I was boycotting alcoholic beverages during my current visit in Thailand – except when unavoidable – because of the exorbitantly high excise tax and today realised that I did the beer injustice.

The best ideas always come during that semi-conscious state upon waking in the morning and this morning it occurred to me that I should compare the Swiss retail prices with the Thai prices, and that’s what I did just now.

True, my favourite brand in Switzerland costs me only CHF 1.10 per litre (I always calculate the price per litre for easy comparison) but that brand is not available here so I took Heineken. At The Mall I saw a pack of 8x500 mL for THB 385 (CHF 3.27/litre) and when I looked up the price at my local supermarket in Switzerland (Coop) I saw 6x500 mL going for CHF 13.20 (CHF 4.40/litre)

Now I’m off to buy some Heineken to make up for lost time. 7-Eleven around the corner has 2x500 mL for THB 99 (CHF 3.36/litre), and I could do with a walk. Or should I go for Tiger? I just might.

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Maestro

There is only one beer that I boycott.....

What beer are you drinking in Switzerland? In the bars in Geneva Feldschlossen and Cardinal go for about 6.50 francs for a Canette (.5 litre). Guiness and Kilkenny are a whopping 10 francs and 2 decis of wine can be as much as 10 francs.

I know that the Coop does some good deals too. I hardly go out any more because I can buy a good bottle of wine for about 5 - 6 francs.

True, my favourite brand in Switzerland costs me only CHF 1.10 per litre

That has to be some pretty horrible beer I lived in Switzerland 20 years ago and even way back then couldn't find beer that cheap. Wait, there was that awful stuff in one-liter bottle with a screw top, is that the one?

Anyway, good luck on catching up on the time wasted not drinking beer.