High Prices at Rimping Supermarkets

[Chiengmaijoe]

At least reading this thread, I now know who purchases all the frozen french fries!

Am I the only one to cut up potatoes when they want french fries ?

Raw potatoes are too expensive in Thailand, easier and cheaper to buy them frozen and sliced from Tesco.

Potatoes are 20 baht a kilo and french-fries are about 70 baht a kilo.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

At least reading this thread, I now know who purchases all the frozen french fries!

Am I the only one to cut up potatoes when they want french fries ?

Raw potatoes are too expensive in Thailand, easier and cheaper to buy them frozen and sliced from Tesco.

Potatoes are 20 baht a kilo and french-fries are about 70 baht a kilo.

I think not.

[cmsally]

At least reading this thread, I now know who purchases all the frozen french fries!

Am I the only one to cut up potatoes when they want french fries ?

Raw potatoes are too expensive in Thailand, easier and cheaper to buy them frozen and sliced from Tesco.

Me thinks in that case they might not be real potatoes .

[Chiengmaijoe]

At least reading this thread, I now know who purchases all the frozen french fries!

Am I the only one to cut up potatoes when they want french fries ?

Raw potatoes are too expensive in Thailand, easier and cheaper to buy them frozen and sliced from Tesco.

Potatoes are 20 baht a kilo and french-fries are about 70 baht a kilo.

I think not.

Fortunately, what you think is of no great importance to me. I have been paying between 18 baht a kilo and 22 baht a kilo for big potatoes for making chips for at least the last 8 months. Potatoes for boiling are usually cheaper, even the big ones. Unless you were disagreeing with me about frozen chips. They were about 140 baht for a 2 kilo bag at Makeo, but I haven't bought any for a while, so the price may have changed.

[kaptainrob]

Not wishing to start a chip fight, but ... ACE come from Holland and may not be a US Expats preferred frozen fry. However, the reason Thailand imports frozen potato chips has nothing to do with cost of fresh local spuds which are suited to everything BUT deep frying.

Local and imported fresh potatoes happen to be our preference,boiled, mashed or baked ... @ ~ 26 Bt a kg from Makro.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Not wishing to start a chip fight, but ... ACE come from Holland and may not be a US Expats preferred frozen fry. However, the reason Thailand imports frozen potato chips has nothing to do with cost of fresh local spuds which are suited to everything BUT deep frying.

Local and imported fresh potatoes happen to be our preference,boiled, mashed or baked ... @ ~ 26 Bt a kg from Makro.

There are local potatoes suitable for frying but they are hard to find and you need to know the difference, as does the supplier. Fortunately I found a regular supplier at Mueang Mai market. 22 baht a kilo, last night.

[Saan]

I shop at Rimping because I like their range and enjoy the shopping experience here.

What is the "shopping experience" in Rimping? It's a supermarket, impersonal, clinical and small.

It would seem to me if you wanted a real experience in shopping for foodstuffs, the wet market wins hands down. Interacting with individual sellers at every purchase. A wide selection of fresh goods, much larger than any supermarket. A place to try your eight, or eight hundred words of Thai in a willing and friendly atmosphere. The hustle and bustle of vendors cooking on the spot, tending to their stalls. The ability to actually touch the food instead of viewing it through clear plastic bags.

As I've said, Rimping is good for some specialty items, and for that I shop there. But for normal staples, I go elsewhere.

By the way, about a week ago I saw a small package (a good fistful) of white button mushrooms, like you'd use in spaghetti, for about 340 baht. No joke. The same day I went to the wet market and saw the same thing for about 50 baht. Now that was a shopping experience at Rimping....

Certainly there is nothing like the experience of shopping in a great market. When I lived in Melbourne I regularly shopped at the Queen Victoria Market. The smells in the deli section were magnificent.

But we were talking about Rimping and when I need to shop for western food in Chiang Mai Rimping is a pleasant experience for me. I like their range and can usually find what I want. Great bread and the staff are pleasant.

I do shop in Thai markets and really enjoy my time there but that is another topic.

[Seligne2]

I tip my hat to guys who know the price of potatoes!

[worgeordie]

I tip my hat to guys who know the price of potatoes!

Yes he is they same guy that found it very novel that men knew the price of

eggs a while ago, but Joe knows his spuds.

regards worgeordie

[Chiengmaijoe]

I tip my hat to guys who know the price of potatoes!

