Another multination giant coming to take business away from Mon & Pop stores.

First the hypermarket (Tesco, Careforre, etc)

Than the DIY depot (HomePro HomeWork etc).

Now furniture (Index, IKEA, etc).

How dare a multinational threaten to destroy Thai business, by offering better-quality at rock-bottom prices, in a bright clean well-designed and displayed store !

I personally look forward to buying those chocolate coconut-covered oat-balls, or the giant-packs of tasty biscuits, as I already have enough stylish durable IKEA-furniture here in my (Thai) home.

When does the Chiang Mai branch open ?

Edited December 18, 200916 yr by Ricardo

IKEA Will Finally Open in Thailand

Crikey. According to that link: "It is supposed to open in the, yet to be build, Mega Bangna on the Bangna-trat ring road in November 2011."

Two more years??? (If it is constructed on schedule, that is...)

“Even though we think, that Bangkok, as a market, has been mature for a long time - we don’t expect it to be a goldmine, because of the tax issues. But if you want to be a player in global business, you have to be represented in all major cities, and hopefully the tax system will change in the future?”

“We could have set up some kind of solution on our own, but IKEA is a very famous and respected brand, so we want to keep our hands clean and not get involved in any kind of shady deals – like so many other companies, wanting to operate on their own in Thailand, end up doing”

http://www.scandasia.com/viewNews.php?coun...mp;news_id=5821

How exciting, flat pack furniture, bibs and bobs generally made in Asia but sold as Skandinavian marvels. Pity the reality is different to the illusion!

My Thai teacher in London once said to me that she thought the Ikea concept was bizarre and would never take off in Thailand as people wouldn't see the point in buying furniture that you had to assemble yourself.

How exciting, flat pack furniture, bibs and bobs generally made in Asia but sold as Skandinavian marvels. Pity the reality is different to the illusion!

IKEA translated into English makes MFI.

this is great news! which means more and more reasons to go shopping!

All of them bad. Being a mere male I hate shopping. I know that I am one of a very large band of brothers.

Yet another place where you can select the goods that you want in 5 minutes - and queue up for 20 minutes to pay for them.

How exciting, flat pack furniture, bibs and bobs generally made in Asia but sold as Skandinavian marvels. Pity the reality is different to the illusion!

But they will have Swedish meatballs.

How exciting, flat pack furniture, bibs and bobs generally made in Asia but sold as Skandinavian marvels. Pity the reality is different to the illusion!

"Pity." Gimme a break. You feelin' all smug and superior now? Sorry--nobody gives a shit where it's made or whose marvel it is. Those aren't the buying determinants at all.

And you must consider who designed the products, who marketed them, and who made it possible for you to have them conveniently. Just today I was wishing I had one of those cable management baskets sold by Ikea to organize the cluttered wires around my computer desk: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50035115. Gotta wait 2 years for it.

That store is going to be hugely successful. Maybe YOU aren't excited--and who cares in the least about that?--but lots of people will be, and that's why Ikea is going to open it.

Thais are going to love the blue IKEA shopping bags.

Big and lasts forever.

Thanks to PoorSucker for providing the article link, about the opening.

How exciting, flat pack furniture, bibs and bobs generally made in Asia but sold as Skandinavian marvels. Pity the reality is different to the illusion!

Maybe even made in the same factory. But possibly to completely different specifications.

How exciting, flat pack furniture, bibs and bobs generally made in Asia but sold as Skandinavian marvels. Pity the reality is different to the illusion!

But they will have Swedish meatballs.

We have an Ikea here in Riyadh which I pass every day to work. I pop out there at lunch for Meat Balls and Mash, at least once a fortnight

I go on the very odd occasion to our local North London Branch of Ikea...@ Angel where they do a Full English Breakfast for 95 Pence....

wots that in Baht?

too much for me of course wiffee and all her mates love it.

Coffee is extra but you can have as many refills as you want...Yankee style.....

and all of our Bangers/Chiang Mai house curtains came from there .....cheaper than buying in LOS...

And what has IKEA to do with Thailand and Switzerland, Schweiz, Schwiiz, Confederazione Svizzera, Confédération Suisse, Confoederatio Helvetica, Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft or Confederaziun Svizra as the Swiss like to call themselves ?

The richest man* in Switzerland is a Swede: Ingvar Kamprad - owner of IKEA with an estimated fortune of € 23,2 Billion or 35 Billion Swiss Francs or US$ 33,2 Billion or GBP 20,5 Billion...

but the nicest figure is in Swedish Kroner: SEK 242,4 Billion

Hurry to buy some more Ikea stuff

* According to Swiss magazine Bilanz.

