Imported Beers

[philo1]

Firstly, hello to all the forum members. I'm new to the site and this is my first post.

I've been living in Thailand for 10 yrs and in all this time I've seen various beers come and go.

John Smiths Bitter was my favourite beer and I'm told by bar owner was very very popular.

Also Murphy's Stout is another favourite of mine.

So, if these beers are so popular why is it that after 12 months or so of regular availability , why is it that now these beers

cannot be obtained. Is it a result of customs clearance problem or tax levvies increase. Or is it unscrutable customs officials or

the Thai breweries excercising pressure to outlaw these beers for fear of competition and lost sales.

When I ask this question of expat bar owners all I get in reply is that it's a supply problem.

Can anyone put more details to this answer

[Ulysses G.]

Not enough customers willing to pay the price for expensive imports?

[Musongman]

Thai beer is good enough anyway!!

[philo1]

I'm not decrying Thai beer but I do enjoy a nice pint of the old black stuff now and again.

But the Guinness is getting really expensive now and Murphy's was a reasonably priced alternative

when you could get it, and it's good for your health in moderation.

I'm told that Tetley smooth flow is now experiencing the same difficulty with availability. WHY???

[gotlost]

I would say the answer is D all of the above. But UG hit the nail on the head, not enough customer s to pay the high cost.

[philo1]

I must say this topic is not been given the gravity it deserves. Not everyone in Thailand is on a retirement visa and living off a state pension!!

[gotlost]

I must say this topic is not been given the gravity it deserves. Not everyone in Thailand is on a retirement visa and living off a state pension!!

Only about 60% of this form.

[philo1]

I must say this topic is not been given the gravity it deserves. Not everyone in Thailand is on a retirement visa and living off a state pension!!

Only about 60% of this form.

Sadly Yes.

[zthyadat]

<br>Thai beer is good enough anyway!!<img src="http://static.thaivisa.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif" class="bbc_emoticon" alt=""><br>

<br><br>No it's not, it is commercial mass produced rubbish. Real beer tastes wonderful. <br><br><br>

[Rinrada]

For many years all you could get in Bangers was Singha,Klosters and Amarit and "farang" beers (if available)were about 3x times more expensive.

Remember going to a little gin joint at the side of Times Square...sort of jazzy place called the "Magic Castle"..prob long gone and the nornal sings etc was about 30bt a throw but they had Fosters /Heinekin in cans for...Bt 120... Aggg...last of the big spenders.

Eventually of course in country Heinekin,Carls-de-burg-John Smiths,the black stuff etc all started to appear as well as the new Internations type boozers..Delanys,Londoner,Dubliner,Gullis...et all.and I now find that the country has a fairly good spread.

Even in the boonies in the mountains of Mae-On i can get Big Heinee in my local Thai restaurant...at Bt70 odd a go.....ICE COLD...Luv-lay...

[smokie36]

For many years all you could get in Bangers was Singha,Klosters and Amarit and "farang" beers (if available)were about 3x times more expensive.

Remember going to a little gin joint at the side of Times Square...sort of jazzy place called the "Magic Castle"..prob long gone and the nornal sings etc was about 30bt a throw but they had Fosters /Heinekin in cans for...Bt 120... Aggg...last of the big spenders.

Eventually of course in country Heinekin,Carls-de-burg-John Smiths,the black stuff etc all started to appear as well as the new Internations type boozers..Delanys,Londoner,Dubliner,Gullis...et all.and I now find that the country has a fairly good spread.

Even in the boonies in the mountains of Mae-On i can get Big Heinee in my local Thai restaurant...at Bt70 odd a go.....ICE COLD...Luv-lay...

Thai beer is just OK and sure I'll drink it by the gallon...... ......but Cambodian beer is much better. Why don't I see this available anywhere? Angkor beer please and soon......maybe available in a Samui bar soon now I come to think about it cheers.

[game4shame]

I discussed this with a friend just the other day. apparently, it's a combination of ridiculously high import costs and a thai brew monopoly.

personally, my beer of choice in thailand is leo but even it's hard to find in bars as it's got a reputation as a cheapskate beer and the big boys (singha/chang) want the fame to theirselves.

leo is the best beer by a mile IMO - light and crisp whereas singha leaves me bloated, chang is full of &lt;deleted&gt;, san mig leaves a minging lime aftertaste and tiger made me spew my ringer once.

heineken is a readily available farang beer but I believe they have a local brewery so avoid the import costs.

it does get a bit draining when I go into a bar and ask for a leo, then when I get the 'no have', it's the usual &lt;deleted&gt; that's offered - singha, chang, tiger, san mig & heineken. yawn.

