Wine In Thailand

[thai_time]

I will be getting married in Thailand next year. I know that there is a large import duty on wine in Thailand but i checked a website and the cheapest bottles were around 700 baht with and average of around 900- 100 baht for a bottle. That seems extortionate. Does anyone know anywhere in Bangkok to get a good price on wine. How much is it?

ps. i dont want Thai wine.

[astral]

Check out the supermarkets.

I used to buy quite a palattable South African chardonay at around 700 baht for box.

You can always decant it for appearance.

What nationality will the guests be?

The Thais will prefer beer or Whisky.

[Maejo Man]

As Astral mentioned...Where are the guests from? Are they used to drinking wine? Can they tell a good wine from a bad one?

There is quite a selection of imported French low cost wines for around 200 baht a bottle, and bulk wine (4lt casks) or large bottles can be purchased from 350-750 baht. Even the quite passable "Jacob's Creek" (world's largest selling red) retails at 500 baht, and deals can be done for quantity. You can pay 3000 a bottle, but can you afford it, and are they going to apreciate it?

You won't have many Thai wine drinkers, so work on it from there.

[RayBan]

I will be getting married in Thailand next year. I know that there is a large import duty on wine in Thailand but i checked a website and the cheapest bottles were around 700 baht with and average of around 900- 100 baht for a bottle. That seems extortionate. Does anyone know anywhere in Bangkok to get a good price on wine. How much is it?

I can't speak for Bangkok thai_time, but in Pattaya there are a couple of very good Expat supermarkets that sell reasonably priced quality wines. I buy my wines (by the case) from Friendship Supermarket in Pattaya Tai (South Road). They have an excellent selection from various countries and they normally always have special offers on for multiple purchases.

My wine preference is a good Chilean Merlot and the best they stock is usually around 620 a bottle. However if you buy two, you get one free, so that works out at around 410 a bottle (4960 per case of 12), a very good wine too. So if you have no luck in Bangkok, a trip to Pattaya would not be wasted for sure........cheers

[Maigo6]

Thailand produces wine also.

[Arsenal]

It is a rather misleading generalisation that Thais don't like wine.Certainly whisky and beer are more popular in the population at large.However an increasing number of middle class and educated Thais, particularly in Bangkok, are actually quite keen on and appreciative of good wine.If the wedding is essentially a village affair then you would be best served sticking with beer/local whisky.However if guests are going to be a socially higher level in society you might well find a significant number would prefer wine.I have always had good results from Wine Connection which has a number of branches, always drinkable, but ranging from cheap and cheeful to quite pricey French chateau wines.

[Maejo Man]

It is a rather misleading generalisation that Thais don't like wine.

Nobody said that Thais don't like wine. Astral said that The Thais will prefer beer or Whisky. which of course depends on where the wedding is held. I said You won't have many Thai wine drinkers, so work on it from there.

I agree with you that there is an emerging section of Thais that enjoy wine now. I have a lot of Thai friends that drink and enjoy a good wine, but they are still in a minority.

[corkscrew]

I will be getting married in Thailand next year. I know that there is a large import duty on wine in Thailand but i checked a website and the cheapest bottles were around 700 baht with and average of around 900- 100 baht for a bottle. That seems extortionate. Does anyone know anywhere in Bangkok to get a good price on wine. How much is it?

ps. i dont want Thai wine.

Tops Supermarket in the Robinsons near the Shangri-La hotel has a reasonable selection of Australian wines in the 500 to 700 range. I have tried a couple of Thai wines and I found them to be pleasant.

[Pink Mist]

for anything to do with alchoholic beverages I would be contacting lampard at the Farang Connection, he is a sponsor of this site and will certainly help.

[skylar]

Thailand produces wine also.

I'm sure the OP doesn't want his guests' teeth to fall out.

[Erwin1011]

Thailand produces wine also.

I'm sure the OP doesn't want his guests' teeth to fall out.

Still better than getting your head splitt by drinking cheap autralian plonk that the OP paid at 5 times the autralian price.

[skylar]

Thailand produces wine also.

I'm sure the OP doesn't want his guests' teeth to fall out.

Still better than getting your head splitt by drinking cheap autralian plonk that the OP paid at 5 times the autralian price.

You mean goon? Oh, goon... I love you...

Goon does this to you:

Have a cask on me:

Don't need the fancy box? Go straight for the bladder!

[manjara]

Thailand produces wine also.

I'm sure the OP doesn't want his guests' teeth to fall out.

Still better than getting your head splitt by drinking cheap autralian plonk that the OP paid at 5 times the autralian price.

That's the main problem in Thailand, they sell the cheap sh*t at huge prices, and if go for the more expensive stuff (which seems better value) it will probably have been 'stored' in 40 degree heat and will taste like sh*t anyway.

If you really want decent wine in Thailand, be prepared to pay heavily for it and go to a specialist wine importer.

And don't bother asking advice from anyone in the wine dpet at the supermarkets, they don't even know how to spell wine, let alone what is a decent one. "This one very good, very sweet"...sheesh!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

for anything to do with alchoholic beverages I would be contacting lampard at the Farang Connection, he is a sponsor of this site and will certainly help.

