinese products if they start selling BBQs in any quantity here.

Doc tells us that the trouble with these cheap Chinese imports is that if a burner fails we won't be able to get a replacement part. Actually my explorations on E-bay suggest that there are standard burners in circulation that fit at least some models. And anyway one wonders how different this is from buying handmade burners which are only replaceable from one source (perish the thought but if we were to lose Doc what would we do for spares?) Using standard parts might have been more intelligent. I also stick with my point that some people may like the flexibility of 3 or 4 burners at a lower price. I'd say it is not the length of the tubes that is the issue but the possibility to switch on or off different sections of the cooking area.

Obviously we are dealing with the two ends of the market and some will always prefer the high-end, handmade product. Doc seems to have plenty of satisfied customers. My point is just that not everybody wants to pay that premium and I stick to my prediction that Tesco Lotus will soon inject a bit of competition into the lower end of the market. By the way I do not sell BBQs but I do have eyes and the ability to see what the current market prices are.

Edited December 1, 2008 by citizen33

[Gary A]

If you want a low end unit, go see Somchai at your local welding shop. He will cut a 30 gallon barrel lengthwise and weld on some hinges. A grate made from rebar will keep the charcoal off the bottom of the barrel. Another grate made from rebar will hold your food. You could possibly buy some Chinese replacement gas burners and make it into a gas grill. (not recommended). You also have the option of using the ready made clay pot type. They cost about 200 baht and work fine.

As for me, I want to turn on the gas burners, throw the food on the grate, close the lid and drink a beer or two while my food is cooked in a well controlled manner. Up to you. If you are the lazy type as I am, you will appreciate the leisurely way of cooking.

[citizen33]

If you want a low end unit, go see Somchai at your local welding shop. He will cut a 30 gallon barrel lengthwise and weld on some hinges. A grate made from rebar will keep the charcoal off the bottom of the barrel. Another grate made from rebar will hold your food. You could possibly buy some Chinese replacement gas burners and make it into a gas grill. (not recommended). You also have the option of using the ready made clay pot type. They cost about 200 baht and work fine.

As for me, I want to turn on the gas burners, throw the food on the grate, close the lid and drink a beer or two while my food is cooked in a well controlled manner. Up to you. If you are the lazy type as I am, you will appreciate the leisurely way of cooking.

Why is it so difficult to grasp the concept that millions of people around the world are happy with something in between?

[docta]

Mr.

Tagaa,

It appears for all intents and purposes your original post was meant to be complimentary, I'm sorry it was connected to the next post, and sincerely apologize for any bad feelings I may have caused with you. I hope you'll forgive me.

C33, I'm not quite so sure about you, at the same time, we are all here in Thailand to enjoy life and not to be bickering so much over one or two words written in a post. Lets move on...

Susan25, we haven't a clue as to who you might be, we've written you a private message from your profile requesting you expose yourself to us relating any and all dissatisfactions you have, directly to us. We are anxiously awaiting your reply, if in fact, you are a customer of ours as you say you are. We do not treat our respected customers as you have discribed. We will continue to write you privately hoping and waiting for your reply.

For Brad, the employees, and friends of our main competitors in Bangkok, the bbqstore, which supports the selling of imported bbq's.

Brad the owner is a very nice guy, he experiences all the same trials and tribulations of owning a business here, as we do.

We/I hold no animosities whatsoever towards Brad or his business, or any malice of any kind. They just happen to be an import store, where we hand craft our goods.

I've recently conversed with Brad; we from time to time get requests for the replacement of burnt out parts or pieces from folks looking for misplaced or lost import parts.

We always refer them to Brad with the bbqstore email, and office phone.

We are not enemies, simply competitors in business.

I hope this clears up a couple things for some of you, I don't suppose I'll be needing to respond again.

Good luck to all, and happy barbecuing...

My best,

Doc

[Langsuan Man]

I will make one comment to docta regarding gas BBQ grills.

I tried to purchase a new gas grill in the US this past summer and was disappointed at every one that I saw in the stores. There is a new trend by the manufactures and that is to eliminate the "lava" rocks or any other "tiles" below the cooking surface. It their ever increasing quest for profits they have virtually screwed up the whole design of gas barbecue grills. They now rely on a flimsy metal plate above the gas vents to heat the cooking surface. And this trend is true in even the upscale $2,000 or $3,000 USD market.

They claim that is to prevent "flare ups" but any expert barbecue cook will tell you that those flareups are what give the gas charcoal grill the ability to mimic their charcoal cousins. .

