Foods that are overpriced in Thailand but you simply can't live without!

[StreetCowboy]

I'm really surprised at all you chaps knowing how much groceries cost - surely a sad indictment of foreign men in Thailand?

Why wouldn't we? Is Thailand la la land or something?

I'd have thought gentlemen would have other things to worry about than the price of fish

[ava15]

Just miss real ales mostly.

Wishbeer is a company that deliver decent ales and beers to your door in bangkok.

But back home these bottles are what, 80 baht roughly per 330ml bottle. Here its 180-240 depending on your picks.

Expensive but not too bad for a once in a while treat for a box full.

[Jingthing]

I'm really surprised at all you chaps knowing how much groceries cost - surely a sad indictment of foreign men in Thailand?

Why wouldn't we? Is Thailand la la land or something?

I'd have thought gentlemen would have other things to worry about than the price of fish

Gentlemen? Good one. I don't get your POV, like there is something wrong with knowing the price of stuff. That is NORMAL for most of humanity.

That said, congratulations to you if you're one of the minority of people in the world who doesn't look at the right hand side on restaurant menus.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Jingthing

[jbrain]

I'm really surprised at all you chaps knowing how much groceries cost - surely a sad indictment of foreign men in Thailand?

Why wouldn't we? Is Thailand la la land or something?

I'd have thought gentlemen would have other things to worry about than the price of fish

Gentlemen? Good one. I don't get your POV, like there is something wrong with knowing the price of stuff. That is NORMAL for most of humanity.

That said, congratulations to you if you're one of the minority of people in the world who doesn't look at the right hand side on restaurant menus.

At least he admitted that he knows the pice of beer.

[jbrain]

For me, beer is the over-priced commodity that I can't live without, but perhaps I should.

SC

Now I know why I could comprehend only few of your +11.000 posts so far.

[orchidlady]

Most of the same things Jingthing said... plus fresh sweet potatoes (with orange flesh...not the yellow yams called Japanese sweet potatoes)/Have only found them at villa. Parmigiana Reggiano cheese. Prosciutto ham from Italy.goat cheese.

[blazes]

I found some of the boxed wines sold in Villa aren't so expensive (1,200 baht for 3-4.5 liter) and are drinkable; they are mostly Australian wines, I think.

I miss Summer fruits from the U.S. the most - peaches, nectarines and cherries - they are 5-10 times more expensive here.

Understood but different people have different perceptions of drinkable. I don't find wines with monotone properties drinkable. I need at least a little complexity or I'd rather have a beer.

I'm sure that most wine snobs would think the 400 baht wines I find drinkable in Thailand would spit them out!

It's super expensive to be a wine snob in Thailand!

Pls give us the names of some of what you consider "drinkable" wines in LoS (from other countries or even, who knows, the local fruit wines). Thanks.

[Jingthing]

Pls give us the names of some of what you consider "drinkable" wines in LoS (from other countries or even, who knows, the local fruit wines). Thanks.

I have only recently started buying wine again and so far I am focusing mostly on Chilean and Australian. I've had the best luck with Chilean. I do not buy Thai wines or box wines. I don't recall the specific names, sorry.

[blazes]

Breakfast

Proper black orange pekoe tea English, Australian or Canadian

Marmite or vegemite

Brown bread

Cereals

Yoghurt

Butter

Lunch

Decent cold cuts

Pickles

Cheese

Butter

Supper

Vegetables - sprouts especially root vegetables

Salmon

Beef

Double cream

Butter

I miss butter so much I've resorted to making my own, love the butter milk on my cereal and finally the one I find insane is paying 389 baht for 200 grams of maldon salt flakes.

How's your cholesterol level?

[tutsiwarrior]

if I'm at Foodland gettin' vodka to take back to the hotel room I'll also get some grapefruit juice to mix and Fritos to nosh on regardless of the price...

(did folks know that grapefruit juice is contra-indicated with some types of hypertension medicine?...a real drag...)

at the supermarket in Jeddah they got canned re-fried beans for 7 riyals a pop and I always get some...stuffed in arabic bread with salad one can thereby obtain a suitable substitute fer a bean burrito...

[gazzasore]

If you want a good Cheese

Go to Markro

Buy Mainland Tasty Cheese its about 700 thb for 2 kg

This is a New Zealand Cheese

Very good value for money

[snooky]

I left one item off my previous post, and I am surprised that some of the Brits didn't mention it since it seems to be a favorite with their breakfasts and that is some decent Baked Beans. Terrible stuff here but then, I am a fan of B & M Boston Baked Beans back in the US which are mostly a US East Coast item - seems no one west of the Mississippi has even heard of them. Busch's can't hold a candle to them, Campbells, S&W, Baxters not tasty at all - but to each his own!

