Thai Stores And The Crazy Things They Do...

[jfchandler]

I knew it was going to be a bad day when while shopping at the Central Food Hall at The Emporium today, I happened to be looking at the peanut butter jars section on the shelves, and noticed the store folks had decided to place the Mexican-style tortilla chips varieties right in the middle of the peanut butter and jam jars.... Maybe there's some cosmic connection there, but surely it escapes me...

In any event, my main objective for the afternoon was to find some plastic inserts that go into a binder or folder for making a business-type presentation, things you can slip a multi-page document into. And specifically, I mean the kind that are cut open at the top, so the top half or third of the front of each pocket insert is open -- making it easy to insert and remove multi-page, stapled sets of documents.

So I went to the local Office Depot store expecting to not have any difficulty. And after explaining what I needed and showing an example from the States that I brought with me, I got the familiar "mai mee." They had I'd roughly guess about one million varieties of the full length plastic sleeve varieties, which cover the entire front and back of each inserted document and are great for holding single sheets of paper. But not a single variety with what I'd call pockets.

So the staff there sent me over to the stationery store on the fourth floor of the Emporium, where after going thru the same explanation process, one staff member finally produced something vaguely resembling what I was looking for -- plastic with binder cuts and...colored in BRIGHT PINK... Got any other colors...or even clear??? Nope... Got any other similar styles??? Nope....

Now, the pink variety was a lovely color. But I'm not sure I really want to choose that for a business type presentation. Same story the day before at CarreFour... Gazillions of the transparent clear plastic full length covers... But not a single one with pockets and hole punches that can be inserted into a binder...

And I wasn't even looking for the 8-1/2 X 11 variety... I would have happily settled for the slightly longer A4 variety.

Sometimes...I just don't get Thailand. The pockets thing is really a pretty common thing used in business. You'd think it would be easy to find... But for the life of me, I don't know where....

[hhgz]

Misplaced chips and pink binders - it's amazing the things farangs find to complain about.

[jfchandler]

The chips thing was just a bit of humor...albeit true...

The binder inserts I need for a business presentation... What's amazing is that any number of office supply and stationary shops around BKK don't seem to stock something that is a commonly used business supply item... unless of course...you want yours in pink.

[Matan]

The chips thing was just a bit of humor...albeit true...

Humour

Surely if you're the sort who is making business presentations in Thailand you're not going to waste two afternoons traipsing around looking for a specific type of folder, are you? Wouldn't it have been easier to buy the covered ones, get a stanley knife/ pair of scissors, a ruler and a pencil and spend 30 minutes neatly cutting the inadequate Thai ones? Rather than going to Carrefour and various shops in Emporium over two days??

Edited November 7, 2009 by Matan

[TomBombadil]

You guys still did not get it. "Improvise" and make more than the original idea out of that! Thailand is the perfect country for that.

Edited November 7, 2009 by TomBombadil

[jfchandler]

Tom, when I first read your post re the chalk, I thought you were joking... pulling my/our leg... But I read it again, and I think you are serious...

And..I agree... These kind of things kind of make me a little crazy... It's a simple thing. It ought to be very easy to come by.... But for some reason, it's impossible to find where you'd expect to find it. Of course, I suspect these things are out there somewhere, but Lord knows how you'd find them...

Really really... no white chalk for teachers in the stores???

And to the "improvise" comments above, it just doesn't work. The plastic sheaths in the Thai stores are the flimsy, cheap, thin plastic stuff that's barely meant to hold a single sheet. I need something substantial, firm and solid, in which each pocket will hold a thicker stapled packet...

Here's what I see in the Thai stores....

Here's what I want and need...

Get the picture??? Not exactly interchangeable or convertible, one to the other...

In case some of you don't get it...this was a desperate cry for help!!!

PS... some of you don't find anything a little strange about a major Thai grocery store placing an entire shelve of fried Mexican tortilla chip packages right in the middle of peanut butter jars above and jam/jelly jars below??? Some of you making mini peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made from tortilla chips???

[DP25]

I happened to be looking at the peanut butter jars section on the shelves, and noticed the store folks had decided to place the Mexican-style tortilla chips varieties right in the middle of the peanut butter and jam jars.... Maybe there's some cosmic connection there, but surely it escapes me...

That'd be the 'American' food section. Some hungry American searching for a jar of imported peanut butter arrives at aisle, and see the tortilla chips, the chips he eats daily back home and can never find in Thailand, and buys them too.

[jfchandler]

Or, how about the Central Food Hall at Siam Paragon having their dry pasta noodles located in at least 3 or 4 different display locations around the store...

Or, the same at a couple of similar large grocery stores with their cereals... some in the cereal section...some in the organics section.... some in the imported foods section... some on end caps.

