Beer Lao in Chiang Rai?

[ctrunfree]

Anyone know if any of the supermarkets or bottleshops have Beer Lao? (Preferably Dark, but standard will do if unavailable).

[DonaldBattles]

Don't know why but it is virtually impossible to find dark Lao beer in Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai. I sure would like a good reliable source and or buy a large supply at one time.

[Will27]

There's a deli behind Da Vinci's in the middle of town that stock it.

Well, they've had it the last 2 times I've been there.

I have no idea on price though.

Regards

Will

[Tomtomtom69]

Really bizarre given the proximity of Laos to northern Thailand. In Yunnan province of China, Beer Lao is available in all the tourist/expat oriented bars, restaurants and supermarkets and this is in Kunming, hundreds of km north of the Lao border. It is also widely available in similar places down in Sipsongbanna (Jinghong), Dali and other tourist towns in the province.

Sorry I don't know about Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai though but if you look carefully, perhaps one of the bigger Tops supermarkets, particularly the airport plaza in Chiang Mai might stock it.

[pastafarian]

Been a while but the last time I was at Central they sold it there. If not then the best option would be Chiang Khong, if you can't find anywhere that sells it then you can go to the pier and pay one of the longtail boat guys to go across and buy a box or three :-)

[pomchop]

Been a while but the last time I was at Central they sold it there. If not then the best option would be Chiang Khong, if you can't find anywhere that sells it then you can go to the pier and pay one of the longtail boat guys to go across and buy a box or three :-)

There seem to be several boats further down from the pier near a big wat that also go back and forth across the river with all sorts of stuff......have seen them with a dozen or more cases of beer lao pull up to thai side in chiang khong and load the beer into some thai guy's pickup truck....not sure if legal or not but nobody paid much attention.

[villagefarang]

I don’t know anything about beer, but if this stuff is so good but can’t be found in Thailand, then even I can think of several very good reasons why.

[pomchop]

Lack of easily available beer lao in Thailand has to do with some complicated tariffs designed to keep thai beers out of laos and vice versa....supposedly this will change with asean deals but who knows...beer lao is an excellent beer in my estimation.

Beer Lao is popular among visiting tourists and has won numerous international awards. It is one of the few brand names Laos can boast of.

"The Swiss make watches, the Germans make cars, but Laos has nothing right now except Beer Lao," Sounthone said.

The brewery seemed happy with the government's decision to protect its domestic market, of which it claims a whopping 99-per-cent market share, even though it has meant a lost opportunity in Thailand.

[villagefarang]

Lack of easily available beer lao in Thailand has to do with some complicated tariffs designed to keep thai beers out of laos and vice versa....supposedly this will change with asean deals but who knows...beer lao is an excellent beer in my estimation.

Beer Lao is popular among visiting tourists and has won numerous international awards. It is one of the few brand names Laos can boast of.

"The Swiss make watches, the Germans make cars, but Laos has nothing right now except Beer Lao," Sounthone said.

The brewery seemed happy with the government's decision to protect its domestic market, of which it claims a whopping 99-per-cent market share, even though it has meant a lost opportunity in Thailand.

Thanks for this explanation. I figured it would have something to do with protectionism on one side of the border or the other.

[DonaldBattles]

When I worked in Vientiane in 1990 before the bridge was built you had to ride the ferry. I noticed that Thais would fill big plastic bags with draft beer and bring it back on the ferry. They knew the Lao Beer was better than the Thai beer.

Since the 1987 war caused by invasion of Thailand by Lao. Thailand ran out of ammunition and had to declare victory. All they had to do was walk across the border to invade parts of Thailand. Since then things have never been the same.

My work there involved dealing with various levels of the communist government. I represented a company that was interested in building a small steel making facility as they had plenty of electricity. They were impossible to deal with and very secretive. I found the Lao people wonderful and enjoyable. Just sorry that they can not have a better form of life. I was able to understand 90% of Lao and less than 50% Isan in Udorn so communication was not a problem with Lao but was in Udorn..

Some farang residents of Lao told me that the Chiang Kong Bridge would open in Oct. Does anyone have any information on the opening.

[anotheruser]

I don’t know anything about beer, but if this stuff is so good but can’t be found in Thailand, then even I can think of several very good reasons why.