[ericthai]

While shopping at Costco in Los Angeles last year, I toyed with the idea of packing 30 pounds of PRIME U.S. BEEF into a suitcase. Add some dry ice and making the 20+ hour trip home to Thailand.

My friend lives in Vietnam about 8 months out of the year. Make 2 trips home a year. He does pack up steaks, Italian sausage etc on each trip. He has clothes in the US and Vietnam so he leaves Vietnam with an empty case and comes back with a full one. It works! I was thinking about it but from the East coast of the US I think it's too long with the shortest trip possible being over 27hrs with layovers.

[MAJIC]

Foie gras is reasonably priced

I wouldn't touch it with a Bargepole after seeing a TV program how it's made,sorry had to say it!

[retell]

Great thread! Since moving here I have learned to make my own bread, pizza, corn tortillas, pita bread, and ham. I miss good IPA but still drink too much Chang. I refused to pay 2000 baht for a turkey at Tesco but did spend 1200 at Makro and was glad I did. I'm even more cut off than many because there is only Tesco where i live and not even that until 3 years ago. I miss salmon and good beef. When in BKK I've paid big money for imported salmon which I smoke. Don't bother with the Norwegian as it's farm raised and tasteless. For big money get NZ and it's good but not amazing. I eat good Thai food everyday but still miss my favs. I have some things sent to me from the US - walnuts, liquid smoke for bbq, masa corn flour for the tortillas.

walnuts can also get from makro liquid smoke (what to say, stop using that crap and just make a smoke oven ! )

and if need some advice on smoking just sen a message will gladly help you out

Edited July 15, 2013 by retell

[recycler]

Even most regular food is the same price or more here than in Europe now. Just some examples: pork meat is 140 Baht in the market and 180 in Foodland, my son buys dragon fruit at 13 Baht each in a supermarket in NL, yesterday I paid more on the market here! And as many mentioned, the local beers are more expensive than beer in Europe. Some people are making a lot of money on food here, no wonder the retail market is booming!

[nosatisfaction]

And what about Tizer?

Ye can grizzle all ye waant, but it'll no' rain irn bru

Hi I agree some Inported products are expensive, but I compare with Europe, I noticed everything in LOL has gone up a lot since the last 4-5 years.

Price of cheese e.g. is now with the exchange rate similar to european price, so are delicatessen.

PS : serious question: what is Tizer?

[StreetCowboy]

 

And what about Tizer?

Ye can grizzle all ye waant, but it'll no' rain irn bru

Hi I agree some Inported products are expensive, but I compare with Europe, I noticed everything in LOL has gone up a lot since the last 4-5 years.

Price of cheese e.g. is now with the exchange rate similar to european price, so are delicatessen.

PS : serious question: what is Tizer?

 

It's the great British pop

http://www.tizer.co.uk/

Does your internet not have Google?

SC

[jbrain]

Even most regular food is the same price or more here than in Europe now. Just some examples: pork meat is 140 Baht in the market and 180 in Foodland, my son buys dragon fruit at 13 Baht each in a supermarket in NL, yesterday I paid more on the market here! And as many mentioned, the local beers are more expensive than beer in Europe. Some people are making a lot of money on food here, no wonder the retail market is booming!

Suggest you go a bit more shopping. Half decent pork meat is 300 Baht + these days in the supermarkets.Pork has in my opinion always been overly expensive in Thailand, probably the reason why they protest against decent priced pork import.

[Billmont]

Yes a lot of the commonly used items back home are more expensive here, many much more expensive.However when you tax take into account the other items that are a lot cheaper here it all balances out. If you also take into account non food items such as petrol, diesel, Water, housing, no Council Tax (local government tax) low VAT and the like those expensive imported food items are more than covered. Off to the fridge for another piece of cheese as I partake in my second bottle of breakfast red wine! Not really! :-)

[OldChinaHam]

The dog in me

Prefers canned salmon to fresh.

And for a few good valid reasons.

The good stuff comes from USA I maintain.

But I have not seen it here in decent sized cans, at any price.

Never heard of canned trout from Scotland here either,

Though I would give it a try as a one-off substitute.

[KC 71]

Hp sauce,cumberland saussages,marmite,hovis,red leicster,double gloucster,heinz soups and baked beans,danish bacon and crisps made from maize and butter that doesnt taste like icecream !