Takes a glass or so himself I heard

[percy2]

I will be getting married in Thailand next year. I know that there is a large import duty on wine in Thailand but i checked a website and the cheapest bottles were around 700 baht with and average of around 900- 100 baht for a bottle. That seems extortionate. Does anyone know anywhere in Bangkok to get a good price on wine. How much is it?

ps. i dont want Thai wine.

Check this website Wine Connection.

They have several shops around Bangkok from memory the corner of Sukhumvit soi 3, behind Irish Exchange Soi Convent , opposite Silom Village Sukhumvit 31. Also Pattaya and Phuket.

They deliver if you order enough. Even to the Yacht!

They have quite a number of wines under 400B and from my experience most has been good.

[Beavis and Butthead]

I would just get the Thai wine. I'm sure it's as good as the beer.

[GoodHeart]

Check this website Wine Connection.

What a dissapointing web site that is. Why you can't even specify the grape varietal your after, let alone browse them. And to make matters worse- they have no Thai wines whatsoever. Thanks, but I'll take my interest elsewhere...

[sabaijai]

'thai time' hasn't posted on thaivisa.com in over a month, and never bothered to revisit the thread on wine he started, so we can assume he solved his wine dilemma or decided not to get married after all.

[Jockstar]

Not too impressed by the Thai wine. Too sweet!!

[Chang_paarp]

You mean goon? Oh, goon... I love you...

Goon does this to you:

Have a cask on me:

Don't need the fancy box? Go straight for the bladder!

I see you are familiar with the silver pillow. I bet you blow it up to get the last drop out too .

One of the advantages of cask wine is that it comes with a pillow so you can sleep in comfort any place you want.

Edited July 23, 2006 by Chang_paarp

[percy2]

Check this website Wine Connection.

What a dissapointing web site that is. Why you can't even specify the grape varietal your after, let alone browse them. And to make matters worse- they have no Thai wines whatsoever. Thanks, but I'll take my interest elsewhere...

What a bad attitude you have.

The reply wasn't aimed at you and that site / supplier seemed to fit all the needs of the OP.

OP specifically didn't want Thai wine.

Thanks, but I'll take my interest elsewhere...

Yes Please

Maybe I made a mistake but I thought Gollum wasn't a troll

[Donz]

If it gets you pissed then its good

[Old Man River]

Basically, in Bangkok the main places to buy wine are Villa, Tops (aka Market Place) and Wine Connection. Tops has recently brought in an expat to handle their international wines and he is buying direct, lowering prices and bringing in better wines. On Villa, I am not sure, but I have heard that they aren't keen on allowing you to return the wine if it has gone bad. Better to check this first, as they often buy slow moving wines from other importers. However, Villa still has the best selection. Wine Connection has a reasonable selection of good wines.

As you get closer to the day, check for the specials at both Tops and Wine Connection. They will normally knock off about THB 150 per bottle and usually have a very nice red for about THB 400 to THB 450. Really, there is no need to pay above THB 500 for a drinkable bottle of red, unless you are trying to impress people with price.

While it has been said that Thai's normally prefer whiskey, those that prefer wine normally prefer red over white. Other's living in Bangkok may have a different opinion, but I always go with two bottles of red for every bottle of white.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

If it gets you pissed then its good

It does ... it does

[The Skipper]

Shipping and Duty make imported wine very expensive.

The Villa Supermarkets have enormous selection but unless you know what you are looking for, it's a crap shoot. The wine hostesses are worthless.

The Wine Connection will have some bottles open for tasting, so I'd go there.

[beammeup]

Most of the supermarkets store their wine standing up. This drieds the cork and allows faster oxidation. You should look for a place that stores them on their side.

[Donz]

Shipping and Duty make imported wine very expensive.

The Villa Supermarkets have enormous selection but unless you know what you are looking for, it's a crap shoot. The wine hostesses are worthless.

The Wine Connection will have some bottles open for tasting, so I'd go there.

But are they good looking?

[sabaijai]

For folks still following this thread, Wine Gallery is another good place to shop for tipples. I've been frequenting the Chiang Mai store since it opened about a year ago, and remain impressed with the selection and variety, and with the temperature-controlled storage. WG also usually have a few bottles open for tasting, and host occasional wine tasting events.

Wine Gallery

tel 0 2261 4559

Emporium Building

Sukhumvit

It's on the fifth floor. There's also a branch (head office?) on Soi 33, Suk.

[ZZZ]

This is what is added to the price of imported wine, looks like just over 100% plus freight.

When the Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2005, Thai tariffs on Australian wine fell from 54 per cent to 40 per cent, giving Australian wine an immediate competitive advantage over wine producers from other countries. The import duty will phase down every year to reach zero per cent by 2015.

There are relatively high tariffs on imported wines. In addition to import tariffs, imported wines are subject to four different tax systems:

* Excise tax – value-based rate at 60 per cent

* Municipal tax – 10 per cent of excise tax

* Value added tax (VAT) – 7 per cent

* Health support project – 2 per cent

Excise tax can be calculated by on the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value or by volume basis (per litre). The higher excise tax calculation is used as a base for applying the municipal tax and VAT.

[MrSquigle]

Why would anyone buy a thai wine when it is priced at the same price as a good australian wine.

Recently at a thai vineyard, all their wines tasted sour and bitter and they were priced at the same as several well known australian brands available here...go figure.