[StreetCowboy]

I discussed this with a friend just the other day. apparently, it's a combination of ridiculously high import costs and a thai brew monopoly.

personally, my beer of choice in thailand is leo but even it's hard to find in bars as it's got a reputation as a cheapskate beer and the big boys (singha/chang) want the fame to theirselves.

leo is the best beer by a mile IMO - light and crisp whereas singha leaves me bloated, chang is full of &lt;deleted&gt;, san mig leaves a minging lime aftertaste and tiger made me spew my ringer once.

heineken is a readily available farang beer but I believe they have a local brewery so avoid the import costs.

it does get a bit draining when I go into a bar and ask for a leo, then when I get the 'no have', it's the usual &lt;deleted&gt; that's offered - singha, chang, tiger, san mig & heineken. yawn.

The Offshore Bar on the Soi at the Cambodia end of Soi Cowboy has Newcastle Brown on draft, which is, in my opinion, the most accurate indicator of a poor pub; not one that you can rely on, since there are far more poor pubs than sell Brown on draft, nor particularly helpful, since by the time you see the beer taps, you'll be able to form your own opinion of the pub, and perhaps subjective, since the owner probably disagrees. Anyway, its redeeming features are that it sells Newcastle Brown, and there's no other customers, so its easy to get served. Your experience may differ....

I believe that Leo is Singha's cheapskate brand, for people that can't afford to drink

SC

[game4shame]

I believe that Leo is Singha's cheapskate brand, for people that can't afford to drink

SC

oh, that is class! you've been in thailand too long before you're judging social class by beer choice.

I would happily pay more for a leo than a singha.

[StreetCowboy]

I believe that Leo is Singha's cheapskate brand, for people that can't afford to drink

SC

oh, that is class! you've been in thailand too long before you're judging social class by beer choice.

I would happily pay more for a leo than a singha.

I suppose its all market segmentation.

SC

[VocalNeal]

I must say this topic is not been given the gravity it deserves. Not everyone in Thailand is on a retirement visa and living off a state pension!!

Last time I was in Villa they had a reasonable selection of imported beers.

[lomatopo]

I must say this topic is not been given the gravity it deserves.

No pun intended (see specific gravity).

Seriously, why is everything that is imported expensive here? Umm, transportation costs (including refrigeration), import duty, taxes, surcharges, warehousing, local distribution costs, licensing and franchising fees. Not really a new topic here.

[OriginalPoster]

Thai beer is good enough anyway!!

That's a bizarre comment even by ThaiVisa standards.

[OriginalPoster]

I must say this topic is not been given the gravity it deserves. Not everyone in Thailand is on a retirement visa and living off a state pension!!

Last time I was in Villa they had a reasonable selection of imported beers.

it's tragic that that's as good as it gets in Thailand. Villa's better stores might have a couple dozen imported beers and half of then will be crap in green bottles targeting idiots who think that good beer tastes like a skunk smells. In countries with relatively free trade there are often literally hundreds of brews to chose from.

[smokie36]

I must say this topic is not been given the gravity it deserves. Not everyone in Thailand is on a retirement visa and living off a state pension!!

Last time I was in Villa they had a reasonable selection of imported beers.

it's tragic that that's as good as it gets in Thailand. Villa's better stores might have a couple dozen imported beers and half of then will be crap in green bottles targeting idiots who think that good beer tastes like a skunk smells. In countries with relatively free trade there are often literally hundreds of brews to chose from.

I'm gobsmacked each time I visit a pub in the UK and find imported beer is the same price as home brewed stuff....seems they have a great deal going on with the importers....every time...blows me away really.....am I pissed?.....you bet I am....!

[smokie36]

Thai beer is good enough anyway!!

That's a bizarre comment even by ThaiVisa standards.

I've heard this on almost every beer thread on Thai Visa OP......maybe they have been here so long they forgot what good beer was or simply they were fed a diet of Stella or Carling or even Fosters back home......nah hang on even that's miles better than anything brewed in Thailand.

I keep saying it....just one half decent crisp fresh non adulterated lager here and it will clean up .....chang/singha/heineken hire me and this time next year we'll all be millionaires......

[tigerfish]

try visiting this site. www.fluidasiapacific.com

they are a company based in bangkok that import beers from all over the globe.

was put onto them when i posted a topic a while back on how to get hold of fullers bitter in thailand.