Did it ever occur to them that someone looking for cereal or pasta might want to just go to the cereal or pasta section, and then pick the variety they want... and not have to trek all around the store going to 3 or 4 different aisles just to find the one thing they want...

[Lite Beer]

Post containing a flame deleted.

[Meridian007]

Hey, they try to make life an adventure for you!

I'll always remember what a colleague once said, "Thailand gives you the perfect opportunity to just surrender to life." I've felt that ever since coming here and getting over the worst of my culture shock. Thailand forces you to "let go" of so many things that you grew up with. Whether these things are necessarily good things to let go of, ( like general safety, or rational thought ), is definitely debatable, but these things help us grow as people. (or put us in early graves, depending on how you take it!)

Have you tried B2S, or the stationary areas in Tesco? I've seen things similar to what you posted, but you might have to cut down the one side on your own.

Edited November 7, 2009 by Meridian007

[jfchandler]

Thanks Meridian...I do understand what you're saying...

Most of the time, I'm good to go, and take things easy here..

In this instance, I'm putting together some material for a presentation that's very important to me (and I don't mean having anything to do with money). I want to do it right. But Thailand isn't making that easy...

I did look in B2S.... I havent checked Tesco yet... CF seemed to have a larger school/office supplies section...but...you never know... Thanks.

[bigt116]

Chandler,

I fully get what you mean. I spent the afternoon looking for white chalk for a blackboard the other week, I found lots of other colours but not white. Actually tried the very same office depot as you did, again every colour but white.

I guess I could have stopped after the first or second place, but I kind of got the bit between my teeth and believed that the next shop I tried would obviously have to have it - then I would know where to go straight away next time rather than wasting time like that again. It kind of becomes a personal thing at times, every place you go that doesn't have the item you're after when they blatently should stock it just makes you more determined to find it.

To anybody who has never got properly obsessed with finding a simple item in Bangkok, you're either been here far to long on or not nearly long enough.

Tom.

not sure where you are but, just before park and emporium (on r/h/side) there is a little mom and pop shop with stickers outside that sells boxes of white chalk, got mine there for about 20Baht

[moe666]

No salasa for the chips so substitute peanut butter and jelly works for me.

We have a really great asian food store here owned and operated by a Lao family they do the same thing, they will have products scattered thru out the store.

Good luck on your binders.

[jfchandler]

I believe Tomster is in the lower Sukhumvit area... same as me...so a shop near The Emporium is an easy trip away...

I had to figure, with all the farang English teachers in town, that someone would know where to find white chalk...

not sure where you are but, just before park and emporium (on r/h/side) there is a little mom and pop shop with stickers outside that sells boxes of white chalk, got mine there for about 20Baht

[ozzieovaseas]

Thanks Meridian...I do understand what you're saying...

Most of the time, I'm good to go, and take things easy here..

In this instance, I'm putting together some material for a presentation that's very important to me (and I don't mean having anything to do with money). I want to do it right. But Thailand isn't making that easy...

I did look in B2S.... I havent checked Tesco yet... CF seemed to have a larger school/office supplies section...but...you never know... Thanks.

Hey JC...what about a Big C superstore?

I remember finding a specific folder i needed there after visiting just about all the places you mentioned without success.

By the way,excuse my being nosey but would this presentation have anything to do with food per chance??

Everytime i feel like a certain food fix and go searching TV you never fail to magically appear with all the answers,providing good reviews and sometimes even PICS. ..and im a keen mexican muncher as well..so thanks for the info.

SO yeh,this is one poster that does appreciate the effort you put in,seeing how you could easily find something worthwhile and NOT go to the bother of posting it and putting yourself at the mercy of all the TV vultures hovering about.Always eager to swoop and pick at your bones without mercy over every minute detail...and they are usually ALL bloody smokers!!!

Sorry,a bit off topic but just wanted to say keep up the good work and dont worry about the hecklers.

PS. Ive always wanted to invite you to my local where a cheeky but cheerful thai does a great porterhouse (maybe you call striploin) for 120 baht!..quite big and suprisingly tender with a nice pepper source and the obligatory salad,chips and two slices of bread (yeh,with the fake butter).Might be a bit out of your way though and id be embarassed if the occasional rat popped out to say hello as they sometimes do

[mca]

The biggest head shaker for me was in my local 7-11. Quite often they have an open container near the till full of half melted ice with cans of iced coffee, iced tea, etc on a promotion. I was in there once and in the container alongside the drinks were those packs of microwavable garlic bread you usually find in the 7-11 cooler. I picked one up from the half melted ice and yes, the packet was just a soggy mess.

[jfchandler]

Thanks Ozzie...on all counts....