Yes he is they same guy that found it very novel that men knew the price of

eggs a while ago, but Joe knows his spuds.

regards worgeordie

If you buy 100kg a week, you remember. I don't remember the prices of things I buy in small quantities or traipse across town to save 5 baht, as people might liken me to an old lady. Edited December 18, 2014 by Chiengmaijoe

[worgeordie]

I tip my hat to guys who know the price of potatoes!

Yes he is they same guy that found it very novel that men knew the price of

eggs a while ago, but Joe knows his spuds.

regards worgeordie

If you buy 100kg a week, you remember. I don't remember the prices of things I buy in small quantities or traipse across town to save 5 baht, as people might liken me to an old lady.

Maybe at 100Kg a week you should change your name to "Mr.Chips",Joe.

regards worgeordie

[jko]

Just as a little postscript to this post:

Today at tranquil Rimping Nim City 5 litres Mont Clair red cost Baht 955.

Paid with Visa, got credit card points, and also got 38 Rimping 'Superplus' points, and a big smile at the cashier.

If I had spent 5 baht more, I would even have been eligible for a home delivery!

Today at very noisy (loudspeakers right at the entrance) Macro Hang Dong, 5 litres Mont Clair red Baht 969.

If I had bought it there, of course no Visa card payment, no customer loyalty points, and I wouldn't even have been given a bag to put it in far less a smile!

Rest my case krub.

[Konini]

I always assumed Rimping was the most expensive shop and have only bought things that I can't get anywhere else. I don't (and never have) looked at the price of necessities. We've lived in 4 countries and you can really get hung up on how much things cost, but at the end of the day it really doesn't matter how much it costs, you still have to buy milk and butter and tea and coffee and soap and shampoo (and pickles and sauces if you want to make reasonable sandwiches).

I was in Rimping at the Iron bridge a few weeks ago looking for Glad Wrap (I've tried all of the local brands and a few imported ones, but they aren't up to the job) I noticed Multi Grain Weetbix. I used to have this for breakfast every day when we lived in Australia so I picked it up without looking at the price. A week later, I saw a promo thing for Tesco and they had them on special for 199, 15 baht off. Went to the Tesco on the Superhighway but they didn't have any - in fact they seem to have far less 'Farang' food than Hang Dong Road. Last week I'd gone to Homepro and called in at Big C - I'd run out of Weetbix and was going to buy a couple of packs but they were 220. I was quite surprised that Big C would be more expensive than Tesco and didn't buy them. Yesterday I was in Rimping looking for thick bleach (no Domestos but I got Clorex which I think is American and not too bad) and the Multi Grain Weetbix were 198 baht, not on special, but 10% cheaper than Big C and about 9% cheaper than Tesco.

I was very surprised at this, perhaps I should pay as much attention to the things that I'm going to buy regardless of price as I do to what I consider luxury items (like a Christmas Pudding in Rimping, Coles (Aussie supermarket) brand, 795 baht. And it wasn't even a big one. I think I'll make one instead).

We go to Tesco on the Superhighway because Mr K says that they have a better choice of (cheapish) red wine than Rimping. No idea about wine, but they do sell some vodka for 169 baht. Put Coke in and it all tastes the same to me.

[Frank James]

This thread has degenerated into a Snide-a-Thon. Must be the season.

[Sparkles]

This thread has degenerated into a Snide-a-Thon. Must be the season.

Agree absolutely riveting information where you can save a few baht riding round CM in ever decreasing circles

[robertmueller]

Just as a little postscript to this post:

Today at tranquil Rimping Nim City 5 litres Mont Clair red cost Baht 955.

Paid with Visa, got credit card points, and also got 38 Rimping 'Superplus' points, and a big smile at the cashier.

If I had spent 5 baht more, I would even have been eligible for a home delivery!

Today at very noisy (loudspeakers right at the entrance) Macro Hang Dong, 5 litres Mont Clair red Baht 969.

If I had bought it there, of course no Visa card payment, no customer loyalty points, and I wouldn't even have been given a bag to put it in far less a smile!

Rest my case krub.

jko: for your information only: Lotus HangDong also sells Mont Clair in the 10 litres box for something below B1'500, e.g. B1'495