I eventually found an old gas grill that I was able to modify to accept the lava rocks and was able to keep on cooking. It cost me around $200 for parts to modify the "new" style grill to accept the lava rocks but was truly worth it. Sometimes, new is not necessarily better.

[Gary A]

If you want a low end unit, go see Somchai at your local welding shop. He will cut a 30 gallon barrel lengthwise and weld on some hinges. A grate made from rebar will keep the charcoal off the bottom of the barrel. Another grate made from rebar will hold your food. You could possibly buy some Chinese replacement gas burners and make it into a gas grill. (not recommended). You also have the option of using the ready made clay pot type. They cost about 200 baht and work fine.

As for me, I want to turn on the gas burners, throw the food on the grate, close the lid and drink a beer or two while my food is cooked in a well controlled manner. Up to you. If you are the lazy type as I am, you will appreciate the leisurely way of cooking.

Why is it so difficult to grasp the concept that millions of people around the world are happy with something in between?

I don't find that difficult to understand. What I found difficult was FINDING that in between product. As I said before I had a difficult time finding anything I thought was at least decent. Prior to buying my Quick Fire BBQ, my wife squatted on the ground and used 2 of the clay pot in a bucket charcoal types. Needless to say she didn't find that real enjoyable so I seldom got BBQ'd food. She thought I was throwing away my money but she now uses the gas BBQ as much as I do with very good results. She even uses it for her little sausage balls on a string. Charcoal grills are great but I wouldn't trade my gas grill for the best charcoal model built.

[citizen33]

If you want a low end unit, go see Somchai at your local welding shop. He will cut a 30 gallon barrel lengthwise and weld on some hinges. A grate made from rebar will keep the charcoal off the bottom of the barrel. Another grate made from rebar will hold your food. You could possibly buy some Chinese replacement gas burners and make it into a gas grill. (not recommended). You also have the option of using the ready made clay pot type. They cost about 200 baht and work fine.

As for me, I want to turn on the gas burners, throw the food on the grate, close the lid and drink a beer or two while my food is cooked in a well controlled manner. Up to you. If you are the lazy type as I am, you will appreciate the leisurely way of cooking.

Why is it so difficult to grasp the concept that millions of people around the world are happy with something in between?

I don't find that difficult to understand. What I found difficult was FINDING that in between product. As I said before I had a difficult time finding anything I thought was at least decent. Prior to buying my Quick Fire BBQ, my wife squatted on the ground and used 2 of the clay pot in a bucket charcoal types. Needless to say she didn't find that real enjoyable so I seldom got BBQ'd food. She thought I was throwing away my money but she now uses the gas BBQ as much as I do with very good results. She even uses it for her little sausage balls on a string. Charcoal grills are great but I wouldn't trade my gas grill for the best charcoal model built.

I think any fair-minded person reading this thread will detect the implication - which I find a tad irritating - that anybody who is sensible and not a skinflint will buy the 20K baht product. Your own last post is hardly cast in a neutral tone - basically it says: if you don't want to pay that money then go and pay peanuts for an old oil drum. If you are happy with your purchase then fine, but I don't think people discussing the possibility of cheaper options deserve a 'put down'. I think you will find that when there is sufficient demand for gas BBQs in Thailand, there will be other good-value options. As to Doc not being 'sure' about me, I can only say that his intervention makes me feel much the same about him and, as he is making a sales pitch and I am not, he has more to lose than I do. Anyway there is more in the world than BBQs, so I will restrain myself from further comment on this topic.

Edited December 2, 2008 by citizen33

[thatguy]

I drove to Udon to pick up one of Docs' two burner stainless units a year or two ago.

It's been fantastic. Or better.

[barryofthailand]

First & greatest reason is that all the grills at the BBQ Store are imported (you buy 1 grill for you & 3 for the government (tax) plus ship it from Oz, most likely) & are sold by a business in BKK paying BKK rent & looking for farang style profit margins. Nothing wrong with profit, but once you factor in Billy Bob's cost plus Somchai's tax plus profit, you aren't talking $299.00. Toto, you aren't in Kansas anymore shopping at the Home Despot.

I have seen one of the grills made by the guy in Ubon. Very nice & good quality welding, but my impression was that they were pricey given they are made here by Thai labor. Sure stainless steel ain't cheap, but 20,000 Bt ?

That being said, if you want a cheap grill, have Somchai at the village metal shop make one for you. Cheap price & cheap everything else. You'll be back in 2 years, if not sooner, for another one.

I have a 10 year old Weber that I shipped from back home. Given it's decline in condition since I arrived here, my best guess is that it is good for 2 or 3 more years tops.

I think I'll start saving my satangs now. Maybe 20,000Bt doesn't sound so bad after all.

