Makro Phetchabun - Update

[CharlieH]

For those that live around the Province and may have seen the big Makro Superstore underway on the highway 21 just outside the town.

The store is now promoting its Grand Opening on 17th October.

As some may have noticed, there is also a New Ford dealership, a Suzuki (cars) dealership currently in progress too.

There is a huge project slightly further south down the 21 which is apparently for a new "Home store".

There seems to be a big increase in building works around the town too, with many new shops/townhouses and apartment blocks underway,

I would guess with the influx of new store workers etc that demand is high.

Edited September 28, 2012 by CharlieH

[Route21]

Hi Charlie

Many thanks for the update.

I was hoping that it wasn't a big new "Home Centre".

If it is, my wife says she will need a bigger new pick-up!

Cheers

R21

PS That's maybe where the Ford dealership comes in.

[mikecwm]

Maybe the new capitol will be moving to Petchabun - far from the floods of Bangkok.

Better buy your large piece of land near the city soon.

Half joking of course, but Thailand wouldn't be the first country to move its capitol, and therefore hundreds of thousands of civil servants, to a safer area.

Annual flooding of biblical proportions in Bangkok is definitely on the cards.

[Monkeypants]

Word is that the huge project might be a central plaza.

Haven't seen the suzuki car dealership, where is it being built?

[CharlieH]

Word is that the huge project might be a central plaza.

Haven't seen the suzuki car dealership, where is it being built?

Suzuki: this is being built between the Tile store and Amway shop on the main highway.

[CharlieH]

Maybe the new capitol will be moving to Petchabun - far from the floods of Bangkok.

Better buy your large piece of land near the city soon.

Half joking of course, but Thailand wouldn't be the first country to move its capitol, and therefore hundreds of thousands of civil servants, to a safer area.

Annual flooding of biblical proportions in Bangkok is definitely on the cards.

Something is definitely going on as the amount of land sold and been filled in and raised etc ready for developing around the perimeter of the city is vast. There is now a large Bank complex going on at the back of Big C,bigger than the size of a football field!

Another big clearance underway just past Toyota, after the NEW Ford depot that's currently underway and 3 other large areas just started ground clearance.

[canopy]

Well I don't think an update like this is exciting enough to deserve a brand new topic, but here goes. Big C / Lotus is way better than nothing so shouldn't complain but Phetchabun leaves a lot to be desired for shopping compared to Phitsanulok next door, In the last few years Phitsanulok added blockbusters like Index, HomePro, Watsadu, Central, and more. There is even a McDonald's there now. During the same time period Phetchabun added...nothing? Glad there are a few modernization's in the pipeline now. Closer for me and that road to Phitsanulok is treacherous Rumor has it they are going to make highway 12 4-lane soon however.

[CharlieH]

Well I don't think an update like this is exciting enough to deserve a brand new topic, but here goes. Big C / Lotus is way better than nothing so shouldn't complain but Phetchabun leaves a lot to be desired for shopping compared to Phitsanulok next door, In the last few years Phitsanulok added blockbusters like Index, HomePro, Watsadu, Central, and more. There is even a McDonald's there now. During the same time period Phetchabun added...nothing? Glad there are a few modernization's in the pipeline now. Closer for me and that road to Phitsanulok is treacherous Rumor has it they are going to make highway 12 4-lane soon however.

Hardly call Phitlok next door being 2+ hours away, but agree there's always room for improvements here. I actually enjoy the drive over to Phit'lok once a month and enjoy Mcdonalds in the new mall when getting some supplies from Topps supermarket and the bakeries in the mall.

Canopy: Which way do you go to Phit'lok ?

[Monkeypants]

Suzuki: this is being built between the Tile store and Amway shop on the main highway.

Thanks, my mate wants a suzuki carry, small van, his nearest option was Phit/lok, will let him know

Cheers

[stoneyboy]

Spare a thought for us in Lom Sak we only just got a little Big C.