[IMA_FARANG]

Not that this has anything to do with Thailand ...or even the initial subject...but is there anyone here who has ever had a bottle of a beer called "Melotti"? Brewed by one ""Luigi Melloti"? I doubt that it is available any longer due to "political changes" in it's original home country. If you ever had one, or know where it is from, post a reply. After a couple of days, if no one answers, I'll tell you all the answer.

Just for the record Melotti was a light pale beer...if you like heavy dark beers you wouldn't have

liked it.

Now back to the original subject.

[OriginalPoster]

try visiting this site. www.fluidasiapacific.com

they are a company based in bangkok that import beers from all over the globe.

was put onto them when i posted a topic a while back on how to get hold of fullers bitter in thailand.

Do they sell bottled beers? All that I'm seeing on their website are some of the imported draft beers that you'll find at farang pubs.

[Kilgore Trout]

I discussed this with a friend just the other day. apparently, it's a combination of ridiculously high import costs and a thai brew monopoly.

personally, my beer of choice in thailand is leo but even it's hard to find in bars as it's got a reputation as a cheapskate beer and the big boys (singha/chang) want the fame to theirselves.

leo is the best beer by a mile IMO - light and crisp whereas singha leaves me bloated, chang is full of &lt;deleted&gt;, san mig leaves a minging lime aftertaste and tiger made me spew my ringer once.

heineken is a readily available farang beer but I believe they have a local brewery so avoid the import costs.

it does get a bit draining when I go into a bar and ask for a leo, then when I get the 'no have', it's the usual &lt;deleted&gt; that's offered - singha, chang, tiger, san mig & heineken. yawn.

The Offshore Bar on the Soi at the Cambodia end of Soi Cowboy has Newcastle Brown on draft, which is, in my opinion, the most accurate indicator of a poor pub; not one that you can rely on, since there are far more poor pubs than sell Brown on draft, nor particularly helpful, since by the time you see the beer taps, you'll be able to form your own opinion of the pub, and perhaps subjective, since the owner probably disagrees. Anyway, its redeeming features are that it sells Newcastle Brown, and there's no other customers, so its easy to get served. Your experience may differ....

I believe that Leo is Singha's cheapskate brand, for people that can't afford to drink

SC

The offshore has been serving the best fish and chips (cod there is good)for the price in town for many years. The beef stew is also fantastic. Didn't know they had Newcastle brown on tap, but glad they do as I will be there drinking one soon

Dont know what you mean in your last sentence about people who can't afford to drink though; are you trying to be obnoxious or is it just your personality?

[inthepink]

Yes Leo is the Boon Rawd brewery's answer to Chang and aimed at poor people. Personally I think it tastes awful but we all have different preferences.

The Offshore may have been serving the best fish and chips for years but by the smell of the place they have been frying everything in the same oil for years too.

Edited July 26, 2010 by inthepink

[game4shame]

Yes Leo is the Boon Rawd brewery's answer to Chang and aimed at poor people.

one has to laugh at the whole thai 'beer class' &lt;deleted&gt; - I mean, honestly, &lt;deleted&gt;???

it's just an example of how far the country still has to come.

some thais would probably buy a shit sandwich if you told them it was twice the price of a subway.

[StreetCowboy]

8>< SNIP NESTED QUOTES DELETED ><8

The offshore has been serving the best fish and chips (cod there is good)for the price in town for many years. The beef stew is also fantastic. Didn't know they had Newcastle brown on tap, but glad they do as I will be there drinking one soon

Dont know what you mean in your last sentence about people who can't afford to drink though; are you trying to be obnoxious or is it just your personality?

I'm lucky that it comes naturally, as I'm too lazy for anything that requires hard work.

At the risk of sounding pedagogical, I meant that Leo is a Singha brand, targetted at poor people. Now regardless of taste, the beer market works on brand image rather than brewing quality, and my understanding is that Leo and Chang are perceived as cheaper beers to drink than, for example, Singha or Heineken. By segmenting the market, and tailoring products to each segment, the brewing companies seek to maximise their overall market share. By making the products sufficiently different, they seek to minimise cannibilism of their own brands' share.

If its not the Offshore then its the Ship just up the road that has Newcastle Brown, as I recall - surprised no-one has come on to confirm or refute. Mind, it's a few years since i was there...I prefer the more up-market brands...

SC

EDIT: Redundant text deleted

Edited July 27, 2010 by StreetCowboy

[Shipwreck]

Given the choice between Leo and Singha, from my experience the Americans tend to favor Leo and the UK/Aussies seem to like Singha. Wonder why that is?

[jfchandler]

For my tastes, Leo has a clean taste and leaves me with no ill after-effects....

Whereas, for me, Singha has a taste that's somehow off and always leaves me feeling bad later....