LaoPo

As he started the company at the age of 17 and it now employees over 123 000 (!) people, I for one think it is alright if he has some money to live nicely on. And he is known to give a lot to charity.

As he started the company at the age of 17 and it now employees over 123 000 (!) people, I for one think it is alright if he has some money to live nicely on. And he is known to give a lot to charity.

Ingvar Kamprad is originally from Småland Province. Are you from there also TAWP ?

A close friend of mine is from Småland (in furniture also) and people from that southern part of Sweden are considered to be very stingy...very!

He knows 2 Billionaires (in €'s) from his village who go to the supermarket on Saturday- or Sunday afternoon to look for the leftovers in fish, vegetables etc. to buy them cheap.

Now, I don't know whether that story is true or not but I know my friend can be very stingy too, although he denies it

LaoPo

As he started the company at the age of 17 and it now employees over 123 000 (!) people, I for one think it is alright if he has some money to live nicely on. And he is known to give a lot to charity.

Ingvar Kamprad is originally from Småland Province. Are you from there also TAWP ?

A close friend of mine is from Småland (in furniture also) and people from that southern part of Sweden are considered to be very stingy...very!

He knows 2 Billionaires (in €'s) from his village who go to the supermarket on Saturday- or Sunday afternoon to look for the leftovers in fish, vegetables etc. to buy them cheap.

Now, I don't know whether that story is true or not but I know my friend can be very stingy too, although he denies it

LaoPo

No, I am not. I am of much better traditional blood.

But yes, the saying about those from that region is about the same as for Scottish penny-pincher in the UK.

Just got a xmas thingy from Ikea inviting us for a FREE Breakfast each...but only one cup of coffee......think they have been evesdropping???

Anyway with the weather at the mo would need a Snowplough to get there.... MPR

actually a bit of bacon eggs,beans,toms,mushies,toast etc sounds quite good but maybe better just to hit the sack......last day of toil tomorrow before the hols....

Oh dear, it`s junk Ikea.

I hated that junk furniture back in the UK.

It`s mostly formica with a compressed saw dust interior.

Screw holes that rarely line up, vague fitting instructions, total rubbish.

After a couple of years the joins crack and it falls apart.

Then don't buy it

Oh dear, it`s junk Ikea.

I hated that junk furniture back in the UK.

It`s mostly formica with a compressed saw dust interior.

Screw holes that rarely line up, vague fitting instructions, total rubbish.

After a couple of years the joins crack and it falls apart.

PM me.

I can put it together for you for a small fee.

Oh dear, it`s junk Ikea.

I hated that junk furniture back in the UK.

It`s mostly formica with a compressed saw dust interior.

Screw holes that rarely line up, vague fitting instructions, total rubbish.

After a couple of years the joins crack and it falls apart.

i built my kitchen in the US with ikea stuff and everything was fine when i 'donated' the house to my ex after about 15 years of use (the kitchen, not the ex; barely got any use out of her)

by the way, i see the opening date in Nov 3rd. maybe i'll take a trip up there and get my new kitchen. i wonder how prices will compare to Index and the other Thai places?

Edited October 13, 201114 yr by stevehaigh

The richest man* in Switzerland is a Swede: Ingvar Kamprad - owner of IKEA with an estimated fortune of € 23,2 Billion or 35 Billion Swiss Francs or US$ 33,2 Billion or GBP 20,5 Billion...

but the nicest figure is in Swedish Kroner: SEK 242,4 Billion

LaoPo

Now two years later he is by far the richest Swede and good for SEK 450 billion!

IKEA will open in Bangna within 20 days, 3rd of November 2011!

So how is it in Bangna, any flooding? Can the customers come to IKEA?

The richest man* in Switzerland is a Swede: Ingvar Kamprad - owner of IKEA with an estimated fortune of € 23,2 Billion or 35 Billion Swiss Francs or US$ 33,2 Billion or GBP 20,5 Billion...

but the nicest figure is in Swedish Kroner: SEK 242,4 Billion

LaoPo

Now two years later he is by far the richest Swede and good for SEK 450 billion!

IKEA will open in Bangna within 20 days, 3rd of November 2011!

So how is it in Bangna, any flooding? Can the customers come to IKEA?

Flooding and partcle board furniture not a good match.

YAYYYYYYY ! the end of the reign of tattiness really ugly overpriced and badly designed furniture !

YAYYYYYYY ! the end of the reign of tattiness really ugly overpriced and badly designed furniture !

Can't tell if serious