[Monkeypants]

You mean little c

oops re read your post ,

Edited October 9, 2012 by Monkeypants

[canopy]

I am in Khao Kho so takes 90 minutes to Phitsanulok or 45 to Phetchabun. Yes, Little C in Lom Sak was a downer as it is closest in my case but doesn't offer hardly anything I could expect at a Big C.

[phutoie2]

McDonald's!, some of us came to live in the glorious Phetch to escape sh*te like that. Last thing we need, keeps it in Phits.

Phu Toei is still celebrating it's first ever 7/11 to open in town. We only had an ATM put in 3 years ago. Life plods along here.

[CharlieH]

McDonald's!, some of us came to live in the glorious Phetch to escape sh*te like that. Last thing we need, keeps it in Phits.

Phu Toei is still celebrating it's first ever 7/11 to open in town. We only had an ATM put in 3 years ago. Life plods along here.

I know what you mean, life in the sticks is great really despite the moaning we all do from time to time. I get frustrated occasionally but the overall picture is fine really and suits me just fine.

[stoneyboy]

In true Thai style it was packed to the rafters earlier as its the newest thing in town,some decent western food alternatives to what the Big C and Lotus have to offer and a nice selection on the fish counter,very friendly helpful staff and surprisingly huge inside.

It will most definitely be visited by me again,thank you Makro for coming to Phetchabun and making my shopping days slightly more exciting.

[CharlieH]

I was glad to see LAMB and BEEF for sale in their too ! no need to go to TOPPS in Phit'lok now.

Impressed with the bread too, tried that and the loaf is larger almost double, thicker slices, great for toast and tastes a lot better than the Tesco version.

Maybe because its new, but the meat counter etc seemed a lot fresher than the smelly Tesco meat counter that makes me cringe when I go near it when its so obvious its been frozen -thawed and re-frozen time and again. -YUK !

[bobo42]

Word is that the huge project might be a central plaza.

Haven't seen the suzuki car dealership, where is it being built?

I've also heard the Central Plaza Phetchabun rumours. Been joking about that with the wife for years now. Every time we see some land being cleared, or something new going-up, I jokingly tell her it must be a Central shopping mall! It always gets her hopes up.

Here is some possible info, no idea of the validity of the information:

http://wikimapia.org...รà¸"์

I for one, am quite pleased to have the new Makro and the new Watsadu home store. Both are surprisingly huge, and particularly the home store seems really well-stocked, lots of items now available locally that you just couldn't get before.

But on the flip-side, I can feel my rent just shooting up by the second.

[phutoie2]

Watch out for the barrier on the way out, a friend of mine had a "senior citizen" moment and had the thing crash down on his Vigo truck bonnet, 5000 THB damage - ouch!

[Route21]

We had a bad experience at Makro on Saturday. Normally there has been a nice security lady who greeted all with a smile and a salute. This time we were "greeted" by an old guy who insisted that my (Thai) wife deposit her handbag at customer services. Never having been treated like that before, here or in the middle east, she immediately walked out totally disgusted!

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[swissie]

We had a bad experience at Makro on Saturday. Normally there has been a nice security lady who greeted all with a smile and a salute. This time we were "greeted" by an old guy who insisted that my (Thai) wife deposit her handbag at customer services. Never having been treated like that before, here or in the middle east, she immediately walked out totally disgusted!

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

You should not be offended by this at all. Unless you are shopping in a tourist center, this is customary. Go to Big-C or Makro in Ratchabury or anywhere else outside of Tourist-Hubs=same.

If you would have entered the store alone and as a Farang, security would not have bothered you and you could have walked into the store with 5 bags.

BUT: Theft in stores is getting so rampant and performed by Thais and not by Farangs (regardless if they are in company of a farang or not).So security focuses on Thai-Nationals

.

BTW: If a major theft occurs and is not detected by security, the whole security firm will be terminated and replaced by a new one. (Suspicion of collaboration with thieves).