Re the folders, no, I hadn't tried Big C, but I probably can muster up enough energy today when I'm out and around to give a try at one more store.... I'll stop by my local Big C just in case... Hey, you never know...

And no...it's nothing about food.... My LT GF here, at my behest, is applying for a tourist visa to the U.S., and has her appointment scheduled at the U.S. Embassy, hopefully to join me for my annual Christmas trip back to California and to meet my parents. That's why I'm looking for the special binder/folder.

Re the restaurant reviews, much appreciate that. Actually, that's why I started the

Bangkok Dining Deals thread here, specifically for that purpose. And I've been really happy so far, and we've had some great suggestions of good deals on places to eat from a variety of contributors... People should check it out. I hope to make it an ongoing discussion... More to come...

Re the steak place, that sounds pretty darned good... And I always love a good steak...especially for 120 baht, just so long as it's not the sandal sole variety.... Since this is Thailand, I've learned to accept the popping up of an occasional rat here and there around Thai eateries, though hopefully not on me or the food I'm eating... Just so long as they keep their distance... Why don't you post in Bangkok Dining Deals the info on your steak place. I'd love to give it a try.

Edited November 8, 2009 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

Well...you really wanted some garlic bread with your drink, right???

The biggest head shaker for me was in my local 7-11. Quite often they have an open container near the till full of half melted ice with cans of iced coffee, iced tea, etc on a promotion. I was in there once and in the container alongside the drinks were those packs of microwavable garlic bread you usually find in the 7-11 cooler. I picked one up from the half melted ice and yes, the packet was just a soggy mess.

[Fishenough]

Stationary/book store a little south of the Loh Kroy Road turn off, from the moat. Store is not easily seen as it is back behind the parking lot, but well stock with stationary, maps and books. Far more stock than BigC, Makro, or Tesco; we don't bother shopping anywhere else to avoid the 'gee hope they carry a...'.

Mmmm, peanut butter and chips sprinkled with choc chips - haven't eaten it, but have caught the kids doing so.

[Hardback]

I have found BETrend on the 3rd floor of Paragon to be great for stationery and they definitely have what you are looking for.

[jfchandler]

Re the folders I'm seeking, thanks for the suggestion, Hardback!!!

[jfchandler]

Well, I often think Thailand is a "Land of Wonder" in many ways...

Lately, I'm thinking mostly in the manner of, "Gee... I wonder how to find this... I wonder how to find that."

Taking the good advice above, I still ended up coming up empty yesterday in my search for the pocket folders.... None to be found at Big C Radjadamri... None to be found at the BETrend shop on the third floor of Siam Paragon inside the Central Department store there.... In both places, nothing even close.

The general office supply offerings at Big C R were pretty sparse in general. The office supply offerings at the BETrend shop were pretty good, and not overpriced as I had expected a bit. Even found an English speaking manager there in the shop who took some time to talk with me about what I needed, and then to talk with her staff in search of finding it... Still, no luck.

So I had to end up organizing my documents in a different way.... OK.... But pretty disappointing that one can't seem to find such a basic thing here in LOS.... I wasn't smiling yesterday....

The overall search reminded me about a general trend I've noticed in the way stores are stocked here....

For the things they have, they usually stock many many varieties or brands of the same thing... So if they have something, you often have countless choices to pick from. But, some of the things you could reasonable find in pretty much any larger store in the U.S. simply won't be available here.

[SantiSuk]

The chips thing was just a bit of humor...albeit true...

The binder inserts I need for a business presentation... What's amazing is that any number of office supply and stationary shops around BKK don't seem to stock something that is a commonly used business supply item... unless of course...you want yours in pink.

... in the US. I'm not sure I have seen what you describe being used in my 30 year business career in the UK ( a presentation a day job), though they sound quite useful! Business stationery is quite different between the UK, US and Europe - the US insistence on using outmoded letter sized paper used to annoy me, but I am sure there is stuff that annoys you equally - oh yes, pocket binders

[mahtin]

I have found BETrend on the 3rd floor of Paragon to be great for stationery and they definitely have what you are looking for.

Keep on posting, Hardback.

Correctly spelling both stationery and definitely is a rare thing around here.

No, I don't smoke.

[MiG16]

some shops to try:

Makro office - one not far from emporium I think...just across the road near sky train escalator

Suksabhand store - theres one near democracy monument, but Im sure there are others around town

Sahakorn Krungthep (co-op) store - one across from Ekamai bus station

and a stationery shop on Ekamai road...cant remember the name, but they supply to a lot of offices....if you are entering from main sukhumvit road, its on the right hand side, just before you get to Ekkamai soi 12 (?) maybe?

if all else fail, try one of the big photocopy centres that do binding, they may have something for you. alternatively they may be able to bind it in a nice presentation for whatever purpose?

cheers