Why would you feel that way?

[villagefarang]

[Kel]

My usual in CR is Singha - couldnt find Beer lao which I really like

Could find in BKK - no problem

Was surprised about 2 years ago when I went into my local Dan Murphys ( chain of bottle shops in Australia) and there it was by 6 pack or carton.

3 Weeks ago in our local Aldi Store they had Leo on special at a real good price for imported beer.

It's amazed me that Beer Lao is just over the border and not available.

All the best

Kel

[DangerousDavies]

The supermarket at Central has it occasionally, I got a few bottles last Christmas.

[DonaldBattles]

Maybe this Christmas they will have it again. So far the only place reported to allegedly have dark Lao Beer is the small deli behind Da Vinci in Chiang Rai. As the government has decided to wait until the rainy season to tear up the street there that was in perfectly good condition I shall wait for awhile. Maybe this is what your business gets when you don't pay the monthly dues.

[Aftrmidnyt]

I had no idea!!!!!

I have not tried the afore mentioned nectar.

It's is always good to have a project and my small painting and furnishing task is complete.

Now.... I have a new mission! (cue dramatic background music here......)

To seek out and savour the Internationally recognized but locally evasive "Beer Lao".

I'll report back with results and directions....... and road conditions!

[pastafarian]

Maybe this Christmas they will have it again. So far the only place reported to allegedly have dark Lao Beer is the small deli behind Da Vinci in Chiang Rai. As the government has decided to wait until the rainy season to tear up the street there that was in perfectly good condition I shall wait for awhile. Maybe this is what your business gets when you don't pay the monthly dues.

Didn't I just read this from you? 'The only time I complain is to the cook for putting too much wonderful food on my plate.'

I've been told by a business owner on that road that every year it suffers from flooding during the rainy season and that the roadworks will alleviate this.

[Will27]

Trend Setters

Did a trip up to Mae Sai today and in the duty free shop opposite Myanmar Immigration,

they had the dark Lao Beer for 35 Baht a bottle.

[DangerousDavies]

Maybe this Christmas they will have it again. So far the only place reported to allegedly have dark Lao Beer is the small deli behind Da Vinci in Chiang Rai. As the government has decided to wait until the rainy season to tear up the street there that was in perfectly good condition I shall wait for awhile. Maybe this is what your business gets when you don't pay the monthly dues.

Didn't I just read this from you? 'The only time I complain is to the cook for putting too much wonderful food on my plate.'

I've been told by a business owner on that road that every year it suffers from flooding during the rainy season and that the roadworks will alleviate this.

I've seen at least half a meter of water on that street and the former Old Dutch flooded nearly to the mezzanine floor.

[sceadugenga]

The Chiang Rai Deli at 489/3 Uttarakit has Beer Lao Dark in the fridge along with other goodies.

[Tomtomtom69]

When I worked in Vientiane in 1990 before the bridge was built you had to ride the ferry. I noticed that Thais would fill big plastic bags with draft beer and bring it back on the ferry. They knew the Lao Beer was better than the Thai beer.

Since the 1987 war caused by invasion of Thailand by Lao. Thailand ran out of ammunition and had to declare victory. All they had to do was walk across the border to invade parts of Thailand. Since then things have never been the same.

My work there involved dealing with various levels of the communist government. I represented a company that was interested in building a small steel making facility as they had plenty of electricity. They were impossible to deal with and very secretive. I found the Lao people wonderful and enjoyable. Just sorry that they can not have a better form of life. I was able to understand 90% of Lao and less than 50% Isan in Udorn so communication was not a problem with Lao but was in Udorn..

Some farang residents of Lao told me that the Chiang Kong Bridge would open in Oct. Does anyone have any information on the opening.

Read an article about the opening yesterday - should take place on the 2nd of October. I hope they don't delay the opening again - prior to now it was supposed to open on July the 13th and prior to that they said late last year. Hopefully this time it really will be Oct 2.

[pastafarian]

Tops@CP had at least 30 bottles of both light and dark Beer Laos on the shelf this morning.

[DonaldBattles]

Many thanks for the dark Lao beer report. I did buy a few cases from the small Deli in town. They had to order it. There is only one distributor for Lao Beer in Thailand and it is in Samut Prakarn.