The same applies for a security firm, guarding an appartement-complex in an upper-class environement in Bangkok. = One suspicious break-in and the security firm as a whole is out.

Thais know Thais. They smile a lot, but it does not make them angels. Thais themselves know it. Someday even farangs will understand this phenomenon. I hope.

Cheers.

[Route21]

We had a bad experience at Makro on Saturday........

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

(partial quote)

You should not be offended by this at all. Unless you are shopping in a tourist center, this is customary. Go to Big-C or Makro in Ratchabury or anywhere else outside of Tourist-Hubs=same......

BTW: If a major theft occurs and is not detected by security, the whole security firm will be terminated and replaced by a new one (Suspicion of collaboration with thieves)........

Cheers.

Comment:

1. We had just come from shopping at both the nearby Tesco-Lotus & Big C hypermarkets and subsequently called in at the large Thaiwatsadu homestore, all with the same handbag, as we regularly do, without ever having had any such problem since they each opened.

2. The security firm at Makro only appear to have responsibility for the car park and people entering the Makro store.

There are normally 2 Makro people at each checkout, ensuring no collusion between an individual cashier and a customer. Between them and the exit, each customer has a further check, by another Makro employee, of every item in their trolley against their till receipt.

Makro personnel have complete control over all items that leave the store and, therefore, no blame can fall on the security firm.

PS: We had a friend pick up a couple of items at Makro's Phisanulok store yesterday, that we can't get other than from Makro!

;-)

R21

[bobo42]

We had a bad experience at Makro on Saturday. Normally there has been a nice security lady who greeted all with a smile and a salute. This time we were "greeted" by an old guy who insisted that my (Thai) wife deposit her handbag at customer services. Never having been treated like that before, here or in the middle east, she immediately walked out totally disgusted!

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

You should not be offended by this at all. Unless you are shopping in a tourist center, this is customary. Go to Big-C or Makro in Ratchabury or anywhere else outside of Tourist-Hubs=same.

If you would have entered the store alone and as a Farang, security would not have bothered you and you could have walked into the store with 5 bags.

...

Cheers.

My wife has always carried her handbag into all the stores here in Phetchabun. If we ever have shopping bags from other stores I will always try to leave them at the counter, but this has never included my wife's handbag. Doesn't seem like the normal procedure around here, I see lots of women carrying handbags while shopping - unless her bag is unusually large its not normal.

However, one thing I have learned while living here in isolated Phetchabun - don't burn your bridges with the local busniesses, even if you hate them. Not a lot of shopping options way out here - its a long way to Phitsanulok (considering the poor roads). Maybe the guy was new, or just an idiot, might just be an isolated incident.

[Route21]

Yes, swissie, your experience is the same as ours.

We wouldn't think twice about leaving "shopping bags" from other stores at Customer services.

We do, however, regularly keep our electronic gadgets in my wife's bag, rather than having them nlcked from the car - Tesco's carpark had a problem a little while ago.

I don't fancy leaving an open handbag with an unrecorded number of high value electronics (plus the proverbial kitchen sink) etc in it in any Customer services (or in the carpark for that matter)!

Cheers!

[Route21]

Yes, swissie ..........

Cheers!

PS Sorry, should have read: "Yes, bobo42". Apologies.

R21

[Route21]

Today, left wife's handbag (complete with purse and Makro card) in the car when heading into Makro! Walked straight in. No-one inside to meet & greet us or tell us to check in wife's handbag.

Sorry folks, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. We were down to our last loaf of Makro's sliced wholemeal bread! Tesco's green bag doesn't come close.

R21

[Route21]

PS Big C had some fresh (not frozen) brussels sprouts on their chilled fresh food section. Expensive, but worth it for a taste from back home. All we need now is parsnips for roasting - dearly missed them at our Xmas dinner party.

R21

[Route21]

Cost of living's going up!

Price of wholemeal bread at Makro increased to 40 baht!

R21