[KC 71]

Oh and i forgot branston pickle

Im feeling abit peckish now !

[bradenroger]

Hi, guys, if you live in Pattaya, Best Supermarket in North Pattaya near the Dolphin round about has a number of the items (imported) that some of you say that you cannot find - not sure how the prices compare though....

[finnomick]

Cottage Cheese - hard to find and painfully expensive

Kraft Mac and Cheese - 60+ baht a box if you can find it...

sweet pickle relish? I usually end up making my own.

Mountain Dew? only at Villa market for 60 baht per can.

Ham on the bone - I haven't yet found one. Anyone know where to find in Pattaya?

not in pattaya but i do make it , smoked or just cured and dried

Have you tried Friendship supermarket on Pattaya Road South ?

[finnomick]

Cottage Cheese - hard to find and painfully expensive

Kraft Mac and Cheese - 60+ baht a box if you can find it...

sweet pickle relish? I usually end up making my own.

Mountain Dew? only at Villa market for 60 baht per can.

Ham on the bone - I haven't yet found one. Anyone know where to find in Pattaya?

not in pattaya but i do make it , smoked or just cured and dried

Have you tried Friendship supermarket on Pattaya Road South ?

[finnomick]

I live near Buriram, and for me to go down to Pattaya and stock up with goodies, usually from Friendship supermarket and Continental bakery is a two day trip which costs me between 2,500 and 3,000 baht in travel and accomodation. So, I get a parcel sent out from home every so often, the cost of the items plus the postage being a lot less than I would spend here. Everything went fine until the last parcel was sent a couple of months ago via the Post Office. The Thai post office used to clear parcels through customs at Laksi sorting office in Bangkok. Not any more. They now send your parcel to the nearest customs office in your area which for me is Chong Chom. So off I went to Chong Chom to collect it. Sure enough, there was my parcel sitting on a desk awaiting collection. I had to wait for the boss to be summoned as the officers there wouldn't take the responsibility of dealing with it -- it was the first box to have been sent to them from Laksi. I was asked as to the contents of the box which I duly listed. Tetley tea bags, Marmite, Colemans mustard, Colemans mint sauce etc. Can we open the box. Of course you can I replied. Once opened, the contents were unpacked and examined. One of the girls was then asked to check on her computer as to the import duty tariffs. After about twenty minutes and with the help of three other officers, she gave the boss a piece of paper which he mulled over for some time. He instructed his officer to re-pack the box. The only item he spoke to me about was the Tetley tea bags of which there were 7 packets each containing 160 teabags. 65% import duty on those he declared. OK I said, so how much do I owe you ? He slid the re-packed box over to me, all nicely taped up. OK, so how much must I pay, I asked a second time. Oh, he replied, nothing to pay. Thankyou very much, you can go. I was amazed, and you can read into that what you will.....

[finnomick]

I left one item off my previous post, and I am surprised that some of the Brits didn't mention it since it seems to be a favorite with their breakfasts and that is some decent Baked Beans. Terrible stuff here but then, I am a fan of B & M Boston Baked Beans back in the US which are mostly a US East Coast item - seems no one west of the Mississippi has even heard of them. Busch's can't hold a candle to them, Campbells, S&W, Baxters not tasty at all - but to each his own!

Have you ever tried Brook baked beans ? They are from Australia and taste pretty much the same as Heinz. I hate the Ayam (?) sweet baked beans so I was very happy to find Brook's. They sell them in most Makro's and all the western food outlets in Pattaya.

[Spoonman]

For me it is Kraft Cheese Wedges. Love those fookers but dear as hell at Foodland @ nearly $8.00 a pack.

[jbrain]

I left one item off my previous post, and I am surprised that some of the Brits didn't mention it since it seems to be a favorite with their breakfasts and that is some decent Baked Beans. Terrible stuff here but then, I am a fan of B & M Boston Baked Beans back in the US which are mostly a US East Coast item - seems no one west of the Mississippi has even heard of them. Busch's can't hold a candle to them, Campbells, S&W, Baxters not tasty at all - but to each his own!

Have you ever tried Brook baked beans ? They are from Australia and taste pretty much the same as Heinz. I hate the Ayam (?) sweet baked beans so I was very happy to find Brook's. They sell them in most Makro's and all the western food outlets in Pattaya.

You should look for Ayam light beans, they are much less sweet. I tried Brooks once and thought someone had been confused with the salt.