And so it goes...

Well I'm sorry, but I cannot buy most of this explanation. As in the States, gas BBQs in the UK are very much cheaper than in Thailand. Many are transported all the way from China (quality of many Chinese goods is much better now than a few years ago), UK business rates are high and the BBQs are subject to VAT (just about to be cut from 17.5%). Nevertheless a good one can be had for half the price we are talking about in Thailand, even less in sales. Obviously the handmade item from Udon you are describing is very strong, but this is not a high-tech product and items like the burners and controls are standard parts that are not handmade. The other thing is that the Udon model doesn't have as many burners (2 or 3 depending on model) as the relatively cheap product in one of the photos above (4?). It would be possible to import from China into Thailand at a much more competitive price. My guess is that the main reason this doesn't happen is volume of sales and the fact that the main demand comes from the expat market which is seen as being prepared to pay a premium (market segmentation). I predict that Tesco Lotus will eventually start selling the product at a competitive price as they do in the UK.

Even though Tesco is partly UK based, I dougbt that they will start selling imported Bar B Ques. The demend is not here. If Thais would start buying gas Bar B Ques, than yes the price would drop tremendously, but as you know these items are expat demended only, as such the price remains high.

Barry

[Gary A]

If you want a low end unit, go see Somchai at your local welding shop. He will cut a 30 gallon barrel lengthwise and weld on some hinges. A grate made from rebar will keep the charcoal off the bottom of the barrel. Another grate made from rebar will hold your food. You could possibly buy some Chinese replacement gas burners and make it into a gas grill. (not recommended). You also have the option of using the ready made clay pot type. They cost about 200 baht and work fine.

As for me, I want to turn on the gas burners, throw the food on the grate, close the lid and drink a beer or two while my food is cooked in a well controlled manner. Up to you. If you are the lazy type as I am, you will appreciate the leisurely way of cooking.

Why is it so difficult to grasp the concept that millions of people around the world are happy with something in between?

I don't find that difficult to understand. What I found difficult was FINDING that in between product. As I said before I had a difficult time finding anything I thought was at least decent. Prior to buying my Quick Fire BBQ, my wife squatted on the ground and used 2 of the clay pot in a bucket charcoal types. Needless to say she didn't find that real enjoyable so I seldom got BBQ'd food. She thought I was throwing away my money but she now uses the gas BBQ as much as I do with very good results. She even uses it for her little sausage balls on a string. Charcoal grills are great but I wouldn't trade my gas grill for the best charcoal model built.

I think any fair-minded person reading this thread will detect the implication - which I find a tad irritating - that anybody who is sensible and not a skinflint will buy the 20K baht product. Your own last post is hardly cast in a neutral tone - basically it says: if you don't want to pay that money then go and pay peanuts for an old oil drum. If you are happy with your purchase then fine, but I don't think people discussing the possibility of cheaper options deserve a 'put down'. I think you will find that when there is sufficient demand for gas BBQs in Thailand, there will be other good-value options. As to Doc not being 'sure' about me, I can only say that his intervention makes me feel much the same about him and, as he is making a sales pitch and I am not, he has more to lose than I do. Anyway there is more in the world than BBQs, so I will restrain myself from further comment on this topic.

It appears to me that you are thin skinned and easily irritated. You are correct though. The bottom line is that you get what you pay for.

[citizen33]

It appears to me that you are thin skinned and easily irritated. You are correct though. The bottom line is that you get what you pay for.

Well Gary, I have to say I sometimes find it difficult to work out where you are coming from. A post of yours on another thread just today takes somebody to task for complaining about the high cost of living in LOS and especially big ticket discretional purchases, but in this case on the basis that (in contrast to those with expat life styles) you have chosen to live simply (and cheaply) in deepest Loei:

"Some people talk about living normally. Define normally. I live in an area where the nearest super store is 150 kilometers away. Driving 300 kilometers round trip for some farang items that I no longer even miss is NOT living normally for me. My home here in Thailand is as plush or as cheap as I want to make it. All our food is purchased from the local fresh market or grown right at home. My blood pressure has dropped back to normal and I too have lost more than 20 pounds. I choose to live out of the cities and enjoy my life style in the peace and quiet of the country. (...)

Once you acclimate to Thailand, you'll find that you can be perfectly happy doing without items that are only available imported from your home country."

Yet here you are bragging about the 20K baht you spent on a BBQ and just a month or two back you were justifying why you bought the high-end GPS Thailand map here rather than shopping for a similar item at half the price in the US! This seems a tad illogical.

Edited December 4, 2008 by citizen33